Is Massage Therapy Good For Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain is a term referring to pain that persists past the normal point of healing for injury or disease. It also describes recurring pain that persists over months or years. There are several different treatments available, with one of the most successful methods being pain relief with massage therapy. A 2019 literature review in Medicina Sportiva revealed that over the past decade, there have been over 3,000 studies into the use of massage therapy for chronic pain. This article is going to help answer the question - is massage therapy good for chronic pain?

Massage Relieves Tension In The Body

If you are experiencing chronic pain, your stress levels may rise, and you may feel tension in your muscles and joints. This in turn leads to increased pressure on your body, which can further worsen the symptoms of chronic pain. You should see pain relief with massage therapy, particularly with methods like Swedish massage, as massage helps relieve tension in the body. It does so by encouraging the body to relax, reducing the tightening of your muscles and joints, and therefore the additional pressure on your body.

A recent 2020 study in Frontiers In Public Health showed that participants that received a massage saw a significant reduction in cortisol levels between the fourth and eighth week of their therapy. Cortisol is the hormone released when you feel stressed. Research supports that massage therapy for chronic pain helps reduce cortisol levels, and therefore increased tension in the body.

Massage Therapy Helps Your Blood Flow

Poor circulation can increase pain to your joints, and extremities, particularly the legs, feet, arms, and hands. If you have chronic pain, poor circulation can be both a cause and an exacerbating factor. Reduced blood flow to your body can cause pins and needles and stabbing pain in your limbs, and even pressure and swelling to already painful joints. Highly trained massage therapists use specialist techniques to keep blood flowing, improving circulation and symptoms of chronic pain.

Massage Reduces Your High Blood Pressure

Chronic pain is a severe condition that can also lead to several other health complications, including high blood pressure. For many experiencing chronic pain, the complication of other coexisting serious health conditions can actually make their pain considerably worse. Fortunately, massage therapy can help reduce high blood pressure at the same time that it improves circulation. Blood pressure increases when your heart has to work harder to pump blood around the body. By improving blood flow, there is less pressure built-up, reducing the concern of high blood pressure and the impact on the heart.

Conclusion

Is massage therapy good for chronic pain? Yes. Massage therapy helps reduce tension in the body, removing additional pain, as well as boosting wellbeing for the individual. Massage therapy also improves blood flow, removing pressure from already painful joints. Finally, massage therapy reduces some of the additional symptoms of chronic pain, like high blood pressure and added stress to the heart.

If you want to book a massage to help manage your chronic pain, get in touch with our Natural Forces Massage team at 281-570-2945 today. We’ll help you manage the symptoms of chronic pain.

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Is Massage Therapy Good For Chronic Pain?

Massage Relieves Tension In The Body

Massage Therapy Helps Your Blood Flow

Massage Reduces Your High Blood Pressure

Conclusion

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