Massage Therapy

Complementary Health Care

Therapeutic massage is an age-old remedy that has proven to be an effective complement to chiropractic care. Both are holistic in nature and are based on the belief in the innate healing power of the body. Together, chiropractic and massage therapy facilitate the natural healing process by keeping the body in proper alignment and ensuring a free flow of nerve impulses and circulation of fluids.

Problems in the musculoskeletal system can impede the natural healing process, and often cause dysfunction and pain. Most chiropractic doctors would agree that it is important to treat soft tissues such as muscles and tendons to help prevent and correct subluxations and lessen the accompanying pain. Together, chiropractic and massage therapy provide you with a more complete and effective system of health care.

Therapeutic Massage:

• Increases the effectiveness of chiropractic treatments
• Aids in preparing the body for chiropractic adjustments
• Helps relieve pain in muscles and related soft tissues
• Helps prevent future problems

Benefits of Massage

The therapeutic effects of massage are recognized by personal and clinical experience and supported by scientific research. They include:

• General relaxation
• Improved circulation
• Muscle relaxation
• Alleviation of certain kinds of muscular pain
• Improvement in cellular nutrition
• Relief from the negative effects of stress
• Reduction of anxiety

Massage and Adjustments

Local massage is often used in preparation for adjustment. Massage relieves muscle tension and warms up the soft tissues in the area, making joints more pliable and more easily adjusted. Many chiropractors themselves (or assistant) prepare an area with a local massage.

A general massage (1/2 to 1 hour long) can also be good preparation for an adjustment. In addition to preparing the immediate area of concern, it helps you relax overall and become more receptive to other hands-on treatment. Some find massage after an adjustment beneficial for further relaxation. With regular therapeutic massage, chiropractic adjustments may last longer.

Relief and Recovery

The pain which brings you to a chiropractor often involves problems in the musculature. These problems might include:

Nerve Constriction – Nerves run alongside, between, and through muscles. Tight muscles can squeeze and put pressure on nerves causing constriction, which interferes with the free flow of nerve impulses and sometimes causes pain. Through muscle relaxation, massage alleviates the constriction of nerves due to muscle tension.

Poor circulation – Tight muscles may also constrict blood vessels, thus slowing blood flow to an area – a condition called ischemia. Ischemia causes pain. By increasing circulation to an area, massage reduces ischemia and therefore the pain it causes.

Trigger points – Trigger points are specific spots in muscles and tendons which causes pain, and which may radiate pain to a larger area. They are thought by some to be small areas of spasm. Trigger points may be caused by sudden trauma (e.g. from falling or being hit), by repeated use of a particular muscle, or may develop over time from chronic muscular tension in an area. Direct pressure with the thumb or fingers on a trigger point will often deactivate it, thus relieving the pain causes.

Damaged Tissues – Accidents at home, work, play, or on the road can leave bruises, sprains, and other injuries in the soft tissues. Massage improves general and local circulation, helping to clear cellular debris from an injury site, and bringing nutrients needed to heal the damaged tissues. Thus massage helps speed recovery.

Pain-Spasm-Pain Cycle – You may get caught in the Pain-spasm-Pain cycle. This phenomenon is started either by pain or spasm in a muscle, which perpetuates itself in an endless loop. For example, you may tense up from pain – this causes more tension – more pain – more tension – more pain and on and on until something breaks the cycle, Massage, often used with ice, helps break this pain cycle.