In 2006, researchers from Yale Prevention Research Center held a 16-week clinical trial involving 64 individuals with arthritis. This trial showed that massage therapy improved flexibility, lessened pain, and improved range of motion in the participants. This is the first clinical trial of its kind in America and it validates what many massage therapists have experienced anecdotally. Researcher Adam Perlman, MD says that,
“Ultimately, massage may be shown to lessen a patient’s reliance on medications and decrease health care costs. Our hope is to show that this treatment is not only safe and effective, but cost effective” (Milivojevic,1).
MASSAGE BRINGS RELIEF, RELAXATION, AND SLEEP
A study conducted by the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine showed that ongoing massage could lower anxiety, reduce pain, and improve grip strength for those with arthritis. Additionally, a common thread between arthritis sufferers is lack of deep sleep. Tiffany Field, PhD and director of the Touch Research Institute noted that,
“When you are deprived of deep sleep, certain kinds of pain chemicals are released.”
With regular massage, therapists can actually help you get more deep sleep. “It’s this deep sleep that’s truly important because that is where the restorative process is happening,” says Field. This is doubly important, as not only can ongoing massage help you sleep better, but it can also decrease your pain during the day.
Massage therapy is able to provide patients with relaxation that helps with deeper sleep as well as less pain throughout the day. Massage therapists talk with their patients about the options available to them and work together to find a treatment program that fits their individual needs. Therapists use of heat, fascial work, deep or gentle techniques are all guided by the preference of the patient and the nature of their condition.
Many people suffering from osteoarthritis and other forms of arthritis have had great results for pain relief through massage therapy.