Massage Therapy and Chronic Pain…Physical, Mental, and Emotional
Massage is being used to treat a variety of conditions including chronic fatigue syndrome, repetitive stress injuries from jobs, sports and activities, as well as chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia, lupus and chronic myofascial pain syndrome. Research is showing that people living with chronic pain often experience immediate relief, and with regularly scheduled treatments, report lower levels of pain symptoms. For those living with everyday pain, massage therapy can play an integral role in the long-term management of their conditions. Obviously it is important to find professional therapists who are licensed and who understand or specialize in chronic pain management, as a thorough assessment and clear treatment plan are essential to the efficacy of treatments. So look for therapists with legitimate credentials who specialize in pain management techniques.
Another area in healthcare historically reserved for traditional western medicine, now exploring the benefits of massage therapy, is the psychology community. The applications of manual therapy modalities are now being researched for their efficacy in the treatment of psychological disorders such as clinical depression and anxiety disorders. Massage therapy has been found to relieve the severity and duration of both, as well as speeding the healing process in post surgery and post injury patients.
When exploring health management options, it now seems prudent to research the benefits of massage therapy in conjunction with existing treatment plans.