The Benefits of Massage Therapy

Medical Massage Therapy

Massage therapy has long been heralded as a non-invasive, effective manner through which to treat several disorders. Too numerous to list, some uses of massage therapy include:

Premenstrual symptoms: Findings of a study of 24 women at the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine suggested that massage therapy may be an effective adjunct therapy for treating severe premenstrual symptoms.(1)
Massage therapy and therapeutic touch in children: A study done at the College of Nursing, Rutgers State University of New Jersey concluded that massage therapy is useful in the care of infants and children.(2)
Postburn itching, pain, and psychological symptoms in burn patients: In another study by the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine, twenty patients with burn injuries were randomly assigned to a massage therapy or a standard treatment control group during the remodeling phase of wound healing. The massage therapy group received a 30-minute massage with cocoa butter to a closed, moderate sized scar tissue area twice a week for 5 weeks. The massage therapy group reported reduced itching, pain, and anxiety and improved mood immediately after the first and last therapy sessions, and their ratings on these measures improved from the first day to the last day of the study.(3)
HIV: a study to determine the effects of massage therapy alone and in combination with exercise or stress management on enumerative immune measures and the quality of life in moderately immunocompromised human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) subjects showed that massage combined with stress management favorably alters health perceptions and leads to less utilization of health care resources. This further suggests that HIV-infected persons receiving massage and stress management would tend to not overutilize health care services, thus possibly reducing health care costs.(4)
Fibromyalgia: In a study on the treatment of FMS performed by the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Munich, Germany, researchers showed that massage reduces muscle tension and can be prescribed as an adjunct in accordance with other therapeutic interventions, such as Acupuncture, Biofeedback and TENS. While there seems to be no single best treatment option for FMS, physical therapy seem to reduce disease consequences. A multidisciplinary approach combining massage with additional therapies in a well balanced program may be the most promising strategy and is currently recommended in the treatment of fibromyalgia.(5)

Those are just a few benefits to touch therapy. Some Practitioners, both alternative and traditional, are now adding massage to their armamentarium of treatments for many conditions. One such condition is pelvic adhesions.

What are Adhesions?
Adhesions are strong collagen fibers laid down by the body in response to trauma. They can form post operatively or as a result of inflammation, such as that which occurs in organs and tissues affected by Endometriosis. Data suggests that 67% to 93% of patients will develop adhesions following abdominal surgery and 55%-100% of patients will develop adhesions following gynecologic surgery.(6) They can cause a myriad of symptoms, ranging from pelvic pain to infertility. Some adhesions are large enough to be seen by diagnostic tests; others are so small only special lenses can see them. No matter the size, adhesions exert tremendous "pulling" forces on the tissues where they have formed. The result: pain, cramping, organ dysfunction and distortion, and even infertility.

How can Massage Therapy provide relief?
The primary goal of massage therapy is to increase mobility and decrease pain. Gentle, specific stretches are applied for a sustained period of time to tightened areas in the body's connective tissues until the tension is released. The release of tension suggests a breakdown of the crosslinks which have been adhering structures. The release allows the structures to move more freely and with less pain; resulting at the end of therapy with improved mobility, decreased pain and increased function. As pain decreases, patients notice an improved quality of life.(7)

At Clear Passage Therapies* in Gainesville, FL., Larry Wurn, LMT and Belinda Wurn, PT, have been performing manual soft tissue therapy on thousands of patients for several years. All of their treatments are performed without drugs or surgery. Pelvic pain and infertility patients represent the major focus for their Clinic.

Pilot studies performed by Clear Passage yielded promising results in infertility patients. 50% of Clear Passage patients with infertility had full term pregnancies following therapy at the Clinic. Treatments ranged from 7 to 31 sessions over a period of 1 to 18 treatment weeks, and averaged 40 mins. per session. (8) If you would like more information about Clear Passage, please contact them at 352/336-1433 or visit their website.

Clearly, the breakdown of adhesions through such non-invasive, less expensive means has its benefits, including restoration of fertility, decrease in pain and an overall improvement in the quality of life.

*reference to Clear Passage Therapies does not indicate an endorsement by author of Clear Passage nor an endorsement of author by Clear Passage.

References
(1) "Premenstrual symptoms are relieved by massage therapy." J Psychosom Obstet Gynaecol 2000 Mar;21(1):9-15 (ISSN: 0167-482X) Hernandez-Reif M; Martinez A; Field T; Quintero O; Hart S; Burman I. Touch Research Institute, University of Miami School of Medicine, FL 33101, USA.
(2) "Massage therapy and therapeutic touch in children: state of the science." Altern Ther Health Med 2000 Sep;6(5):54-63 (ISSN: 1078-6791) Ireland M; Olson M. College of Nursing, Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, Newark, USA.
(3)" Postburn itching, pain, and psychological symptoms are reduced with massage therapy." J Burn Care Rehabil 2000 May-Jun;21(3):189-93 (ISSN: 0273-8481) Field T; Peck M; Scd; Hernandez-Reif M; Krugman S; Burman I; Ozment-Schenck L. Touch Research Institute, University of Miami School of Medicine, Florida 33101, USA.
(4) "The effects of massage therapy alone and in combination with other complementary therapies on immune system measures and quality of life in human immunodeficiency virus." J Altern Complement Med 2000 Oct;6(5):405-414 (ISSN: 1075-5535) Birk TJ; McGrady A; MacArthur RD; Khuder S. Department of Physical Therapy, College of Pharmacy and Allied Health, Wayne State University and Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan, Detroit 48207, USA.
(5) "Physical therapy in the treatment of fibromyalgia." Scand J Rheumatol Suppl 2000;113:78-85 (ISSN: 0301-3847) Offenbacher M; Stucki G. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Munich, Germany.
(6) "Pathogenesis of adhesion formation." BR J Surg 1995;82:3-5. Thompson, JN, Whawell, SA.
(7) Clear Passage Therapies, 4400 NW 23rd Avenue, Suite C., Gainesville, FL. 32606 USA 352/336-1433. www.clearpassage.com.
(8) "Manual Soft Tissue Therapy to Decrease Abdominopelvic Adhesions: A Study of Increased Function Evidenced by Female Infertility Reversal." Gerlad Wiechmann, Ph.D., Belinda Wurn, PT, Larry Wurn, LMT.

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