Type 1 Diabetes, massage therapy and BG levels

[Bluemarine Josephine]

Good morning my beautiful friends!
I hope that you are very well today and that your bg levels are on point!!

About a month ago, I booked an appointment for a deep tissue (Swedish) massage session. I used to have massage sessions regularly when I was still practicing ballet (as it helps with sore muscles through the manipulation of the body’s soft tissues) but, since my diabetes diagnosis and since I entered the basal/bolus scheme, I stopped ballet practice and massage.

So there I am, in a beautiful and safe bg level of 8.5 ready for my massage session. I had not overbolused and did not have any substantial activity. The session lasted for an hour and a half. I was monitoring throughout with my Freestyle Libre. By the time I finished, an hour and a half later, my bg was at 5.4. I walked for 10 minutes to the parking and got in the car with a 4.8 (obviously I treated in order to drive).

On the next day, I followed my ratios to carbs correctly and was not active more than usual yet, my bg showed a tendency to “soften”.

I was wondering if massage therapy has something to do with it and if it can affect bg levels by either normalizing bg or improving insulin absorption.

I have heard that people with diabetes who suffer from diabetic neuropathy find relief in massage therapy. Has anyone ever had a similar experience?

I wish you all a great day!
Regards
Josephine

 

[Pulley_]

So intrigued as to everyone's responses to this...

Love a little pamper for my own mental wellbeing but if it also positively impacts BG then I will definitely up my spend

 

[Mrsass]

Hi, I often have massage and have never really found it to affect my bg, although I've never had deep tissue I tend to go for lava shells (dreamy) so whether the different types can affect bg maybe.. Sure you will get a few varying responses


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[Bluemarine Josephine]

Thank you for your answers.
I do not know if the type of massage makes a difference (I don't even know if massage in general makes a difference.)
I am referring, however, to the type of massage that athletes/professional dancers use and this, actually hurts!! It is not so pleasing... quite the contrary...
So, not the "Mr. Bond, me love you long time" type of massage...

 

[Kristin251]

I can't say with any certainty but if I really want my insulin to work but not high enough to take extra I do massage it in for a few minutes and it does seem to kick in a little more. I would imagine a deep tissue massage would open up the cells as well as clear some debri and improve circulation so theoretically I would think it could imorove insulin sensitivity.

Maybe you could get your insurance to pay for those. Lol. Wouldn't that be great?.

 

[tpaz]

I can't say with any certainty but if I really want my insulin to work but not high enough to take extra I do massage it in for a few minutes and it does seem to kick in a little more. I would imagine a deep tissue massage would open up the cells as well as clear some debri and improve circulation so theoretically I would think it could imorove insulin sensitivity.

Maybe you could get your insurance to pay for those. Lol. Wouldn't that be great?.

Interesting!

You massage the injection site?

 

[JJO]

Hi there.

I appreciate I'm new to this forum, but I do have some knowledge related to physiology and biology.

From a physiological point of view, massaging a subcutaneous inject changes the rate of absorption and will make the insulin enter the blood stream faster and will therefore lower your blood sugars quicker, however it will massively reduce the length of affect. What you are affecting is the blood flow (by encouraging blood flow with massage) and temperature (from friction of rubbing).

The action time below is taken from wikipedia and may help understand whats happening. You are altering the rate of action not the efficacy (nor sensitivity).

Massaging the site of an inject whilst it's being absorbed can be dangerous. What you will most likely see is a rapid drop in blood sugar very quickly but then a rise in BS as the insulin you thought would be in your system for longer duration has been used up already. Massaging insulin sites will therefore increase troughs AND peaks and therefore is strongly advised that you DO NOT massage the site of injection.

Action time
The onset of action is approximately 15 minutes, the peak action is reached in 45–90 minutes, and the duration is 3–5 hours. However, as with all insulin, these numbers are based on averages, and vary between individuals due to blood flow, injection site, temperature and exercise.[2][3]​

That being said, a deep tissue massage away from the site of injection.... I cannot comment upon.

 

[Ledzeptt]

I had weekly physiotherapy to treat a frozen shoulder which involved vigorous massage and stretching, but nowhere near where I inject. I never noticed an impact on my BG levels.

 

[Kristin251]

Interesting!

You massage the injection site?

Yes I massage the site
After reading what JJ said I can't say I have noticed anything else but lower numbers at my next test. I only rub it for about 30 seconds so I'm not sure it's considered a massage. I know my insulin only lasts about 2-2.5 hours because wherever I'm at then is where I stay. But I'm also only taking 1/2 unit.

 

[JJO]

Yeah I guess the specifics of how much of a massage and how much insulin, body fat etc all will play a role in affecting the effects.... I don't have enough of a control myself to notice any effects one way or t'other at the minute (of massaging the injection site AND / OR affects of a deep tissue massage)

But the thoughts alone of having an hour and a half massage have relaxed me some! Perhaps I'll fill my weekend diary after all!

 

[Diakat]

I have experienced a drop in blood sugars after massage. I assumed it was to do with muscle stimulation, but have no proof of that.

 

[Bluemarine Josephine]

Good morning everyone! Thank you all for your replies!

When I was first diagnosed, I had absolutely no idea how to inject. My diabetes nurse at the time told me “hold the pen like a dagger and stab your belly”. I have no idea how on earth they came up with this technique because my tummy was full of bruises within a week… Therefore, I asked my GP if there is any kind of crème, ointment, old school paganist recipe (whatever) that would help my bruises go away faster. My GP prescribed a crème (its name escapes me) and told me to massage the cream on the injection sites. Before using it, I had the random idea to ask my doctor. His reply was “What? What? NO!!!! No, no, no, no, NO! Do not ever massage or rub your injection sites, the heat that is produced and the manipulation of the tissue makes your insulin underneath your skin act faster hence, with less predictability.

So, I followed his instruction and never “disturbed” the injection sites.

With regards to massage therapy, there is the relaxation massage and there is the therapeutic massage.

The relaxation massage is leaving you feeling like you've been wrapped in a cloud and the "reset" button pressed on your body. This is the most common type of massage therapy, and what many people are thinking about when they hear the word "massage". You can find it in SPAs, at conventions, the mall, nail parlors…Also the people providing such massages may not be qualified to assist with health needs or goals.

Therapeutic massage is a different case. Particularly, deep tissue massage is used by athletes who are considerably harder on their bodies than the average person or people who are undergoing physical therapy to aid in the breakdown process of scar tissue.This is performed by registered massage therapist and is usually combined with physiotherapy and chiropractic care. Therapeutic massage treats pain, headaches, osteoarthritis, muscle spasms, sports injuries… It is also not recommended to people who suffer from diabetic neuropathy because this type of massage can hurt and, because of their condition, they cannot feel pain.

I do not know if a relaxation massage can actually have any impact on our BG… I am wondering, however, if the therapeutic massage, through the manipulation of tissue, can potentially improve circulation and if, in combination with a slower heart rate (due to relaxation) and a reduced blood pressure, can affect the absorption of insulin.

If massage induces a relaxation response, thereby affecting stress hormones then maybe it allows the body to use insulin more effectively.

These are just my thoughts though… I have no literature to support this…
Have a great day ahead!
Regards
Josephine