Be Good To Yourself: Have A Therapeutic Massage

By Dr. Daryl Greene

What do you think you could do to help yourself feel better? Lose weight? Get more exercise? If you live with chronic pain, you should definitely put getting regular massage therapy on your list!

Eleven years ago, I made a commitment to get weekly massages as part of my pain management plan. It is one of the best decisions I ever made. It has improved my physical condition and keeps my level of pain in check.

A good massage therapist can help if you have headaches, backaches, hip or leg pain. She can also help people who suffer from injuries, arthritis, fibromyalgia and other muscular or neurological conditions. In many cases, massage therapy can do more than prescription drugs to relieve pain and foster physical healing.

The healing effect of therapeutic massage has been scientifically documented. When we are in pain, our muscles become tight. This tightness restricts blood flow. Restricted blood flow inhibits the healing process. But when the therapist massages those muscles, her hands act like a pump. They squeeze out old blood and toxins. Fresh blood, with needed oxygen and healing nutrients flows in. The muscles begin to relax and the pain begins to go away.

Doctors have also discovered that massage therapy takes advantage of what is known as the "gate principle". When your muscles are tight, your nerves send messages of dull, aching, cramping pain to your brain. But when the therapist applies pressure on those painful areas, a different set of nerve fibers sends new and more pleasurable sensations, closing the door to the former pain messages.

It may take some courage to actually decide to get massage therapy for the first time. But your therapist will take time to discuss your medical condition and any other concerns you may have. During therapy your body will remain covered at all times. Only the area being worked on will be exposed. Your therapist will use oil or lotion to enhance the effectiveness of the massage. You should also know that your therapist is trained to have healing hands. Massage therapy should not hurt. If you experience discomfort, let your therapist know so that a different approach may be taken. At the end of your massage, you will feel very relaxed and experience a new freedom from your aches and pains.





Dr. Greene is an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ and a resident of Richmond, IN. He is also the author of Feeling Better: The Wisdom of the Doc, You Can Feel Better: How to cope with chronic pain and physical disabilities, and co-author of Walking Free: the Nellie Zimmerman Story.


For further information about his books, please visit www.densmorereid.com

To return to the column list, Click Here