Study Shows This One DIY Trick May Relieve Arthritis Pain

New research out of the Touch Research Institute has shown that massage therapy can help rheumatoid arthritis pain.

The study was published on the National Institute of Health’s database and looks at 42 individuals who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis in the upper limbs and the effects of massage therapy.

Researchers found that people who had a moderate pressure massage once a week for one month had less pain and a greater range of movement in their wrists, elbows, and shoulders. It was also noted that participants had greater grip strength than at the beginning of their massage therapy.

Study participants were also shown how to conduct their own massage therapy to help ease arthritis pain between sessions.

DIY Arthritis-Relieving Massage

Brett Rodgers, a massage therapist and teacher, shows how we can relieve arthritis pain at home with a simple massage.

First, let’s talk about arthritis pain.

Rodgers explains that our hands and feet are usually the parts of the body with joint problems, the worst areas being our fingers and toes.

This is “largely because people are consuming foods that they shouldn’t be consuming.”

Some of the worst foods that cause arthritis flare-ups include wheat and dairy products.

The gluten in wheat and casein in dairy literally are glue inside of our bodies, and these bad foods help to create calcium deposits in small joints, like those in our fingers and toes.

Avoiding these and other foods that cause arthritis aches will help work alongside your daily at-home massage to relieve pain.

Self-Massage Made Easy

He begins with a small bowl of unrefined coconut oil, but you can choose any unrefined oil of your preference.

Start to massage your hands, working on the muscle as well as directly on the joints. This may hurt a bit, but as Brett says, “No pain, no gain!”

There will be certain “trigger points” which will be different on everyone, that will be extremely sensitive to massage. Don’t worry, this isn’t a bad sign and actually means you should focus on that area a little bit more.

Slowly work the massage through your muscles, making sure you get in between the fingers as well. It’s also a good idea to massage the forearms as adjacent muscles can help relieve joint pain.

Work at your own pace, and don’t forget to breathe! This is meant to be a relaxing routine for your busy lifestyle. In fact, Brett shows a great trick to finding the acupuncture pressure point that naturally calms the mind from stress – you can find it 2 fingers above the crease of the wrist!

Work With Your Partner!

This may be a great opportunity to bond with your significant other and turn your massage therapy into an intimate experience.

Creating a peaceful environment will help ease your mind from the stresses of the day, which is extremely important in massage therapy. If our minds are happy and healthy, our bodies will follow suit. And soon, the pain of arthritis will be a forgotten memory.