Massage and Arthritis

Arthritis is a general term describing inflammation of joints. Some common types of arthritis we mostly hear about are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, fibromyalgia and ankylosing spondylitis. Anyone that has been diagnosed with a form of arthritis should be aware there is no cure, which means it’s all about the maintenance and management of the pain, stiffness and limitations the condition places on your lifestyle. Careful attention should be paid on activities, foods and movements that may set off a flare up. In mild cases, some people are able to continue through their day with discomfort but for others its crippling to the point they are bedridden in pain.

Of my readings there’s usually mention of alternative or natural therapies to help with arthritis. I should mention again, there is no cure for arthritis. The strongest evidence based effective treatment is consuming fish oils. Other consumable alternatives only have moderate effects. Fish oils are rich in Omega-3 fats and have been shown to block inflammatory agents. Which then makes me wonder, why not use fish oils as a medium when delivering a massage? It’s as simple as popping fish oils capsules and using the contents to massage.

Massage alone already provides a soothing effect with its rhythmic strokes but also helps with pain reduction, and in remedial cases, improving range of motion in joints and stiffness. Perhaps if we combined the aforementioned effects of massage, with liquid based consumable medications to deliver a treatment, we may get a more potent result. If we ingest a fish-oils, krill oil, glucosamine capsule and so forth for arthritic symptom control, the medicinal affect is delivered throughout the body in a general sense. But if we massage it in topically to the affected joint or area, you’d gather the affect is more direct and local. Food for thought with those capsules.

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