Massage For Osteoarthritis Of The Knee

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Study Design And Sample

Purposive sampling was used to recruit individuals who participated in the Exploring Massage Benefits for Arthritis of the Knee study, a randomized clinical trial with four treatment arms and one usual care arm, designed to assess the effects of eight weeks of a standardized Swedish massage protocol provided at four distinct doses . Recruitment solicited participants who were adherent to the intervention and study procedures and were open to sharing their thoughts and feelings about their experiences in a brief interview. Recruitment focused on participants that were relatively independent, ambulatory, and believed to be articulate and willing to participate. By nature of participating in the prior clinical trial, participants were known to the investigative team prior to this study. Enrollment continued until theoretical saturation was obtained, i.e., the point at which no new concepts were emerging in well-characterized and differentiated categories . Demographic data was previously collected from study subjects and included sex, age, race/ethnicity, height, and weight. Subjects were told that the aim of the study was to gain insight into their experiences in receiving Swedish massage during our prior study and to help inform the design of future massage and osteoarthritis research.

It Is About Quality Of Life And It May Be About The Placebo Effect

Here is research from a June 2017 study in the journal Pain Medicine. The study makes some curious points on whether or not the massage is helping physically or mentally.

Lets look at the learning points:

• In this qualitative study the people in the study reported:
• Relaxation effects, improved quality of life, and symptomatic relief, possibly beyond increased functional status and pain scores as found in our clinical trial. In other words, the people felt better than they should have.
• The researchers noted when they interviewed patients about the benefits massage was offering them, the patients noted:
• Empowerment, with an improved ability to perform activities of daily living.
• One patient reported significant pain relief even though her knee physically got worse. The researchers suggested that her massage therapy may have provided relief through relaxation.
• Another participant noted positive changes and a general improvement in daily life with massage despite showing a substantial decline in knee function scores after eight weeks that is, this participant was demonstrably worse but noted a subjective improvement in her quality of life. This paradoxical finding may be the placebo effect

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Cross Friction Massage For Osteoarthritic Patients

Cross Friction Massage is a type of technique preferred by various therapists since it is quick and pretty easy to do. It helps in escalating blood flow and also facilitates breakdown of cross bridges. As the body starts to repair itself, it forms scar tissue randomly. Muscles have fibers inside them running parallel to each other and sliding past each other upon expansion and contraction of the muscles. Formation of the resulting scar tissue results in formation of cross bridges of scar tissue between the parallel muscle fibers resulting in restricted sliding movement of the fibers. This causes the muscle to become shorter in length and results in pain, stiffness, reduced flexibility, inflammation and increased chances of re-injuries. During cross friction massage for osteoarthritis, you have to work harder across the site perpendicular to the fibers which means across them. This massage helps in pulling the fibers and prevents formation of cross bridges and leaves behind a scar tissue which runs along the direction of the fibers. Cross Friction Massage done for osteoarthritis also helps in breaking down the already formed cross bridges.

Massage is a non-invasive, safe and a natural option for individuals suffering from osteoarthritis. With regular massages, patients can not only find relief from the residual pain caused by osteoarthritis, but also find an improvement in mobility and flexibility in the affected joint.

Study Design And Intervention

The study was a multisite RCT designed to assess the initial and long-term effects of an 8-week course of weekly 60-min massages and the utility of biweekly maintenance dosing. Swedish massage was compared to weekly 60-min light-touch treatments and usual care at 8 weeks , 16 weeks, and 24 weeks. For subjects who received the initial 8 weeks of massage, biweekly massage was compared to no further intervention and to light-touch followed by biweekly maintenance or no further treatment out to 52 weeks. Usual care was defined across the sites as a subjects typical care regimen for their osteoarthritis, provided that all subject inclusion and exclusion criteria were met. The usual care group received no intervention for the first 24 weeks of the study, then was crossed over to 8 weeks of massage, then was randomized to either maintenance massage or usual care for the remainder of the study .

The massage and light-touch groups were assessed at baseline and 8, 16, 24, 36, and 52 weeks. The original usual care group was assessed at baseline and 8, 16, and 24 weeks, then post-crossover to 8 weeks of massage, assessed at 32, 40, and 48 weeks . At each site, visits were scheduled by an unblinded research assistant, while study coordinators, blinded to treatment assignment, conducted assessments.

Study data were collected and managed using REDCap electronic data capture tools hosted at Duke University.

Outcome Measures

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Take An Epsom Salt Bath

What you do right after your massage can be just as important as the massage itself. Many therapists recommend that you take a warm bath with Epsom salts at home after the massage, Vickman says. The heat and magnesium may help keep your muscles loose and limber and will help you stay in a relaxed state.

Speak Up If Something Hurts

Your comfort is our first priority and we definitely want to know if youre pain, Rose says, adding shes had clients who suffered through an entire massage only confessing at the end that they were miserable. The problem is that each person is different in their tolerance of pressure and technique and thats even more true for someone with a condition like arthritis so your therapist wont know if somethings not working for you unless you speak up, she explains. A little discomfort can be a good sign but you should never be in a lot of pain, she says.

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Does Massage Therapy Help With Osteoarthritis Related Knee Pain

Ross Hauser, MD., Danielle R. Steilen-Matias, MMS, PA-C

Many people will benefit from massage therapy, many will not. The idea behind massage therapy is that the kneading and stroking of massage therapy will bring blood into the knee and blood initiates the healing immune response to repair soft tissue. It also feels good.

Like many non-surgical applications, massage therapy is considered somewhat controversial. Controversial meaning researchers are not sure if it works and if it does help people, is it really addressing the problem in the knee or the muscles in the thigh?

While we see many patients who are trying to avoid a knee replacement, we do see patients who are having pain challenges after their knee replacement. These people are generally represented by someone who will tell us a story that goes like this:

I had a knee replacement a few months ago. I still cannot fully extend my knee and it is still pretty swollen. My therapists are telling me that I am very tight. That is an understatement, my tightness extends from my hip to my knee. During my massage therapy, the therapist tells me something I already know, I have huge knots throughout my muscles that are not working out. I am trying to work these knots out on my own as well. I bought everything online that I thought could help.

When To See A Healthcare Provider

While sore or arthritic knees can benefit from the massage techniques that are described above, it is important to pay attention to other important signs or symptoms that may suggest a more serious concern. If you are experiencing worsening pain, swelling, warmth, or redness in the knee or if your symptoms are accompanied by a fever or difficulty bearing weight through your legs, it is important to see your healthcare provider. In addition, any knee pain that occurs after a trauma should be reported to your practitioner immediately as more involved testing or treatment may be needed.

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Client Handout: Massage Therapy + Osteoarthritis Of The Knee

Managing pain for chronic conditions like arthritis is an area in which massage therapy has shown particular promise.

Managing pain for chronic conditions like arthritis is an area in which massage therapy has shown particular promise. Previous quantitative data is making strong connections between massage therapy and pain relief, but what about other symptoms that are more difficult to track, such as quality of life and stress reduction? Does receiving massage therapy for one conditionor treating one symptom, like painhave other benefits that are not as easily identified in quantitative studies?

Researchers asked that very question of a group of study participants who previously took part in research concerning the osteoarthritis-specific effects of massage therapy.1

Does Massage Therapy Prevent Further Knee Damage

It is clear from the research that massage therapy can offer benefits. What is also clear is that massage therapy is paradoxical. It may provide pain relief even as the knee continues to decline its way toward knee replacement.

In our office, we specialize in non-surgical regenerative medicine injections. Here are some links and descriptions to articles on our website to help you with your research in learning more about these options.

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Massage Therapy For Osteoarthritis: Benefits Of Deep Tissue Massage Cross Friction Massage

Massage has been found to do wonders for management of many painful conditions including osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a type of a disease in which there is degeneration of the joints as an individual age and there is increased usage of the joints for daily functioning. The joints in the body are connected by a smooth fibrous connective tissue named Articular Cartilage. This cartilage encompasses the regions where one bone contacts the other. The Articular Cartilage functions as a shock absorber and helps ion facilitating smooth joint motion. The smooth movement of joint is also facilitated by synovial fluid helping in lubrication. This synovial fluid is produced by synovial membrane which is present in the joint. Osteoarthritis which is also known as degenerative joint disease is a pathological condition in which there is degeneration of this Articular Cartilage. As the disease advances in severity, the cartilage becomes thinner and even wears out totally. The bones also tend to become thick resulting in development of bony spurs. There may also be synovial membrane inflammation. All these factors tend to result in extreme amount of pain and resultant decreased movement of the joints. Osteoarthritis generally occurs in weightbearing joints like the knee or the hip however, osteoarthritis may affect any joint in the body.

Primary Causes Of Knee Pain

Knee pain is common in athletes and older adults. Chronic knee pain is caused by arthritis which is a term that is applied to several diseases, the most common of which are:

Rheumatoid arthritis : The causes of this condition are uncertain and it often follows a viral infection or other illnesses. It is also suggested to be caused by a defect in the auto-immune system of the body or related to the glands and hormones. The pain is related to the inflammation of the fibrous connective tissue around joints.

Osteoarthritis : This is a disease in which the cartilage wears away leaving the bones exposed and causing the formation of rough bone deposits. It is usually caused by overuse and is often seen in athletes and weekend warriors.

Gout : This is caused by an overproduction of uric acid which causes the formation of crystals around the joints and these lead to pain in the joints including chronic knee pain.

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Does Massage Therapy Help With Osteoarthritis

If you have not had a knee replacement, you are likely here reading this article because you are trying to avoid one. So will massage therapy help you?

An October 2020 paper in the medical journal Medicine , announced a new study into the effectiveness of massage therapy in people with knee osteoarthritis. The researchers of this study have noted previous studies that have also confirmed that massage therapy is useful in improving pain, stiffness, and functional status for patients with knee osteoarthritis, however, they also note that at present, the evidence of massage for knee osteoarthritis lacks a comprehensive system evaluation. In other words, researchers are not sure if it works and if it does help people is it really addressing the problem in the knee. As mentioned above.

So the goal of this study is to offer comprehensive evidence for evaluating whether massage therapy is useful in treating patients with knee osteoarthritis. For many people, a massage feels good. Whether it helps people or not in research does not usually matter to someone whose knee hurts and their initial response is to rub it.

Can Massage Help Knee Pain

Category: HealthPosted: 26 Nov 2018

Osteoarthritis – the curse of the middle aged!

In the UK, around one-third of those over 45 have sought help for this condition that causes severe pain in the knees and hips. Learn how regular remedial massage for knee pain can help you quash the scourge of ageing and reduce pain caused by osteoarthritis of the knee.

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Tips For Finding Affordable Massages

Adding a weekly massage to the budget may not seem possible when you have other priorities. Try these ideas for lessening the cost burden:

• Ask for a package deal. Many massage therapists offer discounts when they know they will be seeing a client on a regular basis, Gilmore says.
• Request a massage gift card when a loved one asks for gift ideas youd enjoy.
• Check out deals on social media sites like Groupon or LivingSocial. Many massage therapists offer significant discounts to build their client base.
• Purchase a membership at a franchise massage location. Usually you’ll pay for a set number of massages a month and get a discount on additional visits.

Other points to keep in mind:

• Not all massage therapists are trained in pain management.
• Massage therapy is not a substitute for medical treatment. Always tell your doctor if you are using any complementary or alternative osteoarthritis treatment.
• Not everyone is a good candidate for every type of massage. For instance, deep tissue massage isn’t appropriate for someone who has bleeding problems or is on blood thinners. Before your get any type of massage, talk to your doctor about whether the therapy is safe for you.

Be Consistent: Make Regular Appointments

To get the most benefit from your massages, you need them on a regular ongoing basis, Vickman says. In the Duke study, researchers compared the following groups: people who got a 60-minute weekly massage, people who got a 30-minute weekly massage, people who got infrequent massages, and people who got no massages at all. They found that the group who did an hour a week saw the best results.

However, just because a little is good doesnt mean more is better. Going for very long sessions or multiple times a week isnt necessarily a good idea, says Vickman, because your muscles need time to recover and repair between sessions.

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Where To Massage For Knee Pain

Massage is the quickest way to deal with knee pain and often leads to quick pain relief. I asked our licensed and professional massage therapists their advice on where to and how to massage for knee pain. Their advice will be helpful to anyone suffering from knee pain or anyone wanting to help their loved ones suffering from knee pain.

So where do you massage for knee pain? The area to focus on for the knee pain massage is just above the knee on the quad muscles, because trigger points on the quadriceps refer pain to the knee. Do not massage directly on the kneecap and do not push the kneecap around. Consider using peppermint oil for the massage.

In this article I will give you simple massage techniques you can use to reduce knee pain. My mother suffers from knee pain and I have used these techniques successfully to help her deal with knee pain. I will also teach you how to use essential oils to help you with knee pain. Finally I will cover the main reasons and causes of knee pain.

Massage May Provide Short

A weekly session of massage therapy may provide short-term benefits for people with osteoarthritis of the knee, including reduced pain and stiffness and improved function, according to a new NCCIH-funded study. The study, which was done at locations in North Carolina, New Jersey, and Connecticut, was published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.Researchers randomly assigned 222 people with knee osteoarthritis to receive whole-body Swedish massage, light touch, or usual care. Light touch involved the massage therapist gently placing his or her hands in a specified sequence on the participantâs major muscle groups and joints. Usual care was the participantâs typical care regimen for osteoarthritis. Participants in the massage or light touch groups received 8 weekly treatments , and then were randomly assigned to receive treatment every 2 weeks or usual care to week 52. The researchers found that 8 weeks of massage provided statistically and clinically significant improvement of osteoarthritis symptoms, as assessed by a widely used questionnaire that evaluates the condition of people with arthritis. Pain, stiffness, and physical function all improved. Side effects were minimal.

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