Massage has been relieving pain and stress since ancient
times. In fact, the Greek physician Hippocrates called medicine “the art of
rubbing.” According to an American Massage Therapy Association survey, about 48
million U.S. adults received massage therapy between July 2009 and July 2010.
Benefits: “Most of all, people with arthritis will
notice greater joint mobility, range-of-motion, and less pain and
inflammation,” says Kim Turk, director of massage services at Duke Integrative
Medicine in Durham, N.C. “Arthritic joints are often inflamed and filled with
fluids. Massage pushes those fluids into the lymphatic system, which then
flushes them into the body. So, there is often a visible reduction of fluid on
the joint, especially in the knee.” Turk is involved in a National Institutes
of Health (NIH) study that compared people with OA who had massages once or
twice a week for either 30 or 60 minutes. “The study found that one hour once a
week was optimum in relieving pain and improving function,” she says.
“When people with RA or OA have a
flare, it’s important that a massage therapist not work too aggressively,”
Posted by: C. Sackman, Indigo Eco-Spa at Stevenswood.com
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