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Benefits of Handicapped Massage

Massage techniques manipulate muscles and connective tissue when a trained massage therapist rubs and presses tissues of the body. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, massage therapy has been used for thousands of years in order to eliminate both chronic pain and to help relax the body. The disabled may utilize message therapy in order to improve circulation, reduce pain, improve movement and eliminate stress.

  1. Circulation

    • Message therapy stimulates tissues in the body in order to increase blood flow to the muscles. This process can also be useful for helping disabled individuals eliminate fatigue caused by waste products from their muscles. Massage therapy can also improve blood circulation throughout the body, so that tissue can regenerate after a surgery. According to the website Massage Therapy Benefits, children born with cerebral palsy suffer from spastic muscle movements which they cannot control due to injury to the brain at birth. Massage therapy can help relax muscles in children with cerebral palsy.

    Pain Reduction

    • According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), a 2008 review of 13 trials showed evidence that massage may be helpful in eliminating chronic back pain. Another study found that 64 patients with chronic neck pain improved function and helped alleviate pain. Massage may help stimulate endorphins to be released by the brain, which are natural painkillers. According to the website Disabled World, disabled people who suffer from fibromyalgia experience chronic pain, and massage therapy can help eliminate some of this pain. The NCCAM reports that patients undergoing chemotherapy can see reduced swelling of soft tissue and pain relief with massage.

    Mobility

    • The musculoskeletal system contains bones, soft tissues, muscles and joints. Disabled persons who suffer from chronic joint pain can undergo massage therapy in order to provide additional joint mobility. This will allow a patient greater range of motion in his or her arms and legs. Disabled people who suffer from muscular atrophy due to a lack of movement can benefit from the stretching of their muscles through massage. Massage elongates atrophied muscles, which have tightened from lack of use.

    Stress Elimination

    • Stress is usually associated with higher levels of pain, anxiety and depression. Disabled persons usually suffer from higher levels of stress due to difficult life circumstances such as crippling pain, a lack of mobility and financial difficulties. According to the website Disabled World, medical research has provided some evidence that massage can temporarily lower heart rate and blood pressure. Massage therapy can lower stress levels, according to the NCCAM.

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