We would like to welcome our first guest presenter for our theme of the month; The massage therapists of A Touch of Tranquility Center for massage and well-being. We thought it would be interesting to present both sides of the discussion of the benefits of chiropractic and massage therapy. Not unexpectedly, opinions and ideas are very similar. Thank you very much for your time, ideas and energies regarding this article and the services it provides to our patients.
Chiropractor Massage Minneapolis work very well together. In our experience, the massage prior to a chiropractic adjustment avoids the possibility of a spasm subsequent to the adjustment due to the lengthening of the muscles that join the spine after a massage.
The muscles have the following functions; support the skeleton, help maintain posture, provide warmth to warm us and help us move from point A to point B. Each function influences the other in some way. For example, when your muscles are hot, you will have more elasticity and function. If you are cold, instinctively lower your head and bend your knees, which causes your body to concentrate more on its core to conserve and generate heat. The muscle and joints have that same kind of relationship. Both function and posture change. You can not influence one without influencing the other, so chiropractic and massage therapy complement each other so well.
Whether you are seeing a chiropractor for an acute injury or due to a prolonged ailment, you can increase your effectiveness by also receiving a massage. This makes intuitive sense if you break every treatment to the basics.
Chiropractic seeks to restore balance in the body by realigning the spine. Massage therapy focuses on the manipulation of soft tissues (muscles, tendons, ligaments and fascia) to increase healing, improve body function, promote well-being and relaxation. Although chiropractic works on the joints and massage on the soft tissues, the modalities are complementary.
Secondly, to muscle memory, the soft tissue surrounding a restricted joint seeks to retain its original position because it requires less work than the soft tissue to learn a new position. Therefore, when a chiropractic adjustment changes the alignment of the vertebrae, the surrounding muscles will try to pull them back to the balanced position.
Coordinating a deep tissue or a Swedish massage with a chiropractic adjustment can also help restore muscle memory. Softening the muscles and their connecting tendons allows them to adapt better to the new alignment and allow both systems to readjust to the new balance together.
Here are some examples of why chiropractic and massage therapy are so interconnected:
Massage extends the benefit of chiropractic adjustment. Almost all of the patients we have had who have received a massage, either before or after the chiropractic adjustment, have experienced a decrease in muscle tension, an increase in flexibility and more sustained benefits of adjustment.
Chiropractic extends the benefits of a massage. When a patient receives a massage without an adjustment, they often incur repeated visits with similar complaints due to the temporary relief of their symptom complex.
Other research quantifies the positive impact of massage on the circulatory system. The circulation of blood, lymph and interstitial fluids are essential for natural homeostasis throughout the body, as well as its ability to heal and regenerate. The improvement in circulation has a cascade of benefits that involve all the systems of the body.
Just as chiropractors are learning the benefits of massage, we urge massage therapists to appreciate the benefits of chiropractic.
We continue to encourage patients to take measures that include joint chiropractic and massage therapy wellness plan and the ongoing alternative benefit of a non-prescriptive treatment plan.
The long-term solution is a commitment to the general welfare. The key to life and well-being is a holistic approach to care that focuses on the body’s natural ability to heal itself when properly maintained and protected. While chiropractic and massage therapy offers considerable individual benefits, they are better together.
