Joint Paint/Massage Therapy/Hot Stone Massage

Hello JeniG -- Massage helps relieve muscle tension and tightness which can temporarily relieve pain around damaged joints. I find it helpful to get the ache out of my wrists which are fused and my elbows which do not extend. It has to do with getting the fluid moving through the joints, removing metabolites etc. Similar things happen with regular exercise but since I cannot move my wrists or elbows much....

Massage is not a cure but it does make me feel better. I like it because it's non-toxic and not-invasive and provides a measure of relief even for a short period of time. I try to get a massage once a month. I tried hot stone massage once but it seems more gimmicky with less skill involved.

My rheumatologist has provided a prescription for massage which means that I don't have to pay state tax (in Ohio) and that I can use FSA funds to reimbursement myself!

Most recently I saw a physical therapist for some neck pain and she did quite a bit of acupressure and trigger point massage. And she used ultrasound to break up the knots around the shoulder blades. Ultimately, the neck pain was relieved and I confirmed that all the pain came from my damaged shoulder. But all the knots in my muscles where what allowed me to move my shoulder!

If you want to try massage, look for someone who's been doing for a while and start with Swedish massage technique which is the most basic.

All the best.