Doing repetitive hand, arm and shoulder movements for hours on end or throughout the day may result in repetitive stress injury. One of the most common forms of repetitive stress injury is carpal tunnel syndrome. Among the people most prone to this condition are tennis players and those who work on computers all day. The latter encompasses a large part of the work force these days. Even many of the home based professionals work mainly on computers. Fortunately massage therapy has been found to be effective in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome and other forms of repetitive stress injury. You may avail of this from a professional therapeutic massage spa in Duval County, Southside, Tinseltown, St John's Town Center and Jacksonville FL.

Repetitive stress injury is often felt as pain, burning, tingling, needles-and-pins sensations, numbness and weakness in the patient's hands and arms. In the case of carpal tunnel syndrome, tendons in the wrist are inflamed and they put pressure or entrap the meridian nerve. This results in muscle atrophy, constant pain and the loss of grip strength.

In other types of repetitive stress injury, other nerves in other parts of the hand or arm may have been impinged. For example, when the ulnar nerve in the cubital fossa of the elbow or in the ulnar canal of the wrist is impinged, the palm and the fourth and fifth finger of the hand are affected. The patient will not be able to bring the pinky and thumb together. When the radial nerve in the neck or shoulder is impinged, the back of the hand, forearm, elbow and upper arm are affected. When the scalene muscles at the neck are tightened and impinge on the brachial plexus nerves, the arms are likewise affected. The tightening of scalene muscles at the neck occurs when a person holds the head still and upright for long periods, as when working on a computer.

Prevention of carpal tunnel syndrome and other forms of repetitive stress injury can be done through proper posture, regular stretching, regular massage and the strengthening of the muscles with exercise.

The Touch Research Institute of the University of Miami School of Medicine has conducted a study showing that massage relieves the pain and improves the grip strength of patients with carpal tunnel syndrome.

The study covered sixteen patients suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome. They were randomly divided into two groups. The control group was not given any form of massage. The massage therapy group was given weekly massage sessions by a professional therapist. Participants in the massage group were also taught techniques in self massage which they were required to do every night for a month.

Tests and measurements were done on all participants before and after the four week treatment period. At the end of the treatment, patients in the massage therapy group were seen to have lower pain levels, increased grip strength, decreased nerve compression, and decreased levels of anxiety and depression.

Researchers of the study pointed out that massage therapy can likewise benefit patients with other types of repetitive stress injury. As long as there is nerve entrapment, a professionally trained massage therapist may find the exact location of the entrapment and design the necessary treatment that will relax the tense muscles in order to release the nerve.

There are many other forms of massage therapy that could relieve more than just carpal tunnel syndrome and repetitive stress injury. There is Swedish massage therapy, reflexology massage therapy, deep tissue massage therapy, sports massage therapy and also pregnancy massage therapy, each with particular benefits. You may likewise avail of these in a professional therapeutic massage spa in Duval County, Southside, Tinseltown, St John's Town Center and Jacksonville FL.