Massage Beneficial for Fibromyalgia Pain

Fibromyalgia is a frustrating condition in which chronic pain is severe enough to interfere with a person's life. The most common areas for pain to be are in your lower back, neck, shoulders, back of the head, upper chest or thighs; but the pain may be elsewhere. The pain is most commonly described as shooting or stabbing as well as burning or throbbing. If you suffer from fibromyalgia, you may benefit from massage.

The causes of fibromyalgia are not well understood, which makes treatment difficult. For some people, anti-anxiety medications or antidepressants are beneficial; however, there can be dangerous side effects. Proper nutritional support, daily walks, hot baths and adequate rest are all recommended to help you manage fibromyalgia; however, even when you try your best to follow these guidelines, you may still need more help.

Massage is highly-recommended for fibromyalgia patients. A study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics found that fibromyalgia patients had an improvement in symptoms through both manual lymph drainage therapy (MLDT) and connective tissue massage (CTM)¹.

Manual lymph drainage therapy uses various massage techniques ranging from light motions to stronger, deeper manipulation. This massage therapy helps relieve the symptoms of fibromyalgia by stimulating the flow of lymph, which can help the immune system.

Connective tissue massage restores full movement and lessens pain by properly aligning the connective tissue that connects muscle to bone. Pressure is applied to stretch and guide the connective tissue restoring proper alignment and balance to the body.

If you have been suffering from fibromyalgia, give our clinic a call to see if we can help.

1. Ekici G, Bakar Y, Akbayrak T, Yuksel I. Comparison of manual lymph drainage therapy and connective tissue massage in women with fibromyalgia: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2009;32(2):127-33.