Massage therapy is a practice that involves manual manipulation of skin, muscle and connective tissues for the purposes of promoting relaxation and comfort. Research is beginning to focus not only on the benefits of massage therapy for healthy individuals, but also for individuals with serious medical conditions. Individuals with multiple sclerosis are now seeing the benefits from using massage therapy as a treatment option.
Pain Reduction
One of the most difficult complications of multiple sclerosis is chronic pain. However, massage therapy has become an effective treatment for chronic pain for individuals who suffer from multiple sclerosis. In the October 2009 journal "Multiple Sclerosis," researchers Christine Hughes, Steven Smyth and Andrea Lowe-Strong investigated the effectiveness of reflexology-based massage on pain in individuals with multiple sclerosis. After 10 weeks of reflexology treatments, participants provided feedback to the researchers about their level of pain. The results of weekly reflexology treatments indicated that participants decreased their pain by 50 percent for up to 12 weeks following treatment.
Self-Efficacy
A major issue for individuals with multiple sclerosis is having the belief that they can cope with the disease. Being that multiple sclerosis is a chronically painful and progressive disease, it is understandable that research has focused on treatments to help cope with the disease. In the July 2007 issue of "Body Work and Movement Therapies," researchers investigated the effects of massage therapy in relation to helping individuals cope with having multiple sclerosis. The results of the study indicated that 16 weeks of massage therapy allowed participants to increase their ability to handle their disease on both an emotional and social level.
Muscle Relaxation
Spasticity is a complication of multiple sclerosis that can cause significant problems. Spasticity can cause muscles to become stiff, which leads to decreased range of motion for limbs. Massage has been shown to provide significant benefits for complications related to spasticity. One such benefit is muscle relaxation. The Multiple Sclerosis Resource Center advocates massage therapy to treat spasticity because it helps to reduce muscle stiffness caused by multiple sclerosis. Additionally, massage therapy helps to decrease the chances of developing pressure sores, which can occur from stiff and immobilized muscles.
References
- "Multiple Sclerosis"; Reflexology for Treatment of Pain in People With Multiple Sclerosis: A Double-Blind Randomized Sham-Controlled Clinical Trial"; C. Hughes, S. Smyth and A. Strong; October 2009
- "Bodywork and Movement Therapies"; Changes in Self-Efficacy of Multiple Sclerosis Client Following Massage Therapy; P. Finch et al.; July 2007
- Multiple Sclerosis Resource Centre: Spasticity
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