A diabetes diagnosis will change your life. Your daily habits and diet will change, and you’ll have to adapt to carrying around blood sugar meters and insulin. Fighting diabetes through diet and exercise are, of course, essential, but there are other treatments that can help you manage your condition and get more out of life. Massage therapy has helped patients time and time again with both minor and major diabetes symptoms. It helps your entire body reduce blood sugar, and it can help you keep full feeling and function in your extremities.
Massage Helps a Number of Key Systems
Diabetes essentially limits your body’s ability to perform basic functions, such as absorbing nutrients and oxygen. Massage is great for circulation, which helps your entire body function the way it is supposed to. However, this is hardly the only system improved through massage. The lymph system is hindered as much by diabetes as your cardiovascular system, and massage can help it recover more functionality. Since a blocked or sluggish lymph system adds to discomfort and fatigue, it’s crucial to give it the support it needs during your fight with diabetes.
Many patients face issues when combating their condition through exercise. This is often due to increased joint and muscle pain. Both stress and diabetes affect the fascia, the connective tissue attached to muscles. The same issues impact your muscles and ligaments. When the fascia thickens and stiffens, it creates a stiff, sore sensation that makes it difficult to move. The effects are often worse around joints and can be incredibly painful. Massage not only helps you relax, it also works to loosen the fascia itself. The same technique helps your muscles, ligaments, and other connective tissues. Once patients are able to move more easily, they can reap the benefits of a greater range of treatments and lifestyle adjustments.
Hardening Arteries and Necrotic Tissue
Massage therapy doesn’t just give your body a general boost. When it comes to diabetes, massage therapy makes a huge difference in some of the most painful and dangerous symptoms. As we mentioned above, massage therapy helps the cardiovascular system. Elevated blood sugar makes it difficult for your cells to get the oxygen and nutrients they need. This leads to hardening arteries and the slow death of your extremities, also known as necrosis. Both these issues stem from the lack of oxygen and insulin. Massage therapy helps your body relax, which helps cells absorb nutrients more efficiently. Whole body treatment is great, but for these particular benefits, therapy focused on the hands and feet is the most effective.
Traditional treatment for diabetes often causes a lot of discomforts due to the need for testing and insulin injections. Moreover, you lose access to a lot of your favorite comfort foods. It also forces you to push yourself much harder to get into shape. Massage therapy is by far the most pleasant treatment for diabetes. It helps you feel better, from your head to your toes. Schedule a massage therapy session and live your life with fewer complications.
