Hello, today is Tuesday. Last Friday I got a massage, and ever since then, my blood sugars are so low. I was even having some high numbers like a week before, and thought it was probably time to adjust (but didn’t do it yet). Has anyone else had this happen? It’s really weird. Sunday I couldn’t even go above 100 all day! Which has pretty much never happened!!
Sounds like a good treatment ;-).
Sold!
Well…it took all your stress away I guess! Wow… if it works…use it! Can’t hurt you! 
No not a massage but when I go for a motorcycle ride it seems to lower mine for several days after I ride. Sounds weird but… I always associated it with less stress means the insulin works better. I can see how a massage would make someone less stressed emotionally and physically.
=)
No, but I know stress sure makes my BG go up! 
I’ve had a similar experience with both acupuncture and hypnotherapy, though the effect didn’t last beyond the day of the treatment. If I have several days of chronic lows, they seem to be connected to hormones and/or exercise. So many variables to consider!
Not weird . Massage has been used to treat diabetes long before insulin was used .Dr. John Kellogg of Battle Creek use massage as the main part of his treatment of diabetic patients. Massage does for muscle the same as exercise but the effects last longer.
I am a massotherapist in Ohio ;we are trained to tell are clients who are insulin dependent to watch their insulin carefully because of the benefit of massage!
Interesting!! Yeah I went in on Friday after eating lunch, and actually went low mid-massage! I had to be like umm excuse me I need to take some glucose tablets. And it’s so weird because like I said before, I was having a bunch of HIGHS the week before!!! So I really didn’t expect to go low during massage. I’m glad I know for next time though!
I get a massage monthly and find that it does help with stabilizing blood sugars for me too and of course is totally relaxing and wonderful anyway! I’ve been type 1 the majority of my life and find massage to be one of the best treatments for me and is why I go monthly now. I’ve talked to many massage therapists about this and many have told me different things about massage and diabetes…one reason it helps is how massage therapy helps move your blood flow helping move your medication faster through your body. It also helps release toxins from the body. That is why they always tell you to drink a lot of water after a massage. There are many benefits to massage, not just for diabetics. Just remember to avoid deep tissue massage and hot stone therapy which is not recommended for diabetics. I also just started asking for myofascial release which is a form of massage and find it works really well for me because of chronic back, neck and shoulder pain I’ve had for years. Not all therapists are trained in this so you have to find someone who does. I’ve been lucky to find 2 so far. I had a chiropractor suggest myofascial release for me one time so I finally tried it a few months ago. I really like the overall effects it’s had on me so far. I always make sure to check my blood sugar right before and right after each massage to avoid getting low.
I have a 1.5 hour massage every week. Twice this week actually. I’ve gone low during the massage a few times but I can’t connect it to the massage. My therapist keeps glucose tabs on hand (the first one he ever saw was me getting sweaty and I was not able to communicate very well, hence the stash of glucose). I can’t say that I’ve noticed a significant lowering of my BG. I also have years of repetitive stress injury to work on so perhaps that interferes with the glucose reduction. I’m in pain most of the time and currently I’ve got some serious numbness and tingling in my right hand. I’ve had CTS for years and the massage is the best and most productive therapy I get. Maybe once my neck is back in whack I’ll get the low BGs. At this point, that may take years. There is absolutely no doubt that there are tons of excellent benefits derived from massage. There are worse ways to control your blood glucose. You’ll have to test this a more scientific fashion. Perhaps a series of massage sessions commencing on different days of the week to see how it affects you. You’ll need to write a grant to afford it.
Get your doctor to write a prescription and you can write it off on your taxes as treatment
Hmmmm, coool idea!!! I will have to see if that is do-able
Aw, well I hope your pain dwindles eventually. Thanks for the suggestion…and you’re right, I would need to GET a grant to afford it! It’s worth it occasionally though
Does the same to me all the time! After massages, spas, and even facials! LOL I guess because its relaxing…
Now that is a Happy Ending
hahahahahahahaha!
Two reasons why,
- Your de-stressed Stress increases blood sugar as you might know
- A Massage will keep the blood in your body moving and keep it from pooling, You may have diluted your blood and from that lowering your blood sugar.
Your #1 reason may be part of it but the main thing that haappens with massage is that before massage most the blood flows around muscles. During massage 4/5’s the blood passes into the muscles and the glucose is able to enter the muscles as well and is used as fuel much better.
Hello laurenc873:
The answer to your question, is not a prayer that a massage a week ago could still be having physiologic effects now, re your bloodsugar now (4 days later). If so, the massage was something for their textbooks. A day, 48 hours ok sure, four days later… not likely.
However the American Massage Therapy Association forums should have this answer with certainty. There were some recent studies as to the direct-causal effects of massage on diabetics which I do not have the links for (or recall too clearly) but someone there should. Their link is:
Stuart