3 Benefits of Massage Therapy for People With Autoimmune Diseases

What if the very system meant to protect your body from foreign and infectious invaders starts attacking your own normal cells? Sadly, this is the condition for people suffering from auto-immune diseases. Some of the most common forms of this debilitating disease include systemic disorders like Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and Rheumatoid Arthritis, to name a few. Its symptoms? Fatigue, swollen and painful the joints, inflammation of the skin, and even damage to other internal organs (like the kidneys), among others.

And what do the experts say about its possible cause and cure? Unfortunately, research cannot exactly pinpoint the primary cause of auto-immune diseases. What they do know is that certain factors increase one’s risk of developing an auto-immune disease, such as genetics, diet, exposure to some chemicals, or certain infections. As for the cure, it can only be managed through medications that suppress the overactive reaction of the immune system.

If you’re suffering from this condition, can massage therapy help? As with other supportive treatments, massage therapy is seen to be quite helpful to patients suffering from auto-immune diseases. Let’s look at some of its known benefits.

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1. It Helps Relieve Your Pain

If you suffer from any form of auto-immune disease, then you would know that one of the biggest challenges is dealing with the pain that comes with this disorder. Imagine living normally for a few months, and suddenly having to cope with incredibly searing pain in the following weeks. That’s how it feels to have an auto-immune disease. One minute you may feel normal, then the next you feel paralyzed by the pain. And some days, pain medications just aren’t enough.

So, what’s the role of massage therapy in auto-immune disease pain management?

Pressure from massage therapy helps the muscles and tendons to relax and also sends a message to your brain to ignore its pain receptors. A study on people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, a form of auto-immune disease, showed that moderate pressure from massage therapy has relieved patients of upper limb pain that they have suffered from.

Do you know what else was noted in the said research? Range of motion (specifically in the areas of the wrist, elbow, and shoulder), as well as grip strength, also improved in these patients that received moderate pressure from massage therapy.

Now, here’s the second benefit:

2. It Helps You Cope With The Accompanying Anxiety and Depression

Did you know that anxiety and depressive syndromes are quite common in people suffering from autoimmune diseases? Yes, it’s an unpleasant comorbidity that severely affects the patient’s quality of life. Now, do you remember how you feel right after you get a massage? If you recalled feeling happy, then you might know where this is headed.

Apparently, research on people who have an autoimmune disease, like multiple sclerosis, for example, revealed that massage therapy did lower anxiety and depression in these patients. And how exactly is a simple massage therapy able to achieve such an effect? It’s because your body’s serotonin and dopamine levels increase following massage therapy. That being said, as the levels of these neuro-transmitters rises, your mood becomes more improved and stable. And if you’re battling anxiety and depression alongside autoimmune disease, then you know that is a big win.

Ready for the third item on the list?

3. It Helps Ward Off Stress And Improve Sleep

You know that famous “fight or flight” response your body does? That’s stress in action, right there. It causes physical and/or psychological tension and sets off your body into an alarmed state (tight and stiff muscles, rapid pulse, increased blood pressure) until the trigger is gone. How about its infamous counterpart, the “rest and digest” state? That’s basically your body’s parasympathetic nervous system telling your body to relax and, eventually, go to sleep.

Now, is there a connection between stress, sleep, and autoimmune disease? Surprisingly, a study reveals that, like many other stress-related disorders, stress and autoimmune disease are linked. Similarly, sleep-deprivation also plays a role, especially when it comes to fatigue in people with autoimmune-related disorders.

The Bottom Line

Both stress and sleep-deprivation may trigger inflammation, the trademark reaction found in autoimmune diseases. With this, how do autoimmune disease patients benefit from massage therapy?

Essentially, the stress hormone (aka cortisol) decreases when you get a massage. In turn, your body’s muscles and overactive response system go into a relaxed state. And as for the effect of massage therapy in sleep quality?

It similarly promotes relaxation and improves sleep by regulating and improving the body’s blood pressure and circulation, among others. Massage therapy can help the body transition from a stressed and sleep-deprived state to a calmer and more relaxed condition. And when the body is relaxed, it can better control and even prevent unwanted inflammatory responses characteristic of autoimmune diseases.

We at EasyMassageChair.com have helped hundreds of people like you suffering from different illnesses and looking for a massage chair to help alleviate their pains. With our combined expertise and years of experience working with customers, we'd like to offer you a FREE consultation so we better understand what you are looking for based on your needs, preferences, budget and other factors. Do not hesitate to contact us by phone or live chat because we are here to make massage chair shopping an easy experience for you.