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The institute study, like the Yale study, found that patients with arthritis experienced relief when they were massaged. But how the massage is done is important, according to Field.
“We’re finding the critical thing in massage is you need to stimulate the pressure receptors in the skin. In something like Swedish massage, you have a number of techniques that apply moderate pressure because without that you don’t get the whole cascade of events happening biochemically,” says Field.
Sandy Saldano, owner of Therapeutic Kneads in Highland Park, Illinois, works with women who have fibromyalgia. Saldano’s experience concurs with Field’s findings that sleep deprivation is an issue and that some pressure, rather than very light touch, is needed when working with these clients. How much pressure is the right amount varies and is subjective.
“We don’t do deep tissue even if they request it,” says Saldano, referring to fibromyalgia sufferers. “On a 1 to 10 scale, we start on a four pressure.”
Michelle Bart, who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia, agrees that Swedish massage is a good choice for her conditions.
And she is well-educated about her needs, having founded an arthritis support group in her community to help others. She has invited massage therapists to the meetings so that arthritis sufferers could experience the benefits of a chair massage and so massage therapists also could learn more about the needs of arthritis sufferers.
“Massage therapists would also speak at the meetings,” says Bart. “With the support of the Arthritis Foundation, we would give arthritis self-help books to our speakers so they could better understand the conditions.”
Learn What Your Clients Need
Education is key, according to Bart. She suggests massage therapists attend industry conferences such as those by the Arthritis Foundation and the National Fibromyalgia Association. Local arthritis support groups also are excellent ways to learn more and can be a way to build business, too.
Massage therapist Beth Miller, owner of Advanced Therapeutics in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, also works with arthritic clients. She stresses that massage therapists should understand that there are many forms of arthritis, it’s a chronic condition and there’s no cure. “It’s painful and debilitating,” Miller explains. “Be empathetic, understand tolerance levels and always get feedback during, before and after.”
Also, make sure you create the right kind of environment. Kitty White, a 92-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis, gets Swedish massages weekly. She says that making the massage room a peaceful place helps her relax before the massage session even begins. Her therapist’s room has soothing music and pretty flowers. “The relaxation helps my joints and adds comfort to my life,” says White.
Knowing several massage modalities will help you adapt to different needs. Some clients, such as Helene Colussy, have had hip replacements because the arthritis eroded the joint so badly. She found Myofascial Release® to be especially helpful right at the incision site.
“They cut the muscle to go in,” explains Colussy, “and the muscle goes back together but not necessarily in the same place. The Myofascial Release was beneficial to separate the tissue and made it feel so much better.”
No matter which type of arthritis a client may have, the most important factor is communication. The more massage therapists communicate with arthritic clients before and during therapy, the more successful the session will be. Add education and a lighter touch and you have a great starting point for working with these clients. Estimates state that one out of three people have some kind of arthritis. Promoting your services directly to this population can help people in need.
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American Massage Therapy Association®
