As sad as it is to say, inflammation creates job stability for massage therapists, because inflammation oftentimes results in pain; accompanies arthritis and other conditions, plus it appears to be more and more prevalent.
Inflammation is also an aspect of diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, heart disease and vascular dementia, which can make effective massage treatment and outcome difficult.
Our bodies are programmed to heal. It’s amazing. The process of healing has a built in monitor – the immune system, which supplies the necessary raw materials to start, work through the pre-organized steps, and finish the inflammatory process.
For acute healing there is a three-month timeframe. If your body is faced with chronic phase inflammation, you may face up to a two year period for complete healing. The chronic phase, and why it takes so long for some clients to finish it, is what I would like to talk about.
There is more to inflammation than just the period of time that you see the classic signs of redness, pain, swelling and heat. In the case of acute inflammation – this phase is about damage control; pain control; cleanup; large-scale remodeling and rebuilding of tissue, or scar tissue replacement; bacterial or viral control; and security and welfare of the tissue and body as an organism.
Chronic phase inflammation is really about detailed repair, long-term strength of a tissue, ability to withstand wear and tear, functionality, mobility, bacterial or viral control, and many other functions that occur once the body knows it is out of danger.
There is a significant connection between energy depletion and inflammation. If you have several areas of chronic inflammation occurring at the same time, severe energy depletion occurs and the body is unable to finish the healing process. Breakdown occurs, the acute phase of inflammation restarts, and more energy is required again. This is when we start to see the disease process begin.
One of the greatest contributors to creating an energy surplus is pain reduction. Massage can provide significant help in dealing with inflammation by its ability to address pain. Quite simply, when there is less pain, healing accelerates. Massage, if done by a skilled practitioner, addresses specific pain-points.
In a well performed massage session, a client can experience:
- A drop in heart rate.
- A drop in the rate of nerve impulses.
- A decrease in the amount of perceived stress—with a correlating drop in pain perceived.
- A direct impact on an area of pain—physically, mentally and emotionally. You feel taken care of; your pain has been touched and validated; relief is given; you have helped yourself.
- A change in hormone—including cortisol—output that soothes and calms the body.
- Improved and increased digestion.
- .Lymph drainage
The effects of massage therapy compound when added together to create an energy surplus that the body then uses to heal itself. The more pain, inflammation and healing required, the more repetition is suggested to help the body naturally.
If you suffer from inflammation, consider allowing Jodi to help you on the healing journey with massage therapy focused on those painful trouble spots. Call 701-238-8257 for an appointment.