Massages are known for being very beneficial for multiple ailments, including back pain, stress relief, and for generally bettering one’s overall health. Since massages do seem to be so beneficial and sometimes act as pain relievers, it is only natural to wonder whether it could have a similar effect on something as tricky as fibromyalgia.
Fibromyalgia is a disorder that affects women more so than men, but it can affect both. For those who do not know or are unsure about what fibromyalgia is, it is a disorder that can cause general musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, headaches, temporomandibular joint disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, sleep/memory/ mood problems, and in some cases, it can even cause anxiety and depression.
Sadly, there is no current way of knowing what exactly has caused fibromyalgia in a person. However, it is believed that it can be brought about from physical trauma, an infection, psychological stress, surgery, etc. Moreover, there is no cure for fibromyalgia yet.
How can you ease fibromyalgia symptoms?
Thankfully, certain remedies have proven to be beneficial for sufferers, including medications and certain types of exercise. People who suffer from fibromyalgia are also advised to use any stress-relieving and managing methods that they can to help with the symptoms, and that relaxation will help too.
One of the best ways of relaxing in a healthy, natural way is by having a massage. Massages have proven to lower blood pressure, help with blood circulation, reduce inflammation, and generally cause the receiver to feel far more relaxed and rested.
As you can imagine, this is an ideal option for those who suffer from fibromyalgia! The massages can help to relieve some pain and help the sufferer to relax. In fact, many of those who suffer from fibromyalgia are advised to have frequent deep massages to help with their symptoms.
Of course, not everyone has the time nor the money to spend on going to get a professional massage. However, should you want, or in the case of those with fibromyalgia, you should not have to suffer for not being able to see a professional massage therapist when necessary. That is where massage chairs come in.
Can a massage chair help?
Massage chairs have proven to be ideal tools to have at home to ensure that you can have your own professional-grade massage from the comfort of your own living room without having to get ready, go out, or spend any extra money.
For people with fibromyalgia, massage chairs would be ideal as they can provide good pain relief and stress control to help with the symptoms of the disorder.
One of the other ideal things about massage chairs is that they offer different settings and pressure levels.
If you do have fibromyalgia, then it would be best to allow yourself to get used to the low-pressure settings on the massage chair before trying any of the higher pressured massages.
Fibromyalgia could cause your muscles to be more sensitive than usual. In that case, a high-pressure massage could cause you to feel more pain and could easily cause more damage to your muscles.
Of course, whatever your symptoms, it is always best to consult your doctor before committing to your massage chair therapy. Your doctor will be able to suggest the perfect settings, pressures, lengths of time and frequency of your massages to ensure that you will benefit from the massages and will not cause yourself any harm!
Even though it may seem like a simple tool to use and one that is intended for relaxation and pain relief purposes, remember that massage chairs do cause stimulation, and if improperly used, can cause more harm than good.
How often should you get a massage with fibromyalgia?
The frequency at which you should get massages for fibromyalgia depends on a few things:
- Where you feel the pain: Fibromyalgia affects people in different ways, and not everyone has pain in the same area. If you tend to feel more pain around your neck than anywhere else, then your massage treatment will have to be dealt with differently than it would were you to have pain in your lower back, for example.
- Your current condition: If you are feeling severe pain from fibromyalgia, then it could be time for you to rest rather than have a massage. As relaxing as a massage may be, putting your body through extra stimulation may not be a good idea.
- The pressure of the massage: It is always essential to consult your doctor about the pressure of your massages and the frequency before committing to any therapy. Should you choose to have your massages at a higher pressure, then you will likely need to have the massages more sporadically to ensure that you will not harm your body in any other way.
Generally speaking, for those who suffer from fibromyalgia, it is always recommended having massages in massage chairs at a lower pressure and to have them relatively frequently. Even twice a week can help a lot with pain relief and help you exercise control over fibromyalgia.
Of course, in order to ensure that you will get the best results, you will need to speak to doctors and follow their recommendations, as your symptoms and current health conditions will dictate the massage therapy that would be better suited to you.
Can massage make fibromyalgia worse?
Although, for the most part, massages can help with fibromyalgia significantly, there is no denying that in some cases, massages can make it worse.
Since massage chairs offer a way of being able to relax and deal with our general pains on our own, very few of us take the time to actually consider the placement, pressure, and frequency of the massages. As is the case with many physical ailments that can be helped with massage therapy, knowing exactly how to address the issue is key.
Sadly, it is not as simple as plugging in the massage chair and reaping the benefits. If you misuse the massage chair, then you run the risk of making your fibromyalgia worse. For example, should you be feeling significant pain in your back from fibromyalgia, you may want to address it quickly by using your massage chair on a high pressure for a long time.
However, by overstimulating your muscles and repeatedly putting high pressure on your bones and nerves, you risk increasing your pain and causing more damage to your back.
This is why consulting your doctor before using your massage chair to help with fibromyalgia is key.
Another issue that can come from using a massage chair for fibromyalgia is by buying the wrong massage chair for you. As similar as some may seem, not all massage chairs are the same.
Before buying a massage chair, you need to ensure that it is the right one for your height and weight to ensure massage balls and airbags are perfectly situated to massage you correctly. Even with the perfect setting, if your massage chair has not been designed for your body, then the massage will not work and could indeed make your fibromyalgia worse!
We hope this guide has helped – as always, please consult a medical professional before you buy a massage chair to help ease fibromyalgia!
