Several studies have concluded that massage therapy may help alleviate symptoms of arthritis.

Anyone who has ever received a relaxing massage can go into detail about how the experience helped them feel like a whole new person. According to the Mayo Clinic, several potential health benefits may be provided with this ancient practice of muscle relaxation, including:

• Decreased anxiety
• Treating soft tissue strains and soreness
• Relieving headaches
• Improving digestive function
• A reduction in joint pain

Those living with arthritis may receive all these wonderful possible side effects plus many more through receiving regular massage therapy sessions.

What is massage therapy?

There is a little more that goes into the science of massage therapy than lighting a few candles and receiving a solid shoulder rub. Massage therapists are licensed to perform services that can get to the root of arthritic pain and help relieve discomfort. While there are several types of massage therapy that focus on various methods of soothing symptoms of arthritis, the two fundamental versions are centered around either relaxation or rehabilitation. While a relaxation massage is something you generally pay for at a spa to temporarily seek muscle relief, rehabilitation massages are an alternative form of medical treatment for arthritis symptoms and are usually performed in an office.

How can massage therapy treat arthritis?

According to the Arthritis Foundation, simple massage therapy can eventually lead to improvements in stiffness, pain, range of motion, hand strength and overall joint function. Using various methods, massage therapists will work to zone in on the exact areas of discomfort, generally starting with slower and lighter finger techniques around the specific body part, then progressing into a more forceful strokes that can sometimes lead to the therapist using their forearms or elbows to manipulate your deep muscle tissues.

Painful arthritis experienced in the hands or wrists could also be relieved through weekly massage sessions. Extensive research has been conducted to analyze the alleviating effects of massage therapy with arthritis, predominantly finding that receiving massages often provides therapeutic benefits to patrons. A study conducted by the University of Miami School of Medicine found that 15-minute moderately pressured massages per day helped improve anxiety and pain and also increased grip strength.

Researchers from McMaster University in Canada have also discovered that receiving a 10-minute massage after strenuous exercise may vastly reduce inflammation in joints and tendons. Justin Crane, one of the contributors to the study and a doctoral student at McMaster University, was completely surprised by his team's findings that such a short-duration massage may provide so many benefits.

"I didn't think that little bit of massage could produce that remarkable of a change, especially since the exercise was so robust," Crane said in a statement. "We have shown the muscle senses that it is being stretched and this appears to reduce the cells' inflammatory response. As a consequence, massage may be beneficial for recovery."

Upon choosing massage therapy

Always make sure the therapist you plan on using is officially licensed by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork beforehand, and ask if they specifically deal with arthritis. It's also important to remember that receiving a massage is not the same as taking medicine, so continue to take any drugs as prescribed while receiving therapy.

To learn more about living with arthritis:

What You Can Do to Preserve Your Mobility
Maintaining Hand Mobility despite Arthritis
Brew Away Pain