Massage and Arthritis

What do you think when you see or hear the word 'arthritis'?

Before I expanded my study and treatment into this area I would have been guilty of thinking it was a bunch of painful joint conditions that I wouldn't experience until I was much older - just a natural part of aging I thought. Yes it’s true that some forms are related to aging – for example the ‘wear’n tear’ deterioration of connective joint tissue such as experienced in osteoarthritis but there are many forms of arthritis and they affect people of all ages and from all walks of life – such as the autoimmune disease, Rheumatoid arthritis.

Age related or otherwise, there are plenty of affective and useful treatments to relieve the symptoms and in some cases reduce the severity of arthritic diseases. If you are already experiencing the joy of arthritis-related problems - such as pain, stiffness, inflammation and damage to joint cartilage (the tissue that covers the ends of bones, enabling them to move against each another) and surrounding structures – then you would be aware of some of the options for treatment including a wide range of complementary therapies – including massage.

Massage & Arthritis

There are a lot of evidence-based studies on the benefits of massage therapy for arthritis (see Field etal, 1997, Perlman etal, 2006 and Field etal, 2007). Regular massage of muscles and joints, can lead to a significant reduction in pain for people with arthritis, according to Tiffany Field, PhD, director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine. In Field’s research and other recent studies on the effects of massage for arthritis symptoms, regular use of massage therapy led to improvements in pain, stiffness, range of motion, handgrip strength and overall function of the joints.

The remedial massage therapy treatment goals I create with my clients with arthritis generally focus on reducing tension on joints, decreasing pain, increasing range of motion, increasing circulation and promoting relaxation. The following is a link to Arthritis Australia and has further information regarding massage and arthritis.

http://www.arthritisaustralia.com.au/images/stories/documents/info_sheets/2015/General%20management/Massageandarthritis.pdf

Please also check the general information on the Arthritis Australia webpage for a good general source of information.

http://www.arthritisaustralia.com.au/index.php/arthritis-information.html

I am always happy to chat about any concerns or general questions you might have regarding your own condition. Manual therapy is usually only part of a holistic treatment plan for many forms of arthritis so if you think you maybe suffering from early signs of arthritis (see the link above) please visit your GP for an assessment and to receive important information on living with this condition.

Keep Moving!

But remember, the arthritic problems that we may experience later in life is a product of the beautiful process of aging and together with all the other wonderful age related changes, perhaps we should be grateful that we are still around to experience them! But equally important is that we can ease these processes. Of course I am a strong supporter of the benefits of manual and movement therapy throughout our lives, but especially important for the general health of our bodies is movement.

With regard to joint health in particular and the protection and repair of cartilage, regular movement is critical. Movement circulates the synovial fluid inside your joints and fills the space between the cartilage surfaces and facilitates smooth, painless movement between bones. This clear, slightly viscous fluid is also important because it delivers nutrients and oxygen to the hyaline cartilage, which—unlike most body tissues—doesn’t have its own blood supply.

So the best thing we can do is keep moving! Remember, try not to take moving too seriously – its easy to get into a rut by thinking that we don’t have time to fit in an organised activity during our day but how about just a 10min leg stretch (walk) or moving your arms about during a tea break with a nice side stretch against the wall. And remember when your colleagues look at you strangely during one of your stretch moments invite them to join you and increase the motion in their lives too!

Happy Stillness In Motion!

Health Industry note:

Many health funds provide rebates for remedial massage therapy treatments in Australia if performed by members of an appropriate association such ATMS and AAMT.

References:

Field, T., Hernandez-Reif, M., Seligman, S., Krasnegor, J. & Sunshine, W. (1997). Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis: Benefits from massage therapy. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 22, 607-617.

Perlman, A.I., Sabina, A., Williams, A.L., Njike, V.Y., & Katz, D.L. (2006). Massage therapy for osteoarthritis of the knee: a randomized controlled trial. Archives of Internal Medicine, 166, 2533-2538.

Field, T., Diego, M., Hernandez-Reif, M., Shea, J. (2007). Hand arthritis pain reduced by massage therapy. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 2, 21-24.

Yurtkuran, M. & Kocagil, T. (1999). TENS, electropuncture and ice massage: Comparison of treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee. American Journal of Acupuncture, 27, 133-140.