How Massage Therapy Can Help Psoriatic Arthritis

By Debra Fulghum Bruce, PhD
Medically Reviewed by Ross Radusky, MD

Article: https://www.everydayhealth.com/psoriatic-arthritis/how-massage-therapy-can-help-psoriatic-arthritis/

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a serious condition that requires the attention of a medical doctor. However, used properly, complementary or integrative therapies such as massage can help relieve symptoms and alleviate discomfort caused by the disease.

Massage therapy involves manual manipulation of the soft tissues of the body — including muscles, tendons, and skin — to relieve muscle tightness, stress, or pain.

Massage therapy is one of the earliest tools people used to help a health condition or relieve pain, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Different styles of massage therapy include sports massage, clinical massage, and shiatsu, a tradition derived from Eastern cultures.

Jamie Bacharach, a licensed massage therapist and owner of Acupuncture Jerusalem in Israel, says massage can increase healthy circulation and stimulate the areas affected by psoriatic arthritis.

“Massage therapy can work away pain caused by psoriatic arthritis while relieving stress associated with the inflammatory condition,” says Bacharach. “Not only can massage therapy help to reduce inflammation caused by PsA, it can reduce stiffness and promote healthy circulation in areas that are not inflamed.”

Bacharach recommends shiatsu massage in particular for clients with psoriatic arthritis because it “has proven effective for relieving pain associated with arthritis.”

Shiatsu draws on the notion of chi, or energy that flows along meridians throughout the body. The sessions focus on relieving pain and helping the body rid itself of any toxins before they develop into illness.

“Shiatsu massage therapy targets the body as a whole with palms, thumbs, and forearms, and involves applying pressure to specific points on the body to create a healing flow of energy,” Bacharach says. “By targeting the body as a whole, rather than simply the affected areas, this massage reenergizes and enables those suffering from psoriatic arthritis to heal more quickly and completely.”

Acupressure and reflexology may also relieve symptoms of psoriatic arthritis. Both techniques are similarly based on balancing and directing energy within the body for more comprehensive healing.

If you are thinking about adding massage to your psoriatic arthritis treatment regimen, talk to your doctor first and make sure you are cleared to receive massage. Make sure the massage therapist you choose is licensed and understands psoriatic arthritis.

When getting a massage, Bacharach says communication is key to avoid aggravating the skin. Many people with psoriatic arthritis also have psoriasis, an autoimmune disease that causes itchy or sore patches of skin.

Bacharach takes a number of precautions when treating a client with psoriatic arthritis.

“The visibly inflamed areas of the skin or areas that are hot to the touch must be avoided,” she says. “Also, patients should tell their massage therapist whenever a particular movement causes discomfort or if a certain area of the skin feels uncomfortable to touch. Lastly, it’s critical to start the massage with low pressure and increase it if possible.