Massage therapists will often find these tissue abnormalities before the patient. Should massage therapists begin treatment or should they refer the patient to a doctor?
Many professionals feel that massage therapy is not the best approach to try and reduce the size of a ganglion cyst. The reason is because massaging a ganglion cyst may break the ganglion cyst’s wall. Deep tissue mass must be very deep and can be extremely painful. This massage that stimulates the cyst (such as friction) can be very irritating and could exacerbate fluid production in the sac.
If there is some discomfort it is recommended to gently massage castor oil into the ganglion cyst. Massage can also help reverse the flow of the fluid back into the joints or tendons after a ganglion cyst has appeared. By gently massaging the ganglion cystmay be helpful to eliminate the cyst.
Moxibustion – This is a Chinese medical technique of burning moxa over the area of the ganglion cyst. However many massage therapist’s do not offer this type of treatment. They may refer the patient to an acupuncturist.
Lymphatic Drainage Massage – Improving the removal of lymphatic fluid in the affected extremity can support the body’s natural means of shrinking a ganglion cyst.
There could be worse than massaging a ganglion cyst. Luckily, few people today advocate the former treatment, which was to whack the ganglion cyst with the Bible!