Massage for Fibromyalgia

Fibro = Muscle
Myalgia = Pain

The main benefits of massage for people living with Fibromyalgia are:

• relief from pain
• increased sleep
• increased flexibility
• relieve buildup of toxins

In general, your first sessions are half an hour and are gradually increased over time. This is vital so as not to overwhelm or tax your immune system. If you have already had experience with massage, we will work together to decide on the best treatment plan.

Massage Improves Sleep, Decreases Pain and Substance P in Fibromyalgia Patients

After receiving massage twice weekly for five weeks, fibromyalgia patients experienced improved mood and sleep, and their levels of substance P (a neurotransmitter in the pain fiber system) decreased along with a decrease in the number of tender spots throughout their bodies, according to recent research.

The study tested both massage and relaxation therapy. Both the massage and the relaxation group showed a decrease in anxiety and depressed mood immediately after sessions on the first and last days of this study.

The results revealed that, over the course of the study, the massage group, as compared with the relaxation group, experienced:

• decreased depression
• improved sleep
• decreased pain, fatigue and stiffness
• improved physician assessments
• decreased tender points
• and a reduced level of substance P.

Source: Touch Research Institute. Authors: Tiffany Field, Ph.D., Miguel Diego, Christy Cullen, Maria Hernandez-Reif, Ph.D., William Sunshine and Steven Douglas. Originally published in the Journal of Clinical Rheumatology, April 2002, Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 72-76.

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