FINDING A CERTIFIED
MT
It is important to that you select your
massage therapist carefully. It’s not a good idea to just browse the Yellow
Pages. Use state licensing websites or national certification web sites to
search for a certified therapist in your area. A helpful website is www.NCBTMB.com, where you can locate a Nationally
Certified Massage Therapist in your zip code. Once you have identified a
therapist, call for an interview. Ask for credentials and extent of experience
working with fibromyalgia patients. Remember, although massage is very
beneficial, it can be a painful experience for a fibromyalgia patient if not
properly performed.
A first-rate MT will understand your daily and seasonal fibro
changes. For example, when the summer begins I sometimes experience an increase
in tender-point pain. Maybe associated with air conditioning and artificially
cold environments. Sometimes when a storm front goes through, I often have upper
neck pain and migraines. In winter, I could have a "fibro flares,"
meaning general fatigue, and overall flu-like pain with mild depression.
Generally, a good therapeutic massage will help to decrease these symptoms.
KEEP YOUR MT INFORMED.
Your goal in getting massage therapy is mainly pain relief and
mobility improvement. You need to keep your MT informed during your massage of
what is hurting, if their technique is causing pain, etc. I find that varied type of massage works best
(but I stay away from some intense types such as deep tissue massage). This
combines trigger point therapy and myofacial release techniques with relaxation
techniques—in other words, long soothing strokes with mild rocking; then when (and
IF) the muscles are warm, a deeper pressure with deeper friction strokes over
the knots to break down the fibers, release the toxins, and reduce the pain
they create. I only allow this is I can
tolerate the pressure/pain.
HOW OFTEN?
I vary the number of times each month that I visit my MT based my
symptoms and the time of year. I go more
often in the winter than in the summer and more often when I am having a fibro
flare up. My usual schedule is twice a
month, but I will increase it to every week for a short period when I need it
(I wish I had the finances available to go every week all the time!). It can be costly but the benefits have been
well worth it. Hopefully, you will get some benefit from it too!
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