According to NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence), between one-third and one-half of the UK population (just under 28 million adults) are affected by chronic pain. Maybe you are one of them! Chronic pain is any pain that lasts for longer than around 3 months, and is often associated with long term health conditions such as fibromyalgia, arthritis, MS and many others.
There is increasing evidence that massage therapy, defined as soft tissue manipulation by hands, can help provide pain relief. This is good news for anyone looking for a holistic, natural way of managing symptoms alongside medical interventions. As always, if you are in the care of a medical professional for a health condition, please do check that they are happy for you to receive massage therapy as part of your treatment plan.
What is happening when we experience pain? It is our bodies way to tell us that something is wrong. Receptors within the skin detect that there is a problem, whether it is an injury to soft tissue or a broken bone. The receptors send a signal along the spinal cord to the brain, and the brain then sends a signal along the nerves to alert us to the damage. This is especially important when we are in a situation of danger and need to stop what we are doing! But with chronic pain, something slightly different is going on. There isn't a single cause such as an injury, where the pain lessens as it heals. It can alter the brain and nervous system so that the pain signals are sent out even when there is no damage and the pathways can become oversensitive, meaning we feel pain more intensely.
How does living with chronic pain affect us? This varies from person to person, but common effects are fatigue, becoming less active as exercise can exacerbate symptoms, feeling low, being misunderstood as there is no simple explanation. It can take a long time to get a diagnosis and support.
Massage Benefits! There is evidence that regular massages can help. A 2016 study by Cindy Crawford and others ( did that make you stop for a minute!) found that massage is a generally safe and beneficial therapy for pain in the general population. It works in a number of ways:
Increased Healing
As a massage therapist manipulates the soft tissue, blood flow is increased, helping bring oxygen and nutrients into the muscles and tendons and taking away waste products such as toxins. The muscle fibres need oxygen and nutrients to heal and so increased circulation speeds up the healing process.
Disrupting Pain Signals
Massage strokes promote heat and relaxation into the soft tissue, which is picked up by the skin receptors and sent along to the brain. This disturbs and replaces the pain signals, thus reducing the level of pain experienced.
Decreased Tension
Most of us have felt that our muscles are tight at some point. This is where they stay in a state on contraction and is known as tension. It caused knots (trigger points) and is both caused by chronic pain and increases it! Massage therapy helps to heat up and relax the muscles, and disperse the tension. It can increase range of movement. This relaxation decreases the experience of pain and helps prevent it recurring.
Reduced Stress
Stress is another factor in chronic pain, that has a circular relationship. Living with chronic pain can make everyday tasks difficult and result in elevated levels of the stress hormone, cortisol. Massage can reduce cortisol and increase feel good hormones such as endorphins, serotonin and dopamine. This is all through the power of human touch to relax, stretch out and warm soft tissues.
In short, while more research needs to be done, massage therapy is a holistic treatment that can result in real benefits for people living with chronic pain conditions. To find out more about my treatments, head here.
Sources:
The Impact of Massage Therapy on Function in Pain Populations—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials: Part I, Patients Experiencing Pain in the General Population, Pain Med. 2016 May 10;17(7):1353–1375.
Cindy Crawford 1, Courtney Boyd 1,✉, Charmagne F Paat 1, Ashley Price 1, Lea Xenakis 1, EunMee Yang 1, Weimin Zhang 1; Evidence for Massage Therapy (EMT) Working Group 1
Unlocking Relief: How Massage Therapy Transforms Lives with Chronic Illness
by Katy Fellman | Mar 12, 2024 |https://theprofessionalmassageacademy.com/2024/03/12/unlocking-relief-how-massage-therapy-transforms-lives-with-chronic-illness/
NHS
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