How to Build a Long-Lasting Plan for Pain Treatment

Physical touch has been a go-to pain reliever since forever. Remember those elbow, knee, and leg scrapes you got as a child; and your mother rubbed or kissed them to make them all better? And somehow, it did feel better because that touch provided a relaxing, soothing relief to take our minds off of what ailed us. But it’s not just anecdotal; there is actually some science behind it! Harvard Medical School has published multiple studies on the subject, specifically using the power of touch through massage therapy to reduce specific pain, inflammation, and soreness. When performed regularly, massage therapy is a way to build long-lasting pain relief. Here are five painful conditions and some recommended modalities that may provide much needed relief.

1. Low Back Pain

Chronic low back pain sufferers can benefit from frequent massage therapy modalities like acupressure and Swedish massage. Acupressure involves sustained pressing on affected areas using fingers, knuckles, palms, or elbows. Swedish massage uses soft pressure on the affected areas and helps relax and release the tension in the muscles.

2. Arthritis pain

Regular massage of muscles and joints can help ease pain for individuals living with arthritis. Modalities like Swedish massage and lymphatic massage, which uses light, patterned strokes to help drain excess fluid away from the inflammatory points.

3. Fibromyalgia pain

Patients who live with this syndrome of chronic pain often find relieve with a myofascial release modality which treats muscle pain and stiffness by relaxing the muscles and improving blood flow.

4. Post-surgery pain

Post-surgery or acute care patients can benefit from easy massage modalities that can help with swelling and pain like lymph drainage or effleurage. Deep pressure modalities can help in the healing process by reducing the growth of scar tissue, as well as improve range of motion in the exercise stage of a patient’s rehabilitation.

5. Cancer pain

Massage therapy has also proven to provide both physical and emotional benefits for cancer patients. It’s been shown to reduce pain intensity and severity in cancer patients as well as help alleviate emotional symptoms like fatigue, anxiety, stress, depression, and insomnia.