How does massage help those in pain?

Recently we have treated a few cases of elbow pain. There are two common site for elbow pain, the outside edge of the elbow which is often an indication of tennis elbow or lateral epicondylitis and the inside edge of the elbow which is often an indication of glofer's elbow or medial epicondylitis.   With both of these conditions the pain may radiate up the arm and / or down along the forearm. Both conditions can be caused by precise wrist movements from using a mouse or keyboard.  As the name suggests tennis elbow can be caused by faulty backhand technique when playing tennis.  While golfer's elbow can be caused by poor technique when playing Golf or faulty forehand technique when playing tennis. In addition tennis elbow can be caused by carrying heavy shopping bags as it causes tension in the wrist extensors. Most of the cases we see are caused by long hours using computers.  The first thing we do is try and establish the cause of the pain, which can be tightness or spasm in the muscles of the forearm, neck or shoulders and then treat accordingly.  We can also show you simple stretches to stretch out the muscles of the forearm. What surprised us, and prompted me to write this blog is that they all the clients had just assumed that elbow pain was something that they just had to lived with.  In all the cases we dramatically reduced the pain and in most cases after a few treatments the clients were pain free!  So don't sit their in pain, book a massage.

Recently scientists have looked at the impact of abdominal massage on people with constipation. Constipation affects twice as many women as men.  Older people are more likely to be affected and in addition taking certain medications e.g. opioids can cause it. A randomised control trail of 204 patients with constipation (from opioid medication), were split into two equal groups.  The intervention group were taught how to administer abdominal massage on themselves, in a clockwise direction over the intestines on the abdominal wall, which they performed twice a day for four weeks after breakfast & dinner. The control group received standard medical care, such as laxatives, suppositories and enemas. Both groups were asked to keep a diary of their bowel movements and to complete three questionnaires, including the Bristol stool scale for evaluating stools and bowel habits, the visual analogue scale, which contains questions about constipation, including severity, straining & pain. Patients in the massage group reported significant improvements in stool consistency, straining during defecation, the feeling of incomplete emptying after defecation and experienced increase bowel movements.  They also reported a reduction in the severity of constipation, pain, straining, gas & fullness in the rectum.  However, the massage had no effect on the stool amount. The researchers concluded that abdominal massage was an effective approach for managing opioid induced constipation.  So if you suffer from constipation consider abdominal massage. Reference https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31358243

Plantar fasciitis is inflammation of the plantar fascia, a part of your foot that connects your heel bone to your toes.  Symptoms of plantar fasciitis include pain around [...]