Although the pain and inflammation of arthritis can generally be helped with massage therapy, various types of bodywork can actually hurt someone with avascular necrosis, a serious condition that can lead to arthritis.

by Nicole Cutler, L.Ac.

As a general rule, people with arthritis reap many benefits from skillfully applied massage therapy sessions. Because it can improve joint movement, relax tense muscles and stimulate the flow of blood and nutrients to the skin and underlying tissues, massage therapy is a top consumer choice for managing arthritis pain. However, localized bodywork could be risky for those suffering from avascular necrosis, a disease involving loss of blood supply to the bone that causes sections of the bone to die. When this disease targets the end of bones at a joint, the joint can collapse and cause arthritis.

Since avascular necrosis contraindicates some types of massage AND it can lead to arthritis, practitioners must consider this condition a red flag. Instead of assuming that all sources of arthritis could benefit from an invigorating massage routine, massage therapists must be familiar with this pathology to avoid accidentally causing harm to their client.

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