Carpal Tunnel Pains

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a painful condition for many people.
For some it is just an annoying ache after working all day with keyboards, or power tools – for others it becomes so bad that surgery is the only option that seems available.

If you are suffering this pain, do get medical advice, and if serious then surgery may be the best option.  But surgery isn’t always recommended, or might not be your first choice if pain is manageable. So this piece of research is reassuring, that the symptoms of compression of the median nerve can be relieved by massage therapy.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18370581

A massage therapy session can just focus on the target area, as results would suggest, or a full body relaxation massage could be modified to still relax the whole body (with associated anti-stress benefits) and focus on the wrist areas too. email Matthew adelaidetherapy@gmail.com to arrange an appointment in your own home.

Water – good in so many ways

When you come for massage therapy, I’ll always recommend you drink plenty of water afterwards to help move toxins from your body. The massage will have promoted circulation and lymphatic drainage, and you’ll feel so much better if you follow it with some water to flush out your system! You may be a little dehydrated too.

This is an interesting study, more of a personal blog than research as such, but the results of this mini qualitative project would be mirrored by many.

It’s easy to forget to drink as we go about our busy lives. Perhaps you may be dehydrated even now. When was the last time you reached for a glass or bottle of water?

I feel fitter, leaner and healthier, and my husband and friends tell me I look ten years younger.  (Sarah Smith)

Try it for yourself.

Chronic Back Pain – Massage therapy can help

Everyone’s experience of back pain is personal, some just endure it and move on, some are unable to cope with everyday tasks.

Sometimes relief comes from tablets, sometimes exercise, other times even surgery may be needed.

Over the years I’ve seen my fair share of doctors, physios, chiropractors, and yes also massage therapists.

No pill has taken the pain away instantly, no doctor or therapy has had the instant cure. Back pain can be hard to defeat.

Yes, this is personal experience (and you may be able to spot a slight bias of course!) but I have had relief from all those areas and especially in combination.  My first experience of massage therapy in fact was as an adjunct to physio treatment and traction after a motor vehicle accident.  In this situation what I did find was that the combination worked wonders, the massage therapy first relieved pain and muscle spasm and then the physio treatment helped rehabilitate my accident injuries.  Now what I find is the massage enables me to self care, to exercise and stretch aching muscles and keep on going!

Now if you have an accident, or sudden unexplained pain, I’m going to refer you right back to your doctor to make sure there’s nothing more serious underlying that (eg fractures, or disease) but once cleared you may find massage aids your ongoing recovery.

If you do suffer a muscular injury, sprain or strain, don’t forget the basic first aid – R.I.C.E.R. – Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevate and Refer on for specialist assessment.  Taking time to treat it when it happens can save a lot of grief later and help the healing along. Further down the track warmth, stretching and massage will help, but work on the swelling and bruising straight away.

There aren’t enough research studies into massage and chronic pain, and it’s hard to have an unbiased control group, but this one shows some positive results.  For interest they compared “structural” and “relaxation” massage, and didn’t find a lot of difference in the results – both came out positive. In the end I suspect that this can be owed to the fact that massage is a hands-on therapy, and in performing a massage for relaxation the underlying “structural” issues can hardly be avoided by one trained in the relevant anatomy.

In A Comparison of the Effects of 2 Types of Massage and Usual Care on Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized, Controlled Trial the authors take a sample of 401 from ages 20-65 and find ” that massage therapy improved function and decreased pain more than usual care in patients with uncomplicated chronic lower back pain…”. They go on to speculate on the various mechanisms by which this may occur and their “findings suggest that both relaxation massage and structural massage are reasonable treatment options for persons with chronic low back pain.”

 

 

 

Book Matthew for massage therapy now at home or in clinic!   Try for yourself.  

Massaging the spectrum

A recent study using “Qigong” massage therapy techniques concluded that it was beneficial in the treatment of  “tactile impairment” in “young children with autism”.

(Silva, Schalock 2013; Treatment of Tactile Impairment in Young Children with Autism: Results with Qigong Massage)

Here’s an area that could use some more research !

For starters, we are treating “tactile impairment” with touch.  Makes sense…

Qigong is an ancient Chinese approach of balancing body and energy. (Quite a good deal more complex, but that’s the basic idea – it’s focus is self healing) Massage comes into the picture when the therapist aids this process by relaxation and balancing from the outside, what traditional Qigong does from the inside self. Self massage comes into the Qi equation, just like warming up before exercises, and can be taught for home use.

(Friedman 2009; Who Knew Massgage and Qi Gong had so much in common?)

So what elements may assist those on the spectrum?  Is it the overall sense of relaxation, improved circulation, or heightened senses? Is it the reassurance of deep but gentle pressure / trigger point therapy?  Is this a point where Eastern and Western health care techniques may come together for a better solution?
Aromatherapy may also play a part as relaxant or stimulant.

Are other issues addressed too?
Focus?  Calming?  Sleep patterns?
General health and well-being that may be missed in ongoing everyday life……
There is much to be studied, and much to be learned. But the anecdotal evidence would suggest there are benefits – starting with stress relief and coping with anxiety…..

What are your experiences ?  For those on the spectrum, or their carers too ?

 

Bookings for Matthew at Adelaide Clinical Massage Therapy may be made direct at www.facebook.com/AdelaideClinicalMassageTherapy just click on the ‘bookings tab’,
at Rockabilly Body treatment room on Thursdays 10-5, other times Mobile Service at your home or other suitable location.

High Blood Pressure is dangerous, but pills aren’t the only answer.

“Prehypertension is considered as a cardiovascular disease predicator.”

“The results indicated that mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure in the massage group was significantly lower in comparison with the control group”

Does massage therapy leave you feeling more relaxed?

It could actually be doing a lot more than just soothing sore muscles.

High blood pressure is already linked to stress, and massage therapy can reduce both.

The effect of massage therapy on blood pressure of women with pre-hypertension

Check out the study, or just book in for yourself and enjoy the benefits.

Choose your own appointment time on Facebook or at Cliniko bookings.
Adelaide Clinical Massage Therapy – Focus on Wellness
Nurse grounded therapeutic massage treatments, deep tissue and trigger release.