Massage for Vasculitis
Massage For Vasculitis
Massage for vasculitis? My fundamental approach to Pain Manage Massage is to use the sum of my knowledge and experience to help people manage their pain, and make the most of their days. I am passionate about what I do, because I know how it feels to hurt in significant and ongoing ways. As someone with a chronic, incurable cancer, I know how important it is to receive a reprieve from the misery and grief.
Whether you are suffering with vasculitis or another challenging illness, I will always offer you kindness, a keen eye, and my undivided attention. As my client it is my goal to inspire your soul, help you feel wonderful , and offer you inspiration that reminds you why life is bright and delightful.
Why have I written an article about vasculitis? A significant component of pain management massage is research, I want to know more about the illnesses my clients face so I may be of greater value to them. When I encounter an illness I have never interacted with I research it.
What is vasculitis and why have I researched this illness? Vasculitis is a group of over twenty autoimmune diseases that cause inflammation of the blood vessels. For the purpose of this article we will be focusing on two types of vasculitis: microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) and granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (GPA).
What is an autoimmune disease? People with autoimmune diseases are attacked by the very cells who are supposed to be protecting them. Imunoglobulin (antibodies) mistake and attack cells of the skin, joints, glands, thyroid and even the myelin sheath believing it be a foreign substances.
- Skin: alopecia areata, vitiligo, and psoriasis.
- Joints: rheumatoid arthritis
- Glands: Sjögren’s disease
- Thyroid: Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
- Myelin: multiple sclerosis
How does vasculitis cause harm? In vasculitis, immunoglobulin primarily attacks endothelial cells lining blood vessels, however in many cases they also target neutrophils (a type of granulocyte). This results in blood vessel damage, which causes inflammation, and can cause these vessels to become weak, narrowed or scared, which increases the difficulty for blood to reach organs and tissues. [4]
Quality of Life: Massage for Vasculitis
When people think about serious illnesses, they often imagine worn, emaciated, and sickly people. It can be challenging to fathom how someone can look healthy but is being ravaged and tortured by a disease from within. It can be exceptionally difficult for people with these invisible diseases because when they look in the mirror, they see the same person they were before their diagnosis.
People with vasculitis often have an invisible disease. They may appear normal and healthy on the outside, but beneath their skin is a battlefield war-torn by traitorous warrior cells. They are often rife with pain, weakness, and extreme fatigue. The loss of their vitality and the diagnosis of vasculitis may bring about feelings of sadness and anxiety. These two emotions often magnify their perception of pain, causing their life to feel like a continuously rolling and growing snowball of discomfort.
The use of pain management massage is to uplift and inspire. I want to remind you that life can be bright and brilliant no matter how much you suffer from day to night. There is always hope because hope isn’t surviving. Hope is making the most of your moments and celebrating your seconds with the people you love and cherish. It is taking the time to savor the sweetness of life, to know there will always be delightfulness, and if you take the time to breathe, you can find some peace and ease.
Massage is a wonderful way to dive into the greatness of being alive. It can provide a break from the hardships of the day to remind you that you can feel wonderful in magnificent ways. The value of massage for those who have vasculitis is it can help you improve your quality of life. It can help reduce your anxiety and stress so you can receive some much-needed rest.
The pain we experience in life arrives at our doorstep from many directions. Not all pain is born from tissue damage and disease. When you have been afflicted with something you can do nothing about, you cannot run from, and it transforms the way others see you, it can create and intensify pain. These factors are the psycho and social elements of the biopsychosocial model of pain.
When I was navigating the most challenging avenues of my cancer journey, the pain was terrible, but the social and emotional ramifications of the experience made the pain so much more comprehensive. The looming and permeating entropy caused by the fallout of the cancer, my pneumonectomy, and the chemotherapy caused me to feel alone without any safe spaces to express myself. When you are in this state, you feel bad about feeling bad. You want to be angry but don’t want to be angry toward the people you love, yet the anger needs to go somewhere.
Holding onto this anger without finding a productive way to dispose of it may cause your loved ones to experience hurt feelings. They want to help you, but they don’t know how because you don’t even know how to help yourself. It’s like existing in a perpetual maze of confusion, frustration, and pain.
You can and will find your way out of this trap. I found my way out by attending a cancer support group. At the most important meeting I ever attended, an old man gave me some powerful advice. I was talking about how horrible my life was. I was spitting angry because I was in so much pain, I felt so weak, and I was convinced the cancer had stolen my life away. After expressing my troubled feelings, I censored myself, saying, “I shouldn’t be angry. I should be grateful and thankful. I am alive, and I’m just paying my dues. Sorry for all that.” The old man spoke with dire sternness, saying. “No! You should be angry. If you are angry, be angry! This is the place for it.”
His advice was nuanced; he understood that beyond the walls of the support group, no one could understand. The purpose of the support group is to get all of that crap out of your heart, so you can be present with the people you love. Everyone in that room was in some state of dying, pain, and suffering. Not only did they understand my plight, they were removed from my life. I could open up to them about things that scared me that I couldn’t share with anyone else. This helped me process things without causing worry and concern in the hearts and minds of the people I loved and wanted to protect.
I mention this story to remind you that if you feel angry, alone, and lost, there are support groups for your illness. There are people you can speak to who can provide a safe space for you to let go of your hurt. They can help you reclaim your day so you can savor every moment you spend with the people you love, adore, and cherish.
If you have vasculitis, visit the Vasculitis Foundation website to find a support group to help you rediscover hope, reclaim your joy, and remind you why life is bright and delightful.
The main types of vasculitis:
- Microscopic polyangiitis (MPA):
- Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (GPA):
Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (GPA)
Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (GPA), formerly known as Wegener’s granulomatosis, is a rare autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in blood vessels. Research indicates only 243-160 people have granulomatosis with polyangiitis per 1,000,000. [1] It is most common in middle-aged adults of northern European descent. It is rare in children. In most cases, the exact cause is not known, but it is an autoimmune disorder. [3] It is characterized by necrotizing granulomatous inflammation and vasculitis, often involving small to medium-sized vessels.
Typically GPA affects the sinuses, lungs, and kidneys, with symptoms including nosebleeds, sinus issues, and kidney dysfunction. Standard treatments, as outlined by medical guidelines such as those from the American College of Rheumatology, depends on the organs involved, disease severity and a person’s overall health and may include steroid, disease modifying rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), chemotherapy, or biologic based treatment as determined by their rheumatology healthcare provider. [2] While there’s no cure, treatments typically involve medications like corticosteroids and immunosuppressants. Massage therapy isn’t a standard treatment for GPA, but it may offer supportive benefits.
Side Effects of Common Medicines for vasculitis include:
- Rituximab (Rituxan): infusion-related reactions, infections (fevers, chills), body aches, tiredness, nausea. [14]
- Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan): nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, loss of appetite, sweating, weakness, headaches, hair loss. [15]
- Methotrexate: Black, tarry stools, bleeding gums, blood in the urine or stools, bloody vomit, diarrhea, increased heartbeat, itching, rash, reddening of the skin, joint pain, nausea, pinpoint red spots on the skin, sores in the mouth or lips, stomach pain, swelling of the eyelids, face, lips, hands, feet, or lower legs, swelling or inflammation of the mouth, trouble breathing, unusual bleeding or bruising, vomiting, yellow eyes or skin. [16]
- Azathioprine (Imuran)
- Mycophenolate (Cellcept or Myfortic)
Medicines for GPA
- Medicines to prevent bone loss caused by prednisone
- Folic acid or folinic acid, if they are taking methotrexate
- Antibiotics to prevent lung infections
Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis Symptoms:
- Nasal congestion
- Frequent nosebleeds
- Shortness of breath
- Coughing up bloody phlegm
- Joint pain
- Decreased hearing
- Skin rashes
- Eye redness or vision changes
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Loss of appetite and weight
- Night sweats
- Numbness or loss of movement in fingers, toes, or limbs
Citations
[1] Springer, J. M., Kermani, T. A., Sreih, A., Shaw, D. G., Young, K., Burroughs, C. M., & Merkel, P. A. (2020). Clinical characteristics of an internet-based cohort of patient-reported diagnosis of granulomatosis with polyangiitis and microscopic polyangiitis: Observational study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 22(7), e17231. https://doi.org/10.2196/17231
[2] American College of Rheumatology. (n.d.). Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener’s). Rheumatology.org. https://rheumatology.org/patients/granulomatosis-with-polyangiitis-wegeners
[3] Penn Medicine. (n.d.). Granulomatosis with polyangiitis. https://www.pennmedicine.org/for-patients-and-visitors/patient-information/conditions-treated-a-to-z/granulomatosis-with-polyangiitis
[4] American Kidney Fund. (n.d.). Vasculitis and kidney disease. https://www.kidneyfund.org/all-about-kidneys/other-kidney-diseases/vasculitis-and-kidney-disease
[5] National Cancer Institute. (n.d.). Neutrophil. In NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/neutrophil
[6] National Cancer Institute. (n.d.). Eosinophil. In NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/eosinophil
[7] National Cancer Institute. (n.d.). Basophil. In NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/basophil
[8] Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Thymus. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/23016-thymus
[9] National Cancer Institute. (n.d.). Macrophage. In NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/macrophage
[10] National Cancer Institute. (n.d.). Dendritic cell. In NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/dendritic-cell
[11] National Cancer Institute. (n.d.). Lymphocyte. In NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/lymphocyte
[12] Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Granulocytes. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/22016-granulocytes
[13] National Cancer Institute. (n.d.). Monocyte. In NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/monocyte
[14] Genentech, Inc. (n.d.). Rituxan (rituximab): Side effects in RA treatment. https://www.rituxan.com/ra/treatment/side-effects.html
[15] Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. (n.d.). Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan). https://www.chp.edu/our-services/transplant/liver/education/medications/cyclophosphamide-cytoxan
[16] Mayo Clinic. (n.d.). Methotrexate (oral route): Description. https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/methotrexate-oral-route/description/drg-20084837
