Will Massage help a Client with Mitochondrial Disease?

 

What is Mitochondrial Disease?

Mitochondrial diseases result from failures of the mitochondria, specialized compartments present in every cell of the body except red blood cells. Mitochondria are responsible for creating more than 90% of the energy needed by the body to sustain life and support growth. When they fail, less and less energy is generated within the cell. Cell injury and even cell death follow. If this process is repeated throughout the body, whole systems begin to fail, and the life of the person in whom this is happening is severely compromised. The disease primarily affects children, but adult onset is becoming more and more common.

From the United Mitochodrial Disease Foundation

Commonly Affected Systems in Mitochondrial Disorders  

Each of our cells contains, on average, 500 to 2,000 little "factories" called mitochondria that are responsible for supplying our energy needs. When the mitochondria aren't working properly, the effects are particularly apparent in parts of the body with high energy requirements, such as the nervous system, skeletal muscles and heart.  

From the Mitochondrial Research Society 

Does Massage help a client with Mitochodrial Disease?

Massage therapy is commonly used during physical rehabilitation of skeletal muscle to ameliorate pain and promote recovery from injury. Although there is evidence that massage may relieve pain in injured muscle, how massage affects cellular function remains unknown. 

From Pro Health