5 Medical Conditions You Didn’t Know Could Be Remedied With All-Natural Massage Therapy

Not too long ago, spas and fancy sports clubs were the only places you could get a massage. But research shows that massage therapy isn’t just a luxury item; it also offers many health benefits.

In fact, here at Advantage Spinal Dynamics & Innovative Medicine in Meridian, Idaho, we recommend all-natural massage therapy as a remedy for many common medical conditions, and we see our patients thrive when it’s added to their treatment plan.

1. Fibromyalgia

If you suffer from fibromyalgia you know how hard it is to find a treatment that can help you get your pain under control so you can feel more like your usual self. Well, massage therapy may be the treatment that you’re looking for.

It works by:

• Helping you relax to reduce stress and anxiety
• Releasing your body’s natural painkillers
• Improving muscle and joint range of motion

When getting massage therapy for your fibromyalgia, you want to let your therapist know about your medical history and your specific pain points so you get the right pressure in the right spots without any additional pain or discomfort.

2. Chronic pain

Like fibromyalgia, chronic pain conditions can take over your life, and finding the right combination of treatments to help you feel normal can take time. Studies sponsored by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health conducted in 2009 and 2011 found that therapeutic massage helped improve both chronic low back and neck pain by relaxing tense muscles and stimulating nerve endings to change your pain signals.

3. Depression

Depression is a common mood disorder that affects many Americans. When you’re feeling so low that you can’t get out of bed in the morning, you may feel alone and hopeless. But depression isn’t permanent when you get the treatment you need.

Adding massage therapy to your treatment plan may help reduce the muscle aches and pains that often accompany depression, and help improve your energy level, which may give you the lift you need to get out of bed and back to doing the things that bring you joy. Massage therapy also helps strengthen your body-mind connection to help you regain control over your feelings.

4. Headaches

Everyone gets headaches. In fact, it’s one of the most common reasons people miss work or go see their doctor. Instead of over-the-counter pain medication for your tension headache, you may want to consider a therapeutic massage. Tension in your shoulder, neck, and jaw muscles are often the underlying cause of headaches and a massage may help ease the muscle tightness —  and your pain.

5. Osteoarthritis

Pain and swelling in your joints can make everyday activities difficult. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and is caused by the wearing away of the cartilage that separates your bones. While the research is preliminary, massage therapy has been shown to help reduce pain and improve function in people with knee osteoarthritis. By working on the muscles, ligaments, tendons, and joints, the massage therapist helps improve range of motion, as well as blood circulation, which promotes healing and health.

Your body has everything it needs to heal itself; you just need to tap into the right resources. Massage therapy is an all-natural treatment that improves blood circulation, reduces muscle tension, and releases your body’s own natural pain relievers. It can serve as a remedy for many medical conditions.

To learn more about the benefits of massage therapy, call Advantage Spinal Dynamics & Innovative Medicine today, or request an appointment online.