What Are The Benefits Of A Massage for Fibromyalgia Sufferers?
Fibromyalgia is a widespread problem, and some sufferers may not even realise that they have it. Symptoms include chronic pain throughout the body, exhaustion, mood swings, lack of sleep, and memory problems, and if you are experiencing these issues then it could be that you have fibromyalgia. If you think you might, it’s best to speak to your doctor as soon as possible. Although there is no cure at this time, there are ways to manage the pain that comes with this condition, and learning about them will be important.
How Massage Helps
One of the ways that fibromyalgia sufferers can find relief is through massage. Massage increases the levels of serotonin in the body, and this means that pain is felt much less. On top of that, the right massage will also decrease levels of something called ‘substance P’. This is a pain messenger, and it is the quickest way that the brain can be told that the body is in pain – with less of it, the message takes longer to arrive. Stress hormones which can exacerbate pain symptoms are also reduced, and muscles are relaxed, causing less tension and less pain.
Massage also gives the recipient a general sense of well-being, so even if they do still hurt, they are better equipped mentally to deal with it.
Since one of the main symptoms of fibromyalgia is poor sleep, massage can help with this too. Waking up tired, even after a long sleep, is a problem that many fibromyalgia sufferers have to deal with, but a massage, particularly from The Massage People London can promote better sleep, allowing the body and mind to relax enough to re-energise and rejuvenate. That means you will wake up feeling as though you have really rested.
Massage Techniques
A good massage therapist should know that there are a variety of techniques that can be used for treating fibromyalgia effectively. They will have a discussion with their client about how tender the pain is, and where it is focused. This will give them a much better idea of which technique to use, since each patient will be suffering in a different way (this is why fibromyalgia is a difficult thing to diagnose in the first place – although there are generalised symptoms as mentioned above, they could be mistaken for other conditions because they don’t all present in the same way).
There are three common techniques used in massage to benefit fibromyalgia sufferers: trigger point therapy, lymphatic drainage massage, and myofascial release. These will be used along with a variety of other methods that will be determined during the initial consultation.
What needs to be focused on is giving the patient pain relief and offering improved mobility. This is why so many therapists work on encouraging circulation within the muscles. This increases the nutrients flowing around the body and also eliminates any waste products – pain is reduced this way. And since the muscles are relaxed, there is a definite improvement in motion and movement too. The heart rate will slow at the same time, and the body’s natural painkillers will have a chance to work.
Whatever the techniques are that have been discussed and agreed on during the consultation stage, most therapists will start with long, soothing strokes. This warms up the muscles. After this, the deeper pressure will be applied, and friction strokes will be used. This breaks down the knots of fibres in the muscles, and that, in turn, releases toxins, which reduces pain.
Will Massage for Fibromyalgia Hurt?
Something that many people who suffer from fibromyalgia are concerned about is whether or not the massage is going to hurt. After all, they are often left extremely sensitive to touch, and a massage is all about touch. This is why it is important for patients to understand that they are in complete control of their massage, and that communication is key throughout. When your muscles hurt during a fibromyalgia massage it means they have too much pressure on them – over time their ability to take more pressure will increase, but at the start, it may not be very much at all.
If this is the case and it does start to hurt, the first thing a patient must do is let their massage therapist know so that the massage can pause, or stop entirely for the time being. It may take time to build up to a full massage, so bear this in mind and don’t be hard on yourself if you cannot endure the entire session at first.
Why Is Regular Massage Important?
Is it often recommended that fibromyalgia patients have regular massage sessions rather than just having a one-off massage. Although one massage will help and will leave you feeling wonderful, regular massage will ensure that your muscles grow stronger and are better able to deal with pain. The effects of a massage on chronic pain will wear off after a time, so although one session will help it will only be short term. Regular massage, spaced out correctly, could even mean that there is no chance for the pain to come back between sessions. Another benefit of regular massage is that it means you can then go on to do more regular exercise. Something that some fibromyalgia sufferers have trouble with is exercising enough; their muscles ache too much to allow it. Regular massage can strengthen the muscles so that the pain is much less, and in many cases this will mean that sufferers are able to exercise once more. This improves their overall health, and in turn, it means that their bodies are better able to cope when they do feel pain.
Knowing when you might experience what is known as a ‘fibro flare’ means that you can ensure you have a massage before it happens, reducing the chances of experiencing it in the first place. A fibro flare is when the symptoms of fibromyalgia suddenly get worse, and they can be due to many different things including the weather, the temperature, and what the patient may (or may not have) been eating. Warding these flares off with massage saves a lot of pain and mobility issues.
