Massage Therapy for Your Aching Joints

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the oldest and most common forms of arthritis. In OA, damage caused to the cartilage cushion present between the bones makes them to rub against each other. This leads to severe pain, stiffness,and loss of movement in the joints. Conventional therapies for OA include painkillers and corticosteroids. However, the adverse effects associated with these drugs often limit their utilization. Despite the use of conventional treatment, OA often remains uncontrolled, leading to chronic debilitating pain and loss of function.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) interventions, such as yoga, acupuncture, massage, etc. are gaining tremendous importance in the treatment of OA. Massage therapy represents an attractive and potentially effective option to manage joint pain. Massage therapy uses pressure, tension, motion or vibration movements to heal the painful joints, tissues, muscles, and ligaments. Massage can be performed by a therapist or at home (self-massage) using hands, fingers, elbows, or with mechanical aids.

What are the Benefits of Massage Therapy in OA?

• Increases blood circulation to the affected joint
• Reduces swelling
• Shows improvement in the tone of supportive musculature
• Enhances joint flexibility
• Reduces pain
• Reduce stress and feelings of anxiety
• Increases production of endorphins (natural painkilling hormones)
• Increases general feeling of wellness
• Improves sleep

What Does the Scientific Evidence Suggest?

• A 60-minute massage session done once weekly is beneficial in improving pain, stiffness and functionality in OA.
• A study from China reported that clinical effects of massage were better compared to meloxicam (painkiller drug).
• Self-massage on quadriceps muscle (located on the anterior thigh) reduces pain, stiffness, physical function in people with knee OA. Read more (http://www.icontrolmyhealth.org/news/self-massage-can-reduce-pain) 
• A 15-minute massage session led to less pain and greater grip strength in women with hand or wrist arthritis. The participants also showed improvement in anxiety and depressed mood. 

Tips for Self-Massage at Home

When you don’t have time for a professional massage, self-massage is a great way to sooth those aching joints. Here are some basic instructions:

• Self-massage can be done with or without oil or lotion. If you use some lotion as a lubricant, it will be easier to glide and slide the strokes
• Use large, vigorous strokes to help warm up and prepare the muscles, then use smaller and more precise strokes to target specific areas of pain
• When using smaller strokes, hold pressure points, rubbing back and forth across a small area of the painful joint
• You may consider applying heat prior to self-massage to help the muscles relax
• Consider doing self-massage just before bed time to improve your sleep
• You may continue to self-massage at home, in between the sessions of professional massage

References

1. Perlman AI, Ali A, Njike VY, et al. Massage therapy for osteoarthritis of the knee: a randomized dose-finding trial. PLoS One. 2012; 7(2):e30248

2. ZhongguoZhong Xi Yi Jie He ZaZhi. [Clinical study of treating knee osteoarthritis (Bi syndrome of knee) by massage combined chinesemateriamedica footbath fumigation and washing]. [Article in Chinese] Zhou SW, Shen Q. 2012 Aug;32(8):1060-3

3. Atkins DV, Eichler DA. The effects of self-massage on osteoarthritis of the knee: a randomized, controlled trial. Int J Ther Massage Bodywork. 2013;6(1):4-14.

4. Field T, Diego M. Hand arthritis pain is reduced by massage therapy. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies2007; 11: 21–24.

5. Self-Massage Relieves Arthritis Pain and Stress. http://www.arthritistoday.org/arthritis-treatment/natural-and-alternative-treatments/remedies-and-therapies/self-massage.php. Last assessed July 19, 2013.

- See more at: http://www.icontrolmyhealth.org/spotlight-of-the-week/massage-for-arthritis#sthash.5MTaKv1B.dpuf