is it true that it is bad to have your legs massage when you have rheumatism ?

Question

I am a Diabetic and I have a body massage twice a week. Is it also bad for both my legs.I often experience my whole back and both legs and arms having severe pain at night. Please help me.

Answer 1

No but brusing is possible especially if it is too hard. The book IF IT RUNS IN YOUR FAMILY: ARTHRITIS, Bantam, 1992 has a lot of information in it on the subject.

Much pain is from muscles below is an example of what may help (based on headaches).
Begin with a couple swigs of molasses or a couple of bananas (natural muscle relaxers) daily - magnesium (which regulates many things in the body) and potassium (a needed building block for muscles).
Drink at least 1/2 gallons of water per day. Running a body low on water is like running a car low on oil is the analogy the head of neurology at UCDavis told my husband about 10 years ago.

Now to the cause - muscles - your back, neck shoulders and head have tender spots. They are knots in the fibers of the muscles called trigger points. It makes the muscles tight which makes them press on nerves and other things causing the pain.

The cure - start with a professional massage, (if this does not do it you probably need a chiropractor as well) you will also want to go back over any place you can get to 6-12 times per session up to 6 times per day rubbing (or lightly scratching on your head) every where that is tender until the knots go away. The place where the skull connects to the spine press up under the edge of the skull (to get to those muscles).

For more information read The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Davies. It teaches what to do and where the pain comes from.

Answer 2

It CAN be only if the massage is too hard. If the massage is rough or feels too rough then ask him/her to ease up. Rhuematism is best treated gently.