There is so much new research coming out these days, particularly concerning massage therapy and its effects. Since you probably don’t read Massage Therapy journals and magazines as often as we do,  we’ve decided to write a quick “round up” post every now and again to keep you updated!!  

Massage & Low Back Pain

A study from Pain Magazine found that massage provides lasting relief from chronic low back pain with over 50% of participants reporting significant reduction in pain, and 75% of those people reporting continued relief even 3 months after the sessions stopped. (Massage & Bodywork, July/August 2017, p23)  This is one of many studies that suggests massage as a viable treatment option for chronic low back pain. The American College of Physicians recently updated their guidelines to recommend Massage, exercise and Yoga as the first step in treating acute and subacute low back pain compared with other interventions. (amtamassage.org/ACP) With an intial treatment plan and eventual monthly maintenance sessions, one could see lasting relief from low back pain!

Massage & Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

A 2016 study published in PubMed.gov found that MS patients who received 6 weeks of regular massage reported a decrease in pain and fatigue.  Many also reported an increase in their mental health and quality of life. The study found no significant increase or decrease in spasticity. (Massage Therapy Journal, Summer 2017, p19)  While more research still needs to be done on MS and massage, adding massage to your treatment routine could be a nice compliment. Talk your therapist at the beginning of your sessions so we can work with you to craft the best plan possible for you and your comfort.  

Massage & Migraines

There are many studies on migraines and how to treat them. Most recently there were 2 studies that reported a decrease in headache frequency and perceived headache pain over the control groups with massage therapy. (Massage Therapy Journal, summer 2017, pp 25-27) This is a very large topic and I promise to write more on it in the coming weeks but for now a poll on migraine.com shows that 93% of migraine sufferers found some relief of symptoms through massage therapy. Here at Massage Hope we use a treatment that includes aromatherapy, neck and facial fascial release, and cold marble stones, adapted from the migraine miracle, developed by LMT Kelly Lott. (http://www.migrainemiracle.com/)  If suffering from a migraine this session can reduce or in some cases stop a migraine if caught in the onset to first day of the headache.

If you are unsure about how massage therapy will affect a condition from which you suffer, feel free to call, email, or talk to us about it as well as your doctor and we can work together to find a solution. We care about you and want the best outcome! If we are unable to help we have many referral partners in the medical world we can help you reach to.  We can help forge a healthier you!!

I’ve included the links to these articles and more information below for anyone looking for more science.  As always, if you have questions about this post or massage in general please call us at 703-858-2323 or email Kirsten@massagehope.com

Thank you for Reading

References

https://migraine.com/migraine-tools/migraine-majority/?poll_page=14

www.amtamassage.org/mtj  migraine article, MS study

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27974947  Full article for MS study

www.abmp.com Low back pain

http://time.com/4728672/massage-low-back-pain/   Time article for further reading