Autoimmune Diseases

1. Get a flu vaccination. …
2. Eat a healthy diet. …
3. Get active. …
4. Lower your stress level. …
5. Get plenty of sleep. …
6. Maintain a healthy weight. …
7. Quit smoking. …
8. Spend time outdoors.

Your body’s immune system protects you from disease and infection. But if you have an autoimmune disease, your immune system attacks healthy cells in your body by mistake. Autoimmune diseases can affect many parts of the body.

No one is sure what causes autoimmune diseases. They do tend to run in families. Women – particularly African American, Hispanic American, and Native American women – have a higher risk for some autoimmune diseases.

There are more than 80 types of autoimmune diseases, and some have similar symptoms. This makes it hard for your health care provider to know if you really have one of these diseases, and if so, which one. Getting a diagnosis can be frustrating and stressful. Often, the first symptoms are fatigue, muscle aches, and a low fever. The classic sign of an autoimmune disease is inflammation, which can cause redness, heat, pain, and swelling.

The diseases may also have flare-ups when they get worse, and remissions, when symptoms get better or disappear. Treatment depends on the disease, but in most cases, one important goal is to reduce inflammation. Sometimes doctors prescribe corticosteroids or other drugs that reduce your immune response.

Collectively, these diseases affect more than 24 million people in the United States. An additional eight million people have auto-antibodies, blood molecules that indicate a person’s chance of developing an autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases are affecting more people for reasons unknown. Likewise, the causes of these diseases remain a mystery.

Studies indicate these diseases likely result from interactions between genetic and environmental factors. Gender, race, and ethnicity characteristics are linked to the likelihood of developing an autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases are more common when people are in contact with certain environmental exposures.

• Sunlight associated with autoimmune disease – This NIEHS study suggests exposure to ultraviolet radiation from sunlight may be connected to the development of juvenile dermatomyositis, an autoimmune disease associated with muscle weakness and skin rashes.
• Childhood poverty linked to rheumatoid arthritis in adulthood – NIEHS researchers discovered a link between lower socioeconomic status in childhood and rheumatoid arthritis in adulthood. The effect of lower childhood socioeconomic status and lower adult education level equaled the combined effect of having both a paternal and personal history of smoking.
• Agricultural chemicals and rheumatoid arthritis – Researchers at NIEHS found that exposure to some pesticides may play a role in the development of rheumatoid arthritis in male farmworkers.
• Organic mercury may trigger autoimmune disease – In a study funded by NIEHS, methylmercury, even at exposure levels generally considered safe, may be linked to the development of autoimmune antibodies in women of reproductive age. These antibodies could lead in turn to autoimmune diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis.
• Genetic factors in autoimmune muscle disease – NIEHS researchers identified the primary genetic risk factors associated with autoimmune muscle disease in Caucasian populations in Europe and the United States.
• Gene-environment interaction in rheumatoid arthritis – A study funded by NIEHS pinpointed the mechanics of a gene-environment interaction that could explain why the genetic risk for rheumatoid arthritis is amplified by environmental pollutants like cigarette smoke.
• Role of nutrition in the development of the autoimmune disease – NIEHS-funded research indicates that vitamin D may be important for preventing immune dysfunction in older populations. Another study funded by NIEHS found that dietary micronutrients could either improve or worsen lupus symptoms

Benefits of Massage for Autoimmune Diseases

For people with autoimmune diseases, Dr. Blazek-O’Neill says the most common outcomes of massage therapy are decreased stress, improved sleep, and decreased pain symptoms.

Massage and Autoimmune Disease

A massage therapist needs to be mindful of the waxing-and-waning effects within a client’s body in accordance with any autoimmune condition. Generally, full-body circulatory massage is not recommended, as this circulates white blood cells more rapidly, thereby increasing their efficiency. This greater efficiency can exacerbate the client’s condition.

The following is a list of recommendations regarding massage therapy for an autoimmune disease to alleviate body systems, yet not increase circulation significantly:

1. Abdominal massage to affect organs will greatly improve organ efficiency. A form of abdominal massage called Chi Nei Tsang, presented in many Chinese-medicine-related programs, can be a welcome addition to one’s practice in this regard.
2. Stretching allows a client to receive myofascial benefits with minimal circulatory impact. Great stress relief comes from longer myofascial tissue.
3. Myofascial release is a gentle means of freeing restrictions within the myofascial network of the body. This approach may be more easily received by a client, especially during flare-ups.
4. Thai massage and shiatsu are practices that combine stretching with focused intention upon certain muscle regions and musculotendon pathways. These modalities can easily be more or less intense depending on the client’s state on any given date.

Final considerations involve procedures with treatment planning. Be flexible with session timing, for example. Sessions may need to be shorter in duration and may need to be skipped when a client is having flare-ups.

more info at:

https://www.aarda.org/diseaselist/

https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/autoimmune-diseases

https://www.massagemag.com/autoimmune-disease-breakdown-self-tolerance-44558/