Massage, Fibromyalgia and Chronic fatigue

Fibromyalgia and massage therapy benefits

Fibromyalgia and massage therapy, chronic fatigue syndrome and massage therapy

Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue signs and symptoms.

Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome are chronic illnesses that may present with a variety of symptoms including; severe fatigue, muscle pain and weakness, feeling unwell after exercise, low grade fever and chills, sore throats, inflamed and tender lymph nodes, gastro-intestinal disturbances, joint pains, headaches, sleep disturbances, allergies and a decreased ability to concentrate or remember things. It is common for the illness to develop following an acute illness, such as; a viral infection, but chronic health problems, emotional factors such as stress, anxiety or depression, changes in hormones, nutritional deficiencies or exposure to environmental pollutants and contaminants can all increase the risk of suffering from fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome. Sometimes the best treatment to relieve severe fibromyalgia pain symptoms is to find the best type of massage for fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue.

Fibromyalgoa pain managementChronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia share many of the same symptoms, and although they are different conditions we will regard them the same here from a massage point of view and find out what type of massage is best for fibromyalgia. It appears that mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress are at play in both conditions with differences in symptoms being dependent on which tissues are most affected by the dysfunction and what particular pattern of  contributing factors are present in each susceptible individual. In chronic fatigue syndrome the dominating symptom is severe fatigue lasting for more than six months, combined with four or more of the symptoms listed above. In fibromyalgia, pain is the primary symptom with mood disorders and other neural symptoms being associated with it.

Fibromyalgia Treatment

There is currently no cure for chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia but if you are looking for fibromyalgia treatment, fibromyalgia pain management or fibromyalgia natural treatment there is much that can be done to manage the pain, fatigue and other symptoms and allow the person with these conditions to live a normal and fulfilling life. The path to healing from  fibromyalgia or  chronic fatigue will be individual, as is the best type of massage for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue, because in any individual are a multitude of factors that can cause the symptoms to flare. In many cases a viral infection is underlying the condition. Sometimes the link between a virus such as glandular fever and the onset of symptoms is clear. In other cases the original infection may have been passed off as a common cold and the virus lay dormant until conditions were right for it to flare up. In these cases the viral link is much less clear. As a massage therapist I am a bit like a detective, searching for what unique combination of factors it is in each individual that created the right environment for the flare up and addressing them through the best type of massage for fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue.

Fibromyalgia Natural Treatment.

Castle Hill MassageThere are natural remedies for helping with fibromyalgia treatment. Along with fibromyalgia massage, your immune system is your ally, always fighting to protect you from invaders and move you towards healing. When dealing with a chronic viral infection the immune system can sometimes become depleted and tired. When your immune system is tired, you will feel tired too. There are many vital nutrients, enzymes and anti-oxidant compounds found in fresh fruits and vegetables. A diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables and low in refined sugars will nourish the immune system. You will also get benefit from fibromyalgia massage therapy techniques.

Fibromyalgia Massage.

What type of massage is good for fibromyalgia? Massage therapy, performed by a sensitive and caring practitioner who knows how to massage fibromyalgia patients, induces a state of deep relaxation, allowing tension to be released and helps in easing fibromyalgia pain. The nurturing touch of massage can improve the pain pressure threshold and combining techniques such as trigger point therapy and myofascial release, amongst many fibromyalgia massage therapy techniques, reduces active tender points and can significantly reduce the pain suffered by those with fibromyalgia. The benefits of massage therapy are not limited to the physical effects of pain relief on muscles and tender points. The massage space is a safe space where clients are able to connect more deeply with themselves. As a massage practitioner, regular sessions allow me to get to know the pattern of my your pain but also to connect more to you as a whole. Many clients report reduced anxiety and improved quality of life as a result of managing their pain with regular massages.

Fibromyalgia Massage Frequency.

Castle Hill MassageHow often should you get a massage with fibromyalgia? This is an individual consideration and depends on your cellular health and treatment response. We have patients who find a weekly session both eases and staves off the worst of their symptoms and find it the best fibromyalgia pain management, and we have others who prefer a bit longer between their fibromyalgia massage treatments.

Conclusion.

If you are suffering from Fibromyalia or Chronic Fatigue symptoms and are looking for natural therapy for fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue you will find a good massage therapist will give you considerable relief. They will use a range of specific fibromyalgia massage therapy techniques suited to you as an individual. If you need help, call us now.

Call now for an appointment on 9659 0515

The benefits of massage therapy on muscle pain

The benefit of massage therapy

The benefit of massage therapy for muscle repair and pain reduction.

Researchers have discovered what happens to your muscles when you have a massage. They investigated the effect that massage can have on muscle pain such as low back pain, neck pain or pulled muscles. What they found was that massage may suppress inflammation and enhance cell recovery.

 

Method.

A study was undertaken in which researchers examined the cellular effect of massage on muscular repair. The found eleven volunteers who were each prepared to have one of their legs biopsied, that is, a tiny piece of muscle removed for microscopic examination.

Remedial Massage Castle HIll
Chronic neck pain relief

This was done before they undertook any exercise and was the ‘control’ for the cellular health of each individual. On another visit, the volunteers exercised for over an hour on a bicycle, up to the point of exhaustion. The researchers then massaged just one thigh of each of the volunteers for ten minutes, not doing anything to the other. Immediately after the massage they biopsied both legs, and then after a further 2 ½ hours of rest, they did a third biopsy.

Discusssion;

With vigourus exercise you get tiny tears in muscle fibres, leading to an immune reaction, seen as inflammation, which leads to repair of the injured cells. The researchers compared the effect of massage on these biochemical functions to determine if there was a different response. What they found was that massage reduced the production of cytokines, important in the production of inflammation. It also stimulates the mitochondria, which you may recall from school science lessons are the production  cells which convert glucose into energy – which is essential for cell function and repair. It is likely that for chronic pain sufferers with upper back and neck pain or low back pain, even general back pain, massage will do the same thing, stimulate the healing process. Not only that but the physical compression of muscles by the massage process will also remove toxins from the muscle cells, which may have built up as a result of long term suffering, such as in individuals with Fibromyalgia. This alone will reduce the level of discomfort an individual feels.

Dr Tarnopolsky, a professor of paediatrics and medicine at McMaster University in Ontario says that massage has a different effect from Nsaids (Non-steroidal anitinflammatories) and other such pharmacuticals, which reduce inflammation and pain, but actually retard the healing process. Massage can supress inflammation and enhance cell recovery whereas theoretically there may be a maladaptive response if you are constantly using pharma medication.

Result;

This study is the first to show that massage can ‘reduce pro-inflammatory cytokines which may be involved in pain’, said Tiffany Field of the University of Miami Medical School.

As well as the biochemical effects of massage there is also the benefit of interpersonal touch which mediates the release of oxytocin and endogenous opiods which can result in reduced reactivity to stressors and improved effect. (Ellingsen DM, et al. The Neurobiology Shaping Affective Touch: Expectation, Motivation, and Meaning in the Multisensory Context. Front Psychol. 2016 Jan 6;6:1986.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26779092)

And of course input from somatosensory receptors can inhibit ascending nociceptive processing and activate descending inhibitory mechanisms. (Bialosky JE, et al. Unraveling the Mechanisms of Manual Therapy: Modeling an Approach. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2018 Jan;48(1):8-18. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29034802). This means that neurological function is altered by human touch; massage results in more messages being sent to the brain so pain messages don’t get through. These are just some of the benefits of massage.

Massage may be a better form of treatment for muscle tenderness post exercise than popping a pill. And it’s safe too. According to the New England Journal of Medicine in a 1999, study Nsaids kill 16,500 people in the USA each year.

The overwhelming evidence shows that the benefits of massage are enormous in inflammation reduction, neural moderation, cellular change, emotional improvement and general pain reduction. It may also relieve chronic pain. And of course massage is safe.

Reference;
Massage Therapy Attenuates Inflammatory Signaling After Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage. (Justin D. Crane1, et al. Science Translational Medicine  01 Feb 2012: Vol. 4, Issue 119, pp. 119ra13
DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3002882
http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/4/119/119ra13
Call now for an appointment on 9659 0515