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Massage for Arthritis Patients
Massaging is the age old therapy for arthritis which in the recent past has been revived as an effective way for pain relief for arthritic patients. The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates wrote that doctors should be experienced in "rubbing that can bind a joint that is loose and loosen a joint that is too hard." Today, massage is still a popular way to manage arthritis pain. Proponents claim that however massaging has to be done wisely and under trained supervision and make sure the massage therapist has experience working with people who have arthritis. While doing self-massage, stop if you feel any pain. Don't massage a joint that is very swollen or painful. When giving yourself a massage, use lotion or oil to help your hands glide over your skin. If you use menthol gel for massage, always remove it before using a heat treatment to prevent burns. Work the area for five to ten minutes a day. Relaxation massage in fact being the call of the day is worth a try. The attrition level for massage therapy is 70%.
Massage therapy can not only soothe pain, relax stiff muscles, and reduce the swelling that accompanies arthritis. The underlying mechanism being that massage and gentle stretching help maintain a joint's range of motion. Gentle massage may also help reduce swelling in rheumatoid arthritis. It's best to avoid massage directly on the joint; stay just above and below it with your fingertips. Work on the area around the joint for three to five minutes each day.
Use the effleurage stroke to work the muscle and tissue around the joint with your fingertips. Make sure you use oil or cream on your fingers to make the massage gentler.
In the case of osteoarthritis, gentle massage can help ease the pain. You could start by putting a little vegetable oil or massage oil on your fingertips. Then work slowly around the affected joint, making small, gentle circles with your fingertips.
Massage therapy can take a wide variety of forms; here we will give you the most common and most accessible forms of massage. The most popular massage therapy would be acupressure which is an Asian technique. This uses finger pressure on specific points on the body-the same points that are stimulated in acupuncture. The pressure is supposed to unblock the flow of life energy, called qi. Acupressure also involves rubbing areas around the joint that is affected. Trigger point therapy is also another popular form which uses concentrated finger pressure on knots of tension and pain. In America, however, massage generally comes to mean Swedish massage which is a combination of kneading, stroking and friction on the top layer of muscles with gentle movement of the joints.