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A good massage is good for diabetes
Ah! What could be more relaxing than a good massage? And when you have diabetes, relaxation is important because it can…
- increase blood circulation, helping with peripheral issues like numb limbs
- improve digestion, helping with blood sugar management
- decrease stress and depression, helping with motivation to make lifestyle improvements
In his nine years as a massage therapist, Jeremy Miller has seen massage help people with diabetes in many ways.
"It puts you in a healthful state of relaxation," says Miller, who works at Abbott Northwestern Hospital's Institute for Health and Healing. "Massage can be most beneficial when used along with good medical care. When a doctor refers a patient to me, I can help with some very specific things."
Doctors have referred patients to Miller for help with diabetes management issues like depression, peripheral neuropathy, weight loss and insulin administration.
What is massage therapy?
Massage is one of the most popular types of complementary medicine that doctors refer their patients to.
"Massage" refers to more than 80 kinds of therapy that involve the assessment and manipulation of the muscles and soft tissues. Therapists use their hands and fingers – and sometimes their forearms, elbows or feet – to press and rub the body. This typically relaxes the massaged areas, increasing blood and oxygen flow and decreasing pain.
Your first massage
Miller describes what to expect at your first massage therapy session.
- The therapist sits down with you to review your health history and discuss your treatment needs.
- The therapist leaves the room, allowing you time to undress privately and get onto the massage table. "It's almost like crawling into bed," says Miller. "There's a bottom sheet and a top sheet. The only part of your body that's exposed is the part being massaged."
- The therapist returns to give you a massage.
As they rub the skin, "some therapists use oils," says Miller. "But we use lotions because they absorb better into the skin, restoring skin elasticity."
Miller takes special care when working with people who have diabetes. He says he tries to be especially gentle if they have neuropathy.
Miller also tries to watch for skin issues that the patient might not be aware of. "If I notice an ulcer on the foot, I ask my patient if he or she knows about it," he says. "If not, I encourage them to get it checked out."
Finding a massage therapist
If you would like to try massage therapy, talk with your doctor to find out if it is right for you.
"At best, massage is an addition to good medical care," reminds Miller.
You may find a massage therapist in these ways:
Dialog home page
Massage therapy
Complementary & Alternative Medicine Stressed out? Tense-and-release relaxation can help you cope
Source: Jeremy Miller, massage therapist (Nationally Certified for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork), Institute for Health and Healing, Abbott Northwestern Hospital; National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine; T. Field, M. Hernandez-Reif, M. Diego, S. Schanberg, C. Kuhn C, Cortisol decreases and serotonin and dopamine increase following massage therapy, International Journal of Neuroscience, Oct. 2005; C.A. Moyer, J. Rounds, J.W. Hannum, A meta-analysis of massage therapy research, Psychological Bulletin, Jan. 2004; W.Jeanette Ezzo, Thomas Donner, Diane Nickols, Mary Cox, Is Massage Useful in the Management of Diabetes? A Systematic Review, Diabetes Spectrum, Oct 2001
First published: 10/16/2006
Last updated: 10/25/2006
Reviewed by: Mary Frederick, RN, diabetes program manager, Allina Medical Clinic; Paul Kleeberg, MD, medical director, Allina.com
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