Health care professionals recommend massage as a complementary therapy for serious illnesses. Supporters believe massage can help reduce stress, anxiety, and pain in people who have serious illnesses such as cancer. It is also known to help relax muscles. Many people find that massage brings a temporary feeling of well-being and relaxation. Massage is also used to relieve pain and stiffness, increase mobility, rehabilitate injured muscles, and reduce the pain of headaches and backaches.
Some practitioners claim massage raises the body’s production of endorphins (chemicals believed to improve overall mood) and flushes the waste product lactic acid out of muscles. Proponents also claim massage promotes recovery from fatigue produced by excessive exercise, breaks up scar tissue, loosens mucus in the lungs, promotes sinus drainage, and helps arthritis, colds, and constipation.
Proponents claim a type of massage called myotherapy can reduce 95% of all muscle-related pain and, in some cases, can take the place of pain-relieving drugs. They say the techniques used in myotherapy relax muscles and improve muscle strength, flexibility, and coordination; relieve pain; reduce the need for pain medications; increase blood circulation; improve stamina and sleep patterns; and correct posture imbalances.
*It is important for people who have cancer to let their medical care provider know they are receiving massage. A trained professional should provide massage with expertise in working safely with people with cancer and with cancer survivors. Family members and other caregivers can be instructed in certain massage techniques as well.
We hope this post helped to shed some light on how you can live a more pain-free lifestyle. If you have any questions related to structural integration or massage, or if you would like to schedule an appointment with Structura, please call us at 801-897-8711.
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