Rheumatoid Arthritis and Massage Therapy

Rheumatoid Arthritis and Massage Therapy

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a painful systemic illness that affects multiple parts of the body. It is commonly thought that it mostly causes pain as inflammation attacks cartilage and bone in the joints. People who have been diagnosed often use medication and other techniques such as heat/ice, rest and other techniques to manage their debilitating symptoms. One consideration for therapeutic support where sufferers are often cautious, is massage therapy.  The worry is that using the stroke and pressure techniques of massage on the body would cause more pain that it relieves.

However, the article below and other information supports the reality that RA can in fact be soothed with massage. Light massage techniques have been studied and found to improve an RA sufferer’s grip strength, range of motion and overall pain intensity.

https://www.integrativehealthcare.org/mt/massages-powerful-role-in-relieving-pain-from-rheumatoid-arthritis/

If you or someone you know is one of the estimated 23 million RA patients in the world, they might be pleasantly surprised to learn that they can be helped with massage.

 

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