Monday, November 4, 2019
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in five adult Americans have chronic pain. That is about 50 million people, and includes all ages, genders, races and nationalities. For 20 million of these people, severe pain limits their ability to work and care for themselves and their families. With awareness of the dangers of opioid use growing, alternative treatments for pain are gaining popularity.
A recent article in Consumer Reports by Teresa Carr entitled “Real Pain Relief, Now!” compared various types of treatments for chronic pain, including surgery and medication, and found that non-pharmaceutical alternatives are often safer and more effective in the long run. These alternatives include massage, acupuncture, meditation and mindfulness, exercise including yoga, sleep improvement programs, posture correction and counseling aimed at changing thoughts and behaviors that worsen pain.
Often, it is a combination of these strategies that is most beneficial.
Several studies have found that massage can help reduce pain in people with chronic back pain, headaches and fibromyalgia. Massage can also help decrease anxiety and improve sleep, both of which can help reduce pain. Improvements in the flexibility and pliability of muscles and fascia that result from massage can also enhance the effectiveness of exercise and posture correction efforts.
So if you are one of those 50 million Americans suffering with chronic pain, whether it is back pain or another type of pain, why not try a few massage sessions and see if they might help. Our well-trained and experienced massage therapists at Move would be happy to assist you.
- Jo McClaine