Massage is an effective treatment for your body if you want prompt recovery from pain and injury. Many people seek massage therapy to reduce stress and anxiety while others seek therapy sessions after and before their intensive workout routines to reduce muscle soreness, muscle stiffness or to loosen the fascia for prompt muscle pain recovery.
Massage Therapy for Multiple Sclerosis
People with multiple sclerosis can also seek massage therapy sessions for various reasons. During the massage, a professional massage therapist manipulates your soft connective tissues, tendons, ligaments to improve blood circulation and to decrease muscle stress and anxiety.
While massage cannot heal the disease of multiple sclerosis but it can sure help you if you are suffering from multiple sclerosis.
Benefits of Massage Therapy for Multiple Sclerosis
Here are some benefits of seeking a massage therapist if you are suffering from multiple sclerosis:
While massage therapy cannot stop the symptoms of multiple sclerosis from the root but it can help to improve the quality of life. However, the benefits of massage vary from person to person, depending on the condition he has with multiple sclerosis.
Here are some of the multiple sclerosis symptoms that massage can reduce to some extent:
Fatigue.
Poor blood circulation.
Pain.
Spasticity.
Anxiety.
Stress.
Depression.
Social misfunctioning.
Mood swings.
Physical misfunctioning.
Pressure sores.
Improves Quality of Life
Research studies have shown with evidence that massage therapy for multiple sclerosis patients have reduced physical pain and increased blood circulation due to which their quality of life has improved. However, patients would see optimal massage results after 6 to 7 weeks of massage therapy sessions.
Moreover, it also reduced fatigue and decreased body pain.
Helps to Manage Stress
A study published in the year 2014 indicated that regular therapy sessions for multiple sclerosis have help the patients to manage their stress symptoms. The patients reported an improvement in their life and well-being due to massages.
Some researchers believed that this was due to either social interaction with the therapist or due to pain relief.
More Effective Than Physical Activity
A small study published in the year 2013 indicated that massage therapy was more effective for multiple sclerosis patients than doing physical exercise. It helped them in reducing pain more promptly as compared to light physical activity. Some scientists believe that the combination of massage therapy and physical exercise could be more helpful in reducing pain.
Types of Effective Massage Therapies for Multiple Sclerosis Patients
There are many forms of massage that could evidently help multiple sclerosis patients. Some of these massage therapies are:
Acupressure
In acupressure massage therapy, the occupational or physical therapist stimulates or apply firm pressure to various body parts by using his fingers of clenched fists. It is very similar to acupuncture massage but does not involve needles.
Shiatsu
This massage practice involved applying form pressure from thumbs, fingers or palms of the hand to specific body parts.
Alexander Massage Technique
In this massage therapy, the therapist focuses on correcting the body habit that puts strains and sprains in your muscles.
Feldenkrais Method
This massage involved soft strokes to release stress and knots from soft connective tissues in muscles.
Rolfing
It is used to realign the whole body by applying deep pressure.
Trager Approach
This massage therapy is light and involves massaging the whole body for correcting the posture of the body.
