Massage therapy can be an ideal treatment for clients who suffer from fibromyalgia syndrome, helping to alleviate severe and debilitating pain.
While some therapists tend to think people susceptible to high levels of stress are more prone to the syndrome, fibromyalgia is a chronic pain disorder that can affect nearly anyone’s physical, mental and social dispositions. By learning the benefits and techniques of massage for fibromyalgia in the privacy of your home or office through home study courses, massage therapists can easily implement these tools into practice.
Some benefits of massage for clients with fibromyalgia include better sleep, less neck pain, better balance, a decrease in the body’s sensitivity to pain, along with an increase in mobility and flexibility. Massage treatments can also enhance a client’s immunologic and neuroendocrine function.
An Internet search resulted in numerous home study courses any massage therapist can take to fulfill their continuing education requirements.
For massage for fibromyalgia, some of the courses offered cover such topics as signs, symptoms and causes of fibromyalgia, diagnosis, treatment, massage techniques and modalities. In some courses, materials also cover co-existing conditions, topical balms, salves, along with stretches and exercises.
A recent study compared the effects of connective-tissue massage and manual lymph drainage therapy on women suffering from primary fibromyalgia. The study, “Comparison of Manual Lymph Drainage Therapy and Connective Tissue Massage in Women with Fibromyalgia: A Randomized Controlled Trial,” monitored 50 women with primary fibromyalgia. Of those women, half were randomly assigned to receive manual lymph drainage therapy, while the other 25 were assigned to receive connective-tissue massage.
The subjects of the study in both groups received hands-on sessions five days a week for three weeks.
The results of the study showed both groups experienced “significant and progressive” improvements after receiving the treatments. However, the women in the manual lymph drainage therapy group showed more significant improvement in a category that measured the impact of fibromyalgia in their daily life.
Make sure to check with your national and state licensing bodies to make sure the courses you select are acceptable for continuing education credits.