Massage Therapy Patient Views

I have used Acupuncture for cramps and muscle spasm, found this really effective • Ice and heat therapy for spasm, only works for a short period of time • Symbyx biome laser is a work in progress, getting amazing reviews • To date I think it has helped improve my sleep and anxiety • Massage, remedial, very beneficial if used regularly for pain and cramping • Botox worked like a dream on my hyperextended cramp of my big toe • I have had this done twice so far • Meditation has been great for learning how to relax, helpful with agitation and sleep

Massage has greatly improved my stiff neck and cramped toes which I believe are related to my PD. Unfortunately, it is not cheap and insurance does not reimburse costs for this. Have you tried massage and if so, has it helped your stiffness and/or cramping?

In this column, Sherri Woodbridge shares research that backs up what you can also feel: massage therapy may help alleviate Parkinson’s symptoms. Do you get regular massages? Do you find them helpful?

I get massage therapy three to four times a month. My massage therapist is wonderful (and comparatively inexpensive), and I’d love to go more often if I could afford it. She doesn’t fully understand rigidity, so she’s often giving me advice that would be more appropriate for a “normal” (non-PD) person. Insurance in my state rarely covers massage therapy, and mine doesn’t at all. It partially covers speech therapy, OT, and PT, but not massage therapy. In terms of massage helping rigidity, it does … a little … but it’s not long-lasting. It would probably help more if I could go every day. Unfortunately, it doesn’t help with muscle cramping or spasms. That said, it feels really good and is soooo relaxing, and that alone is worth it.

A columnist wrote in her column about the benefits of Massage Therapy for PD symptoms. I try to get at least one massage treatment in per week, 2 if I can afford it. I find it has helped a lot with my stiffness and rigidity symptoms as I mentioned in my column. Plus it is great “me” time. Before PD onset, when I was an athlete, I valued massage as an excellent treatment for recovery from hard workouts. Do you use massage to help with any of your PD symptoms? If so, which ones and how often do you get a massage?

It’s helped with this and multiple issues, including slight walking issues. He also does more direct massage style/muscle interaction treatments as well (though I don’t recall anything direct on the foot, may have been addressed in the hip flexors/coccyx).

I have found massage to be very helpful to relieve the stiffness in my neck. However, my insurance does not cover it. Have you tried massage? If so, has it helped PD induced stiffness? Does your insurance cover it?

I get something similar but it's a combination of dystonia and radiation fibrosis syndrome.

I've been using deep tissue massage to relieve the effected part of my throat, neck, shoulder.

Don't think this will be of any help, but if all else fails ya never know.

I've always thought that with 2 days a week of physical therapy a week to work on balance and strength and 1 message therapy a week to help loosen muscles and reduce anxiety, how much better of we'd all be....

As a former athlete, the patient has always recognized the value of massage therapy. Since PD diagnosis, the patient has been getting once, sometimes 2 massages per week and the patient has no more stiffness (the patient was starting to get a stiff neck with limited range of motion). Although medicare does not cover it, the patient's doctor wrote a letter saying massage was medically therapeutic for the patient's PD and the patient's accountant said the patient could deduct the cost of the massages. We shall see how that works… Even if the patient cannot deduct the massage costs, it is money well spent for the patient.