• Car Accidents and Massage

    Your insurance will pay for therapeutic massage therapy for up to 2 years after a car accident! We bill directly to the insurance company and you have nothing to do but heal and feel good!

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  • Pain & Massage Therapy

    Stop the pain and start living again with Massage Therapy!

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  • Benefits of Massage Therapy

    You would be surprised how much medical massage therapy can help!

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  • Medical Massage Therapist

    Over 18 years experience in Massage Therapy working on thousands of clients

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    Massage Therapy Works! Don’t take my word for it!

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OMG I have Arthritis….. What does that mean anyways?

I am constantly hearing my client’s state, with a death sentence matter of fact-ness, that their doctor has said they have arthritis. The look on clients face says it all. So many feel that arthritis means the end to a pleasure filled, activity driven life, and they have no options for treatment. This is such a sad and bleak message that so many doctors and health care professionals’ non-chalantly pass out without any explanation or thought to how this gets translated back into the minds of their patients. First off, Arthritis simply is “inflammation of one or more joints”! There are over 100 different forms of arthritis! The range and intensity of “arthritis” is incredible immense. Arthritis ranges from Ankylosing Spondylitis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Osteoarthritis, Gout to just acute swelling and pain in one’s joint. No wonder so many have this horrid feeling inside when they picture the possible disfigurement that can accompany the previously mentioned auto-immune chronic diseases. They may imagine they will end up looking like the Hunch Back of Norte Dame or something a little less drastic… But in actuality, so many that have “arthritis” have the simple acute forms that can easily be eased. In fact, the CDC states that over 50 million Americans have arthritis… that’s about 15% of the population! Almost everyone I have seen in my Massage Therapy practice in Portland has been told at one time or another, that they have arthritis. Possible treatments for simple arthritis and even some more major forms include: 1) Chiropractic, if the joint has become acutely fixated and needs some joint mobility, 2) Massage Therapy to help increase blood flow and increase range of motion, 3) Specific Exercises and Stretches at home or the gym to simply resting the affected area and applying ice and 4) Supplements such as MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane) or DMSO2 have been known to have anti-inflammatory properties. So you see, with some possible exercise, stretching, chiropractic treatment to restore joint function, massage to help increase blood flow and range of motion coupled with a supplement that can help decrease inflammation, simple arthritis is not the end of life. It might mean some changes in life style, but with some work, diligence and patience, you can get back to life….and maybe even improve it!

More information found here:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002223/

https://jaminraklmt.com/services-view/pain-symptoms-massage-therapy-help/

Written by Jamin Rak

Therapeutic Massage Therapist located in Portland, OR Specializing in: Acute and Chronic Pain including Car Accident Recovery. State of Oregon License #6827 BCMTB #2001062 Licensed since 1999. https://plus.google.com/+jaminrak

4 Comments to “OMG I have Arthritis….. What does that mean anyways?”

  1. Dan Stroup says:

    Curious about your reference to DMSO. Since it is warned against by the FDA. Being an Equine Massage Therapist and student for Clinical Massage Therapy, I have a strong interest in its use, but resist the temptation to use it, for fear of legal consequences. Do you have any reference materia. or blogs about how and when to use it properly?

    • Thank you for your question. Actually the approved supplement is MSM or DMSO2 and that is what the article is about, not DMSO. They have similar components but work on the same principle of making the cell membrane more permeable and decreasing the inflammation. The reference material that I have can be found at the bottom of my article in a hyperlink.

  2. Osteoarthritis knee says:

    How long does surgery for spinal stenosis last? Has anyone had the surgery to remove the arthritic vertebrae deposits compressing the spine, causing severe pain/numbness in legs and feet? How did it work for you? We’ve heard from several sources that the arthritis will grow back; nobody knows how long it will take. Is it worth it? How long were you out of work? Did you go completely bankrupt or just deep in debt?

  3. julianswilson says:

    How one can get relief from Ankylosing Spondylitis? What are some of the best treatment for such problems? If surgery is the solution how long it will take to recover?

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