Do you suffer from chronic pain? Arthritis? Fibromyalgia? Massage therapy may be able to help. Pain is associated with a wide range of injury and disease, and is sometimes the disease itself.
According to the Institute of Medicine of National Acadamies, 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain–more than cancer and diabetes combined.(25 million suffer from diabetes and 11 million suffer from cancer. The total annual incremental cost of health care due to pain ranges from $560 billion to $635 billion (in 2010 dollars) in the United States, which combines the medical costs of pain care and the economic costs related to disability days and lost wages and productivity. More than half of all hospitalized patients experienced pain in the last days of their lives and although therapies are present to alleviate most pain for those dying of cancer, research shows that 50-75% of patients die in moderate to severe pain. An estimated 20% of American adults (42 million people) report that pain or physical discomfort disrupts their sleep a few nights a week or more.
Some studies about the value of massage therapy for pain relief have included the following:
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According to Cherkin, Eisenberg, et. al. in the April 2001 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, massage is effective for providing long-lasting relief for patients suffering from chronic low back pain.
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Data collected nearly 10 years ago indicates that therapeutic massage promotes relaxation and alleviates the perception of pain and anxiety in hospitalized cancer patients. Recent studies have confirmed the findings and others indicate positive effects for massage in decreasing pain intensity among cancer patients.
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In 1990, Jensen et al. published data indicating that massage was better than cold pack treatment of post-traumatic headaches. The October 2002 issue of the American Journal of Public Health reports that new research by Quinn, Chandler and Moraska showed muscle-specific massage therapy is effective for reducing the incidence of chronic tension headaches.
Our experienced massage therapist, Tammy, is well versed in dealing with chronic pain, arthritis, and fibromyalgia. Call Ideal Chiropractic & Therapeutic Massage and book your appointment today!
