Massage Therapy For Fibromyalgia

A condition that was once universally misunderstood by the medical community, fibromyalgia manifests as a complex set of symptoms impacting the entire body. For people living with fibromyalgia, each day brings new challenges because the symptoms of this syndrome can be so unpredictable. The good news is that many fibromyalgia sufferers are boosting their quality of life using holistic, non-pharmacological treatments like massage therapy. Take a closer look at how massage therapy can help to relieve symptoms of fibromyalgia.

What to Know Before Booking Massage Therapy for Fibromyalgia

While fibromyalgia is viewed by many as a vague or mysterious disease, there's nothing subtle about the symptoms of this syndrome for the more than 5 million Americans who live with it every day. Fibromyalgia can make many normal day-to-day activities impossible. In fact, the Nation Institutes of Health (NIH) describes fibromyalgia as being comparable to arthritis in the way that it can "interfere with a person’s ability to perform everyday activities." According to the NIH, fibromyalgia is characterized by the following symptoms:

• Pain.
• Fatigue.
• Cognitive problems.
• Memory problems.
• Sleep disturbances.
• Morning stiffness.
• Headaches.
• Painful menstrual periods.
• Numbness of the extremities.
• Tingling of the extremities.
• Restless leg syndrome.
• Temperature sensitivity.
• Sensitivity to loud noises.
• Sensitivity to bright lights.

Many people with fibromyalgia live in a state of constant pain and discomfort. What's more, they are never sure when their environment will trigger symptoms. While the symptoms of fibromyalgia are enough to throw a person's life into chaos, this syndrome also has an added point of frustration. Getting a fibromyalgia diagnosis is very difficult. Currently, there is no formal diagnostic test to confirm fibromyalgia. As a result, many people have their symptoms dismissed when seeking help from physicians. Others are prescribed medications designed to mask some of the symptoms that patients can experience without any investigation into the origins of how or why the developed fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia and Massage Therapy: Promising Developments

Pain is the primary symptom of fibromyalgia. However, fibromyalgia sufferers can have a wide range of pain experiences. For many, the pain is described as being mild to severe pain that "flares up" in various parts of the body. Some sufferers experience shooting or burning pain that feels like it's hiding deep within the muscles. Others may have consistent aches that burrow into the muscles and joints. In fact, the soft tissue surrounding the joints can be especially vulnerable to pain and tenderness. Even the pain patterns of fibromyalgia vary by person. For some people, daytime fibromyalgia is the norm. Others only experience pain at night. Of course, many fibromyalgia sufferers are living with pain around the clock.

It makes sense to address the pain that impacts soft tissue by focusing on soft-tissue treatments. This is precisely why focusing on the musculoskeletal system instead of simply trying to mask pain with medication is so important for fibromyalgia sufferers. The research on massage therapy's benefits for fibromyalgia sufferers is so promising that the NIH actually recommends massage therapy as a viable, low-risk treatment option. In one systematic review and analysis of randomized controlled trials regarding massage therapy as a treatment for fibromyalgia, researchers concluded that massage therapy provided immediate beneficial effects on pain, anxiety and depression in patients.

How Are Massage Therapists Treating Fibromyalgia?

Massage therapists have been on the cutting edge of treating musculoskeletal pain for decades. As a result, they are uniquely primed to help patients with fibromyalgia find holistic, long-lasting options for getting the body back in balance. The same health benefits of massage that everyone can enjoy can be particularly significant for people living with fibromyalgia. These benefits include:

• Stress reduction.
• Pain reduction.
• Reduction in muscle soreness and tension.
• Improved circulation.
• Improved energy levels.
• Lower blood pressure
• Lower heart rate.
• Improved alertness.
• Headaches relief.
• Better sleep.

For people with fibromyalgia, relief from the pain and tension that leave them feeling like prisoners in their own bodies can begin a path to lasting healing. Massage therapists don't take a one-size-fits-all approach when treating fibromyalgia. They instead take a patient's specific symptoms into consideration when designing custom massage plans. Pulling from a wide variety of massage techniques, massage therapists can target different muscle and tissue groups throughout the body to restore balance. Take a look at some of the massage techniques used to help relieve the symptoms of fibromyalgia.

Myofascial Release

In studies, myofascial release techniques have been shown to improve pain and quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia. Designed to restore range of motion and flexibility by elongating muscle fibers, myofascial release is a massage technique that is helping many people to live without pain. During myofascial release, the massage therapist applies pressure to connective tissue.

Sports Massage

While most people associate sports massage with athletes who need muscle recovery following big matches, the truth is that sports massage is for everyone. That includes weekend-only athletes, desk jockeys, and people living with chronic pain. The reason why sports massage is so beneficial for people with fibromyalgia is because this form of massage is focused on alleviating stress, strain, and tension within the body. Sports massage primarily targets the same areas of soft tissue that are prone to pain and stiffness in people with fibromyalgia. We also know that sports massage can be an effective tool for relaxation and restorative healing due to the way it increases blood circulation, helps the flow of lymphatic fluid, reduces heart rate, and slows blood pressure. While athletes use sports massage as a way to boost flexibility for better performance, fibromyalgia suffers can use the same benefit of added flexibility to simply go about their days without pain!

Trigger-Point Massage

Using a special technique to break up knotted, tight muscles that are creating blockages in the body, trigger-point massage is gaining momentum in the wellness world! Knotted muscle groups called "trigger points" are responsible for pain, inflammation, and loss of flexibility throughout the body. A trigger-point massage will help to stretch these muscles until they relax from their knotted, strained states. Undoing this tension in the body can help with everything from joint dysfunction to headaches.

What to Expect When You Book a Massage Appointment to Get Relief From Fibromyalgia

If you've never booked an appointment with a massage therapist before, you probably have lots of questions about what to expect. Let's cover some of the big questions that people usually have when they walk in the door! First-time massage patients often want to know if a massage will hurt. This is a big concern for people with fibromyalgia because they are always wary of any treatment that could leave them hurting and aching even more than they already are on a daily basis.

The simple answer is that massages don't hurt. In fact, many people simply use massage therapy as a wellness tool for relaxation due to the fact that the pressure applied during massage is considered pleasant. What's more, endorphins and other natural chemicals released by the body during massage induce relaxation. Of course, massage therapy does create sensations of tugging and pressure that may seem intense for a person with a high sensitivity to pain. This is where keeping open lines of communication becomes so important. Prior to your massage, let your massage therapist know that you struggle with pain. Your massage therapist should be able to verbally guide you through the massage process to help you know what to expect. You should also feel empowered to communicate if a massage becomes too intense.

Experience the Benefits of Massage Therapy for Fibromyalgia Pain

If you're looking for a holistic, medication-free way to help restore balance in your body to alleviate fibromyalgia symptoms, there's no better option than massage therapy. This safe, risk-free treatment option is helping countless people to get natural pain relief by addressing the tension, strain, and blockages that are causing everything from sore muscles to intense headaches. For many people living with fibromyalgia, massage therapy is a gateway to better sleep, increased mobility, and a more satisfying life! At DE Integrative, we take the concerns of people living with fibromyalgia seriously. When you book a visit with our office, we'll help you develop a plan for integrating massage therapy into your wellness plan based on your specific symptoms. Call DE Integrative today to book your massage appointment!