Photo by Sharon Pittaway on Unsplash

It’s estimated that over 23.5 million people suffer from over 80 autoimmune diseases, and that over 75% of those people are women.

Some of the common autoimmune diseases are: Crohn’s disease, autoimmune hepatitis, sarcoidosis, lupus, Grave’s disease, multiple sclerosis, celiac, psoriasis, Raynaud’s, and rheumatoid arthritis.

The immune system defends against infection and invasion. With an autoimmune disease, the immune system mistakes the body’s cells and parts as foreign and launches an attack. Some areas that are victims of that attack can be the central nervous system, the skin, the digestive tract, and other localized areas of the body.

There are debates in the medical and scientific communities about the causes of autoimmune disorders, but one symptom is common in that inquiry.  All autoimmune diseases cause inflammation.

Recent studies of these disorders suggest that there are clear benefits from massage therapy for people living with inflammation caused by diabetes, dermatitis, multiple sclerosis and lupus.

Often, rather than deeper massage, gentle area specific massage techniques are applied, which is reported to offer the most benefit.

If a client presents with an autoimmune disease diagnosis, the session begins with a confidential health history which, along with the client’s preferences, informs the session plan to optimize the most benefit for the client.

People can feel let down or betrayed by their body, when living with an autoimmune disease.  Massage therapy can help you to reconnect with your body in a positive and hopeful way.