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A Natural Alternative to Pain Relief

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According to the U.S. Pain Foundation and the CDC, “Almost 21% of the U.S. population—51.6 million adults—lives with chronic pain, defined as pain lasting more than three months.” If you’re one of those adults living with chronic pain, your first thought on how to address the symptoms might be to look into painkillers - either over the counter or prescribed. This may be an effective method of dealing with your chronic pain concerns; however, if you’re wanting a natural alternative to pain relief, you might want to consider massage therapy. Here are a few benefits to massage therapy for pain relief, and some other considerations to keep in mind:

It can address the root cause, not just mask the issue

When going to massage therapy, you’re ideally going to someone that can actually manipulate the soft tissues in your body and reduce muscle tension in sensitive areas such as the shoulders, the lower back, and even the legs. This helps to address the potential root cause for why you may be experiencing pain in certain areas of your body. Typically, pain killers will only address the symptoms of the pain, and not the actual cause. Pain killers are usually good at masking the symptoms or dulling the pain, but they’re not going to help fix any of the issues that are directly causing the pain. When you go to a massage therapist and explain where the pain is occurring, they can sometimes provide insight into what may be causing it (injury, diet, genetics, etc.), and they can focus the massage in those specific areas for optimal relief.

Minimal side effects

Because massage therapy is a more natural and holistic approach to pain relief, it also comes with less side effects than pain killers typically would. If you look at the side effects for a pain killer like acetaminophen for example, some of the biggest ones include loss of appetite, fatigue, nausea, or even dependence if not properly managed. In contrast, massage therapy side effects are usually quite minimal and temporary, such as lightheadedness or muscle soreness. Unless you have underlying health conditions or open wounds / injuries that might be affected by massage therapy, it is generally considered safe and effective for managing pain symptoms.

Long-term benefits

Unlike pain killers, which don’t heal or address where the chronic pain is coming from, massage therapy can have long-term benefits the more you receive it. Massage therapy can improve flexibility, range of motion, and overall well-being. Massages can also help with addressing stress-related pain, since it can be a great form of relaxation and self-care. Medication may be able to provide immediate relief, but the relief is usually temporary and doesn’t actually fix the issue. When comparing it to massage therapy, the relief of getting a massage may not be immediate or permanent, but the more consistently you go, the more you will notice long-lasting and effective results in your pain relief.

It can be combined with other pain relief methods for best results

Massage therapy does not have to be the end-all-be-all for managing your chronic pain symptoms; it can be used in conjunction with other pain management methods. Even if you are going to get a massage once a month to relieve stress and pain, you do not have to completely stop using pain medication; they can be used at the same time. Some other great forms of pain management can be exercise, topical agents such as creams or heat packs, acupuncture, and more. If you’d like to get the most out of managing your pain, combining massage therapy with other methods can be the solution.

It can improve sleep quality

One of the biggest causes of chronic pain is poor sleep quality; it can cause anxiety, fatigue, and several other health issues. Through massage therapy, you can gradually improve your overall quality of sleep due to the stress-relieving and relaxation aspects that it provides. It is not guaranteed that pain killers or other pain management alternatives would improve sleep quality.

Consistent massage therapy may not be realistic for everyone, since getting a massage on a regular basis can be expensive and time-consuming. However, if you’re using it alongside other pain management techniques and you’re wanting long-term benefits rather than temporary or immediate relief, it is a method that you should highly consider. Choosing the right massage therapist is also really important to ensure that you’re getting the best, personalized results for your chronic pain symptoms. At MAM Massage and Spa, we ensure that your massages are meeting your body’s needs by offering multiple massage styles, listening to your concerns and symptoms, and providing ultimate relaxation. We even offer different time lengths and massage pricing to meet your schedule and your budget.

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• It can address the root cause, not just mask the issue
• Minimal side effects
• Long-term benefits
• It can be combined with other pain relief methods for best results
• It can improve sleep quality
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