Can Massage Help Alleviate the Discomfort Associated with Arthritis?

Yes and most definitely, massage can help with alleviating the discomfort of arthritis. It is not a cure and will not stop the progression of this disease, but many find relief on the massage table.

The Arthritis Foundation list more than 100 forms of arthritis and related diseases exist affecting approximately 46 million Americans today. But first off, lets cover the two main types of Arthritis:

1.  Osteoarthritis is sometimes called degenerative joint disease and occurs when cartilage in your joints wears down over time. It can affect any joint in your body, though it most commonly affects joints in your hands, hips, knees and spine. Osteoarthritis typically affects just one joint, though in some cases, such as with finger arthritis, several joints can be affected.

2. Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory form of arthritis that causes joint pain and damage. Rheumatoid arthritis attacks the lining of your joints (synovium) causing swelling that can result in aching and throbbing and eventually deformity. Sometimes rheumatoid arthritis symptoms make even the simplest activities — such as opening a jar or taking a walk — difficult to manage.

Here are some of the ways massage can ease the symptoms associated with inflammation and help improve the quality of life of someone affected by arthritis.

The benefits of massage include:
• increase in circulation
• increase in flexibility and mobility
• decrease in pain and inflammation
• relief of muscle aches and stiffness
• a sense of overall relaxation and wellness

Massage is just one of the ways sufferers of Arthritis can find relief. Ask your ND for some other tips. Thanks for reading, PJ Harris LMP http://www.pjharris.com/

Core Strengthening Part 3 of 3

As stated in the last two week’s posts, core strengthening is not just limited to working your abdominal muscles by doing crunches. It also includes exercising other muscles that help stabilize and strengthen your back, trunk, pelvis and hips. In this three part series, I will be writing about three different muscles that I like to encourage my Seattle Treatment Massage clients to strengthen if I find they are weak. Strengthening these muscles is a great addition to any core workout program.

In the last two parts of the Core Strengthening Series, we talked about the hip flexors and the adductors. The final third section is really going to get to the core of the matter. I am referring to the muscles know as the pubococcygeus muscle or the PC muscles. This muscles is located between the pubic bone and the tailbone. The PC muscle and the pelvis make up the bowl that holds your internal pelvic organs. When this muscle is weak it can contribute to hip instability and incontinence in men and women. A strong PC muscle can also aid with child birth and prevention of pelvic organ prolapse.

To exercise the PC muscle, you must first be aware of this muscle. Awareness can be found by attempting to cut of the flow of your urine midstream. The muscle you feel clamping down is your PC muscle. It is important for men and women to have strong PC muscles. If you are having a hard time feeling your PC muscle, see if a health practitioner can help you.

Exercises strengthening your PC muscles are generally called Kegels. One way to do a Kegel is to squeeze and hold your PC muscle for as long as you can. You might feel your PC muscle start to weaken and other abdominal muscles take over. That is fine. With time you will get stronger and getting a little abdominal strengthening with this exercise can be an added bonus.

Another way to strengthen these muscles is to picture them tighten like an elevator climbing your pelvic muscles, tightening at the bottom and working your way up.

You can also just do repetitions. One thousand and one, one thousand and two- squeeze.  One thousand one, one thousand two – release. You can use Mississippis, if that is your counting preference.

This concludes the core strengthening series. I hope it has been helpful and thank you for reading. PJ Harris, LMP http://www.pjharris.com/

The Elderly Shuffle

Do you notice that sometimes as people get older, they shuffle their feet when they walk? Many times this is due to fear of tripping and falling so they don’t pick up their feet. In actuality, they increase their chance of tripping by NOT picking up their feet. Sometimes, they have had hip or knee surgery and have not fully recovered from their surgery. After a surgery like that, it is very important that they work with a health practitioner to regain full or as close to full as possible range of motion in their hips and knees.

For the people who have not had knee or hip injuries, it is of vital importance that you continue to use your hip and knee joints to their full capacity. Muscle strength declines by 15 percent per decade after age 50 and 30 percent per decade after age 70. Elderly who are out of condition and sedentary, should be encouraged to improve their functional ability with strength and balance training before beginning aerobic exercise.

Working out in a gym or at home doing exercises to strengthen the legs and increase flexibility is a great way to keep your legs in tip top shape.  Other simple ways to keep your legs strong are climbing stairs or repeatedly rising from a chair. You can purchase exercise bands from many department stores or pharmacies. They are a great way to get those muscles into shape and keep them there. Many community centers are now offering yoga classes for the elderly. This is yet another great way for someone to work on their balance, strength and flexibility. Make sure before starting any exercise routine to check with your physician.

Massage is also beneficial in keeping your legs healthy as you get older. There are therapist out there that specialize in massaging the elderly. This modality is known as geriatric massage. It helps with the circulation and flexibility that keeps those legs and the whole body happy.

The American Academy of Family Physicians has a great article on the elderly and exercises. http://www.aafp.org/afp/20020201/419.html

The old saying of use it or loose it is true. Keep moving so you can keep moving. Thanks for reading, PJ Harris, LMP. http://pjharris.com