Share:

Chronic pain affects approximately one-fifth of adults in the United States. It can develop after suffering an injury or illness and can cause other symptoms to worsen. While you might think there is no relief from this type of ache, massage therapy, when used in combination with other medical approaches, has been shown to provide helpful pain management solutions. 

How Does Massage Therapy Provide Pain Relief?

1. Relieves Tension & Stress

When you are in pain, the body naturally becomes more stressed. Unfortunately, stress causes the muscles to tense up, which increases the ache. Massage therapy gets to the root of this vicious cycle and helps your body to relax.  

A 60-minute massage has been shown to lower cortisol – a hormone produced in response to stress levels – by 30 percent. When cortisol drops, serotonin, a key hormone that stabilizes our mood and happiness,  increases, helping to fight off pain and anxiety. This allows the muscles to relax, further reducing the discomfort. 

2. Eases Stiff Muscles & Joint Pain

pain managementA large portion of chronic pain sufferers—particularly those with back pain, arthritis, and fibromyalgia—have decreased movement and range of motion caused by sore joints and muscles. This soreness often causes a decline in physical activity, which ends up worsening the stiffness and discomfort.

Weekly massages can be used to significantly improve pain management, increase mobility, and make it easier to perform daily activities. The moderate pressure on the skin and nerves sends pain-releasing signals to the brain that help the body to relax. This allows the individual to move the affected area with greater ease, which will help to stave off joint-damaging inflammation that worsens pain and stiffness. 

3. Improves Sleep

Lingering pain can make it difficult to get a good, deep, quality sleep, therefore, the next day the body is more sensitive to pain. This leads to lower energy and concentration levels, which can make it difficult to do anything, much less find the motivation to stretch and exercise to maintain relaxed muscles and flexible joints.

It also increases the risk for numerous conditions, like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity, that make managing pain more difficult.

Massage helps to decrease pain and relax the body. This allows you to fall asleep faster and spend more time in deep sleep stages, where the most restoration takes place. In a 20 week study, fibromyalgia patients receiving one to two weekly massages reported fewer sleep disturbances and an overall improvement in their quality of life. 


If chronic pain is disrupting your life, turn to Hands-On Health Massage & Physical Therapy in High Point, NC, for relief. This wellness clinic provides a comprehensive mix of physical and massage therapy solutions. Their experienced practitioners can develop a custom pain management plan to give you back more control over your life. Call them at (336) 906-2040 to schedule an appointment, and visit their website to learn more about services and prices.

tracking