Massage therapy, accupuncture, reflexology etc for pain management - a waste of money or does it help?

[Stonecoldhandswarmheart]

Over the last 8 years things have been a bit tough going.

I have been very stressed - it started with my ds, he had years of school refusal and I helped him every day through his meltdowns (I still believe he has asd but his GP said no), he is now doing ok at 20 but he is still a worry and I will probably never stop worrying about him but those secondary school years were really tough. During this time my mum (I am very close to her) was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and then breast cancer. Dad went to pieces so I stepped up to help, one month of my helping became one year and now we are 8 years down the line. Mum is in the more advanced stages of her dementia, she will soon be going into a care home and the thought of that is breaking us all, so the stress continues.

Also during this time I have been in full perimenopause, the symptoms seem to be getting worse and worse. In 2023, at the age of 50 I discovered I actually have endometriosis, adenomyosis and pelvic congestion syndrome. I had requested a MRI due to a failed ablation which leaves me in a huge amount of pain every period, this is how the endo/adeno was discovered. I am now on a long waiting list for a hysterectomy.

I am in a lot of pain from either my failed ablation/edneomtriosis/adenomyosis, or headaches from my perimenopause, or from the stress of everything currently in my life. I tend to hold all of my stress in my head, neck, jaw, shoulders, back and torso. I have constant 'coat hanger' type pain, tmj disorder and tinnitus which gets worse the more I clench my jaws (it is also affecting my dental health as I end up breaking down my teeth ffs!). I also have a long history of gut issues so often have digestive pain. I try to exercise, listen to the Calm app every day etc but nothing I do really helps.

I do take pain killers but they affect my gut issues so I have to be careful and only take them when the pain is at it's worse. I have tried endless antidepressants but just can not get on with them and I have tried various HRT methods and endo meds but they have all made the pelvic pain worse. I am hoping to go onto oestrogen only after my hysterectomy.

I am now wondering if massage therapy might give me some relief? I have limited funds as I don't work much due to my issues so am loathe to throw money at something which may not help but as I am getting desperate and have some Christmas money put to one side I am wondering if a regular deep massage or something similar may give me some temporary and much needed relief?

Has anyone found alternative therapies help them with pain or discomfort?

Hi, OP, sorry to hear that you’re struggling a fair bit. I have painful inflammatory arthritis, gut issues and back pain. I’ve also had a hysterectomy and I’m on oestrogen-only HRT.

I’ve actually been on an NHS Pain Management Programme, and while it wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea - there were ten of us in the group and I’d say 6/10 really benefited - for me the highlights were Mindfulness sessions and Tai Chi gentle movement lessons.

Also we all had individual therapy/counselling as well as some group discussions. I like engaging with people in a similar situation - it made me feel less alone in my misery iykwim. (I was referred to the Pain Management Programme by my GP.)

I do use painkillers but have the same gut issues! I eat low FODMAP and I’m very careful to ensure enough fibre and protein intake. And I avoid Naproxen.

Life ticks along, but I’ve always been very tempted to try acupuncture tbh to see if I could get a bit more energy …

Sorry to hear you're having such a hard time, I know several people who have had a lot of relief from tension headaches and migraines, sciatica amd all sorts of conditions with massage. Try and find somebody who is level 5 sports massage trained rather than a more 'beauty' type massage.
I hope you find something to help!

I would look into osteopathy. I hold similar tension in my lower back/pelvis and seeing an osteopath makes a huge difference. I needed an initial 2-3 appointments, but now I see her usually once a year for an adjustment and am generally pain free. They can also advise on stretching and strengthening exercises that will help.

For gut issues, look into hypnotherapy. I don’t mean like an app or a YouTube video, but a handful of sessions with a proper hypnotherapist who has a background in treating IBS/gut issues.

Massage by a qualified aromatherapist has been shown to be beneficial, particularly for palliative care patients and patients with stress related painful conditions. I participated in studies years ago and trained as a massage therapist at the time.
I have personally had dry needling acupuncture for sciatica from a doctor trained in Beijing. It was very effective and he taught me exercises to do once the pain improved. The needles are placed along the nerve pathway and an electrical pulse is added.
It hurts but over the course of treatments it works. CHECK the qualifications and insurance of practitioners.

Thank you. I have never been referred for pain management I always assumed it was for back pain etc (although I do have disc degeneration but have done little about it tbh). My son's gf has just been referred due to to her adenomyosis, I will ask my GP and see if it's a possibility for me to be referred.

I have read so many great things about acupuncture but have been nervous to try as all the practises I have contacted charge around £60 per session, I think I'd need quite a few and it would add up quickly.

Thanks, I will make sure I do that.

I have often wondered about seeing an osteopath, I have some disc degeneration in my lower back and would like some advice on managing it into older age, if they could help with my pain too that would be a bonus.

I've done all of that, spent a small fortune in the past on hypnotherapy sessions but sadly it has done nothing for my IBS although I do still use it every night to help with my sleep as I find it quite relaxing at the time.

In all honesty I don't believe that I even have IBS, I think the endometriosis and adenomyosis contribute to most of my digestive woes.

Thank you. I know there is a Chinese practitioner near me who does have good reviews, I will check out his qualifications and see how much he charges.

I have had lymphatic drainage massages for IBS which was great, and very relaxing for the whole body. I have found reflexology to also be helpful in terms of mood and general wellbeing and helped with pain but only short term.

i have also had acupuncture for back pain and migraines which I found to be extremely effective. Both done by physiotherapists through health insurance though so I don’t know how much it would cost.

I am under a neurologist for migraines and he said many of his patients are peri age, as they Adan really be made worse by the fluctuating hormones. there are lots of effective treatments for migraines but you do have to have tried three preventative medicines before you can see a neurologist. I have Botox now which has been life changing for my migraines but there is a massive waiting list.

I tried acupuncture but it did nothing for me. I suspect with the more fringe therapies you need to believe in them.
I tend to hold all of my stress in my head, neck, jaw, shoulders, back and torso
This sounds like you might benefit from massage as it might relieve the stress "clenching" that triggers all those.

I have MS and find that reflexology really helps. I also find it really relaxing as well. So even if it doesn’t help, it’s worth it for that.

In reply to a PP, you don't have to believe in order for alternative and complementary therapies to work. I had life threatening allergies that were cured by homeopathy. At the time I began it, I didn't believe it would work as I had tried so many things that didn't work, but I felt obliged to try it due to a friend recommending it to me. Plus of course homeopathy and other 'fringe' therapies often make you feel worse before you feel better, which is a pain in the arse I can do without and is the opposite to the placebo effect. Plus of course many of these therapies are used successfully on tiny infants and animals, for which the placebo effect is irrelevant.

I suspect a lot will be whats good for one is not for another. I was under the nhs pain team and was given acupuncture which didn't help (but was surprisingly relaxing), pain team suggestions of meditation etc didn't help.
Two things that have helped me are paceing (I have CFS and so was taught how to basically stop life then slowly add in till I knew I was at my max) and massage by a trained physio (they dont mind if they hurt you because they know it will improve in the long run) totally different to a beauty massage.

My dentist has suggested botox in my jaw for my tmj disorder but it's so expensive but I do often think my headaches stem from my TMJ and bruxism.

I remember both my mum and MIL suffering terribly with headaches when they were both going through peri/menopause.

I think so too. Reluctantly dh will sometimes massage my head and neck for me and the relief is immediate, it feels wonderful.

I just need to find someone who does it for a living and will not grow bored of it in 5 mins as dh does!

Agree with PP - I can definitely recommend massage from a sports therapist / physio as it targets the specific areas rather than a general spa-type treatment

I’m currently having acupuncture through my work insurance for a frozen shoulder caused by a pinched nerve in my neck, and it is much more holistic (as in, it targets the Whole Me rather than just the tension in my shoulder) It definitely helps but it wipes me out for a good hour afterwards, and I feel a bit out of whack for a few days - I guess it’s the whole ‘rebalancing’ thing

You haven’t mentioned work, so do you have access to any private healthcare? You may find you can get a cheap-ish policy (check Martin Lewis’ MSE for ideas) as they often give access to physio and pain relief even with pre-existing conditions.

Final suggestion - ask anonymously on a local FB group for recommendations - you want to find someone you can relax with

My DM has acupuncture and found it really helped. It was temporary but she went a few times. A lot of the adult pain guidelines are geared towards trying lots of atternative therapies rather than medication so I would try anything that’s offered. Massage sounds like it would be good.