I have found shiatsu a great way to provide relief from the pain of arthritis in the hands and knees. Shiatsu can:
Help reduce pain
Help to reduce swelling
Improve the range of movement
I do not promote shiatsu as a cure for arthritis. If you have damaged joints then shiatsu offers you a way of managing your arthritis.
What is Arthritis?
Shiatsu looks at the body as a flow of energy around the body. When this gets stuck or blocked the result is pain and swelling. Arthritis is a problem of energy moving in and out of the joints.
During your appointment I will try and increase the flow of energy through your whole body. Not just the joints you are having trouble with. Why?
- Because you can increase the flow to a joint by releasing a blockage elsewhere.
- Because the energy wants to go somewhere but cannot get out out of a joint.
The way that I do that is by combining pressure along energy meridians, working acupuncture points with my fingers and thumbs and with gentle opening stretches.
Gentle, Warming and Natural
You might feel cautious about letting someone work your painful joints. With shiatsu you don’t have to worry.
Shiatsu technique is very sensitive and my technique is naturally gentle. If you do feel uncomfortable then I will stop and work another way.
Previous clients have told that my hands get very hot during a treatment. These natural heat pads could produce a welcome relief from your arthritic pain.
How I Prevent Pain in My Hands
Shiatsu is a therapy that uses pressure applied through the hands, fingers and thumbs. That means I need to be careful of damaging my own joints.
To keep my hands healthy I use a set of exercises that you might find helpful. You can find them by following this link. You can use these exercises anywhere and are great for keeping the hands, wrists and fingers moving.
food supplementation with glucosamine and chondroitin helps me a lot in managing arthritis. dont forget to have regular exercise too.
glucosamine works well in the supportive treatment of arthritis. but dont forget to use other supplements that supports the join. in particular, chondroitin, niacinamide and vitamin-C
Hi I have been having a problem with my left hand for a while now. The pain appears to be between my 1st finger and my thumb running down the thumb. It is as if my bone slips out and it is painful when it goes back in again. I also having pain at the top of my right leg it sometimes travels into my back. I have had an x ray but have not had the results yet. although the nurse says it looks normal. I am sometime afraid i might fall when the pain appears? Thanks for your help. I am 58 years old and until recently have been fit.
L Carlisle: Unfortunately, I am not able to help you with diagnosis over the internet. Without talking to you in person I would not like to guess why you are getting those pains.
My advice is to first of all listen to your nurse and doctor once you have the results from the x-ray. If they are unable to help then perhaps some form of complementary therapy would be appropriate. I would be happy to help you find a good therapist in your area.