Chronic Pain And Integrative Massage
Relieve Aches and Pains With Multi-Disciplinary Massage Approach
Oct 30, 2008
Medical practitioners often prescribe one type of massage therapy for patient's with ongoing physical or emotional pain due to injury, trauma or illness. Yet the most effective massage treatment for chronic pain may be a multi-disciplinary or integrative approach, as well as one that engages the patient in the process.
Integrative Massage Therapy
During the first session, most integrative massage therapists will gather detailed information about their client's medical history and past treatment. This allows them to tailor the therapy to their patient's specific physical and emotional needs. They avoid a "one size fits all" massage approach and instead use multiple modalities, borrowing from a wide variety of cultures and practices.
Integrative massage therapists do not attempt to diagnose medical conditions, nor do they rely on a client's current diagnoses to steer the course of treatment. Instead they listen to their client's symptoms and apply the technique(s) they feel will most effectively address the issues. The therapist serves as a kind of healing "detective," working to pin point the physical and potentially emotional causes of chronic pain.
Integrative Massage Therapy Treats A Number of Chronic Health Conditions
The cause of chronic unexplained pain is complex, yet depending on the condition, integrative massage therapy can effectively treat or alleviate symptoms in a variety of conditions such as:
- Arthritis
- Repetitive strain injuries (carpal tunnel, tendonitis)
- Poor posture issues
- Unexplained chronic pain in soft tissue/musculoskeletal system
- Accident or sports injuries
- Cancer patient pain management
Integrative Massage Therapy Empowers the Patient
A good integrative massage therapist will explain that she is merely a facilitator to the client's body’s own ability to heal. Some use positive words and affirmations during sessions to help "re-program" their client's response to pain and treatment.
In addition, integrative massage therapists usually give their patients an at-home therapy plan which might include cardiovascular and targeted strengthening and stretch exercises, as well as pain and stress management tips. This approach can be quite empowering for chronic pain sufferers who have been told their pain is “all in their head,” have been misdiagnosed, or have been at the mercy of the traditional medical establishment for a long time.
Integrative Massage Therapies For Chronic Pain
Integrative massage therapists combine any of a number of techniques to relieve chronic pain. It depends on the patient's symptoms and the therapist's certification in a particular massage modality. The following list includes a few of the common massage modalities used in the treatment of chronic pain:
- Neuromuscular therapy
- CranioSacral therapy
- Myofascial release
- Trigger point therapy
- Lymphatic drainage
- Orthopedic massage
- Massage for cancer patients
Integrative Massage Therapy vs. Medical Massage
The term "medical or therapeutic massage" is sometimes used interchangeably with the term integrative massage. Integrative simply implies using a multi-disciplinary massage approach to treat medical conditions. James Waslaskin in his online Massage Today June 2004 article entitled, "Defining Medical Message," explains that "Medical massage is performed with the intent of improving conditions or pathologies that have been diagnosed by a physician; a wide variety of modalities or procedures are utilized to focus the treatment based on the diagnosed condition."
Match The Chronic Pain Condition With the Right Kind Of Massage
Any hands on work that manipulates soft tissue structures of the body in order to prevent and alleviate pain, discomfort, muscle spasm, stress and promotes health and wellness is beneficial. Yet if you suffer from chronic pain you may not want to limit your massage treatment to those that feel good but have no healing or long term curative effect. Instead find an experienced integrative massage therapist who has the skills to assess which treatments are the most effective for your particular medical condition.
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