How Is Massage Therapy Beneficial For Diabetics?
Getting a professional body massage is the perfect way to loosen up tight muscles and make you feel calm and relaxed. While many people get a massage to help relieve stress after a long work week, massage therapy also has many medical benefits. Patients who have diabetes often get substantial relief for their symptoms by having regular massage therapy sessions. These are some ways that massage therapy is beneficial to diabetics.
Stress Reduction
Stress is one of the most commons triggers for a rise in blood sugar levels. As a person's stress level increases, so do the levels of stress hormones that circulate through the body. Higher stress hormone levels can wreak havoc on the blood sugar levels.
Massage therapy can substantially reduce the amount of stress a person feels and help lower blood glucose levels. The more relaxed a person is, the lower the amount of stress hormones that are in the body, which results in blood sugar levels that are better under control.
Improved Circulation
Diabetes is extremely dangerous for the circulatory system. Over time, continuous high blood sugar levels can cause the arteries to harden. This prevents the blood from circulating through the body properly. Poor circulation leads to numerous problems, such as the inability to fight off infections and slow healing times for wounds.
Fortunately, therapeutic massage helps improve the circulation of the blood. When regular treatments are given, blood circulates properly and this helps diabetics avoid hardening of the arteries and makes fighting off infections easier.
Pain Relief in Muscles and Tissues
Diabetes also causes the tissues around muscles and tendons to become thicker. This leads to pain and stiffness that may also make mobility more difficult. The manipulations that are done during massage therapy loosens up muscles, tendons and other tissues in the body. This relieves pain and stiffness and helps improve mobility.
Relief for Diabetic Neuropathy
Many diabetics suffer from diabetic neuropathy. There are many different symptoms of this condition, but some of the most common include muscles weakness, constant tingling in the hands or feet, stinging, burning pain in different areas of the body and trouble staying balanced. By stimulating circulation and reducing stress hormones, massage therapy can relieve many of the symptoms of diabetic neuropathy.
While a proper diet, regular exercise and taking prescribed medications should always be continued for diabetes, adding massage therapy as a part of your treatment plan can greatly improve how you feel. Therapeutic massage can make managing your diabetes easier while also making you feel much better both mentally and physically. For more information, contact a professional like those at Excellence In Health Chiropractic & Rehab Clinic.