Massage Therapy Can Help You Get Around

Let’s be honest here, the worst part about aging is all of the aches and pains. Suddenly that expression “young at heart” starts to make sense because you know someone left off the “not in the joints” part of the saying. 

Aging is especially annoying when you begin to lose your mobility. Even a minor case of arthritis can cause tremendous difficulty getting around. The good news is that medicine has come a long way and you don’t have to resign yourself to constant mobility assistance for the rest of your life. 

Massage therapy is one of the many ways you can increase your mobility. You could go to a massage therapist, but that gets really pricey because Medicare does not pay for it. 

According to Medicare, massages are still an alternate form of therapy. That’s not a big deal though because you can just buy supplies for massages to use at home. What’s nice about that is someone you know can help you out and maybe you’ll feel more comfortable. 

Proof That Massage Therapy Helps

For years, people have said massage therapy helps with mobility issues. There weren’t a lot of studies to support those claims though. Finally, scientists started looking into it and found it does, indeed, help.

The Journal of Physical Therapy Science published a study that found people who use this therapy have improved mobility in their shoulders. The participants had a mean age of over 60 years. The sample group showed improvement in flexibility and range of motion after they had massages. 

Another study, published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, found massages can help people feel less arthritis pain and improve mobility. Thirty million people suffer from osteoarthritis and it can be a debilitating disease that leaves many disabled. Medications to treat the disorder oftentimes have bad side effects, leaving people to search for alternative remedies like massage therapy. 

If you suffer from knee or lower back pain, you might also benefit from the therapy. Of course, this form of therapy also helps reduce muscle fatigue, pain, increase circulation and improve your flexibility. All of these things are critical if you’re having mobility issues. 

Massage Therapy You Can Do at Home

As we discussed above, Medicare doesn't cover massage therapy yet. That means, not everyone is going to be able to go to a therapist and as often as they'd like. The good news is that there are some self-massage techniques you can practice at home. 

If you have arthritis in your knees, you can give yourself a 20-minute massage twice a week to improve mobility and help with the pain. 

Is lower back pain preventing you from moving around the way you'd like? Try to give yourself a back massage. All you need to do is grab a tennis ball, put it between your back and a wall, then move forward, backward, up and down. When you feel a spot that is tender, apply more pressure to that area. 

For foot pain, you can grab some oil from your supplies for massages and put a bit on your foot. Then move your hands up and down, applying pressure on the sore spots. 

The same can be done for your ankles. 

If you have pain in your thighs and calves, apply a bit of oil and then use a golf ball or a tennis ball to apply pressure to the areas that are bothering you.

All of these techniques are very simple and you don't need someone to help you. If you have a spouse or a partner that wants to though, that's even better. Just make sure you are being consistent for the best results.