THE POWER OF TOUCH for those suffering from Fibromyalgia
One of the main symptoms of fibromyalgia is waking up tired, even if it seems you've received plenty of sleep. Deep sleep is truly beneficial to managing fibromyalgia as it is during this time that the restorative process occurs. So not only will a massage help you wake more refreshed, but you may also experience less pain during the day.
According to the American Chronic Pain Association, fibromyalgia affects
more than 6 million Americans.
Pain can make it difficult to enjoy everyday activities, but for fibromyalgia patients, pain can be constant, interfering with sleep, work and daily tasks. According to the American Chronic Pain Association, fibromyalgia affects more than 6 million Americans. The origins of this disorder are still relatively unknown.
Though there is no cure, massage therapy may be one way to make life a little easier for people with fibromyalgia. In 2010, Adelaida Maria Castro-Sánchez led scientists from the University of Almería in Almería, Spain, to consider the effects of myofascial therapy on pain, anxiety, quality of sleep, depression and quality of life in fibromyalgia patients.
Using a randomized-controlled study, researchers assigned 64 fibromyalgia patients to receive one of two types of therapy treatments over the course of 20 weeks. The experimental group received myofascial release therapy for 90 minutes once a week. The control group received a therapy that used a disconnected magnetic therapy machine for 30 minutes once a week. Their pain was assessed at baseline and at the end of the 20-week period, and then again at one and six months following the study’s completion.
Researchers found the experimental group experienced significantly improved anxiety, sleep, pain and quality of life—both immediately following the treatment and up to one month after. The control group did not reap any of these benefits. The six-month follow-ups, however, showed that improvements in sleep were the only difference between the two treatment groups.
A similar study led by Castro-Sanchez in 2011 further examined how fibromyalgia patients respond to massage therapy and found reductions in sensitivity to their pain. Additionally, these results showed many improvements that lasted as long as one year after the study’s completion.
Massage can aid in pain relief.
No matter how you look at it, pain is a part of life, and how you deal with pain can either enhance or diminish the quality of your life.
In 2006, the National Center for Health Statistics reported in a special feature in their Chartbook on Trends in the Health of Americans that more than one-quarter of Americans over the age of 20 report having experienced pain persisting more than 24 hours, and adults age 45-64 are most likely to suffer or complain of pain.
One of the things we know from research on massage therapy is massage can help relieve pain. In addition to helping fibromyalgia patients, massage therapy can be used to reduce pain associated with many conditions, including carpel tunnel, lower back pain, headaches, leg pain, muscle cramps and tension.
Pain can make it difficult to enjoy everyday activities, but for fibromyalgia patients, pain can be constant, interfering with sleep, work and daily tasks. According to the American Chronic Pain Association, fibromyalgia affects more than 6 million Americans.
Though there is no cure, massage therapy may be one way to make life a little easier for people with fibromyalgia.
Benefits of Massage Therapy for Fibromyalgia
Not only does each session feel great, but also the therapeutic benefits are compounded when massage is utilized as a frequent therapy. The more you go, the healthier you feel. At Break Time, offers not just space and time, but also the expertise to help you achieve a state of relaxation and well-being, and wash away your stress and renew your energy in a ayurvedic atmosphere that seems a world away from the pressures of life, so you can relax, rejuvenate and continue to grow healthier everyday.
Researchers found the experimental group experienced significantly improved anxiety, sleep, pain and quality of life—both immediately following the treatment and up to one month after. The control group did not reap any of these benefits. The six month follow-ups, however, showed that improvements in sleep were the only difference between the two treatment groups. Read the full study »
Looking for a massage therapist?