Having a regular massage following a spinal cord injury has been proven to provide a number of benefits to patients. Massage is not just about gentle stress relief, it’s a therapy that can help improve circulation, impact positively on muscle tone, improve skin elasticity, and even relieve pain.

 

Myotherapists are highly skilled in the use of massage to reduce tension and pain in the body’s muscles, ligaments, tendons and fascia. Our therapists are highly skilled in the use of additional instrumental methods in order to restore normal function to the musculoskeletal system. These can include, joint taping, dry needling, cupping, thermal therapies (the use of heat and cold) and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS).

​Remedial massage therapists on the other hand work exclusively with a variety of manipulative massage techniques to eliminate muscular tension and aid relaxation. Practitioners generally only make use of their hands, sometimes with the aid of massage oils.

 

For many SCI patients, particularly those with complete paralysis, loss of muscle tone can be a huge challenge. Connected to muscle tone is range of motion and the two tend to work together. Improving the amount that you can move may also benefit your future prognosis and your ability to recover from a spinal cord injury.

Pain reduction is another area that massage can often help with. Many individuals with spinal cord injuries suffer from chronic pain issues and research has shown that massage techniques alleviate this, improving quality of life and perception all around.

Massage is also good at improving the circulation, something that is certainly important for those suffering from spinal cord injuries. Those who are wheelchair users, for example, will find that blood flow to the legs and feet decreases and massage is able to improve this.

One overall impact of massage following a spinal cord injury is that it boosts serotonin levels and this can have a positive effect on mental health and assist in reducing depression and anxiety.

It’s not just the affected areas that massage can help with. If you are suffering from an overuse injury, massage can assist in repairing the damage and relaxing and strengthening the muscles.