Massage Therapy

How Massage Therapy Helps in Chiropractic Treatment

Therapeutic massage, commonly known as ‘massage therapy,’ is the scientific manipulation of the body’s soft tissues through hands-on techniques, treating body stress or pain naturally. This practice can be performed by a masseuse, physical therapist, and chiropractor. Many people seek this natural treatment in conjunction with chiropractic care.

Experts commonly combine these two all-natural therapies because of the increased benefits offered by both concurrently. Many chiropractors know how well these two work together and use them in tandem regularly.

 

Benefits of Massage Therapy

Massage therapy manipulates the body’s soft tissues, primarily on their tendons and muscles, reducing inflammation, pain, and other uncomfortable physical symptoms from stress. 

1. It Promotes Muscle Relaxation 

The main aim of massage therapy is to locate the source of the body’s pain and eliminate them through hands-on techniques, mitigating tense muscles, improving flexibility, and promoting overall relaxation to the affected muscles and your body as a whole. Moreover, massage therapy releases endorphins known as your ‘pain-killing’ hormones, boosting your dopamine and serotonin levels, instilling a sense of relaxation throughout your body. In essence, it promotes healing, pain management, and euphoria, allowing you to reach the maximum level of peace. 

 

2. It Improves Circulation

Improved blood circulation is a long-term benefit of massage therapy, bringing damaged or tense muscles the blood supply they need, promoting healing. Plus, massage therapy also promotes improved circulation via hands-on pressure, moving the blood efficiently through the affected areas of your body, causing new blood to flow into these places. In turn, it lowers your blood pressure levels and improves overall body function.

3. It Improves Posture 

Millions of people experience back, neck, and muscle pain due to various reasons, but the most common cause of these discomforts is poor posture. Chronic back pain is the number one reason for many missed workdays and the second cause of disability, often resulting from improper posture when standing or sitting. It can also cause strain on your hips, glutes, and legs. Massage therapy can help your proper posture back naturally. 

With the help of a professional massage therapist or masseuse, you’ll be able to relax and experience a unique ‘heightened’ state of well-being, improving mental and emotional resilience while lessening the impact of stress. Physical therapists, massage therapists, and chiropractors are the ones capable of providing these services. 

Here’s a look at how regular massages can alleviate your chronic and acute pain and medical issues and improve your overall health without the use of prescription drugs or surgery—especially when combined with routine chiropractic care. 

Types of Massage

“Massage” is an umbrella term for rubbing, pressing, and manipulating skin, muscles, tendons, and ligaments that move and support your body. Types of massage include: 

• Deep Tissue Massage: Your massage therapist will use slow, forceful strokes to target your deep layer of muscle and connective tissue. This type of massage is great for managing pain, breaking down scar tissue, and circulating blood flow. 
• Myofascial Massage: This technique focuses on pain stemming from myofascial tissues—the tough membranes that wrap, connect, and support your muscles. Your massage therapist will apply light pressure to any myofascial areas that feel stiff to loosen up those restricted muscles.
• Neuromuscular Massage (Trigger-Point Therapy): Using their fingers, knuckles, or elbows, your massage therapist will apply concentrated pressure to tender and tight muscles and areas where you experience muscle spasms. This type of massage addresses chronic pain, circulation, postural issues, nerve compression, and problems caused by overuse injuries.  
• Sports Massage: Geared toward people who are involved in sport activities, a sports massage focuses on areas of the body that are stressed and overused due to repetitive movement. This type of massage helps athletes prepare for an event, reduces recovery time after an event, promotes flexibility, reduces fatigue, improves endurance, and even helps prevent injuries. 
• Swedish Massage: This is a gentle massage in which your massage therapist will use long strokes, circular movements, kneading, and tapping to relieve muscle tension and to relax and energize you. Swedish massage is the most common type of massage.

Benefits of Massage

A study published in Annals of Family Medicine in 2014 found that two or three 60-minute therapeutic massages a week for four weeks relieved chronic neck pain better than fewer or shorter massages or no massage at all. But the benefits of this hands-on technique go beyond reducing pain and muscle tension in the neck, back, knees, and other parts of the body. Studies show that massage can be effective for dealing with:

• Anxiety
• Digestive disorders
• Fibromyalgia
• Frozen shoulder (a side effect of working on a computer all day)
• Headaches, including migraines, cluster headaches, tension headaches, and sinus headaches
• Insomnia related to stress
• Myofascial pain syndrome
• Post-surgical scar tissue
• Radiating pain
• Repetitive stress injuries from sitting or standing for several hours a day
• Sports injuries
• Soft tissue strains or injuries
• Strains and sprains 
• Temporomandibular joint and muscle disorder (TMJ) 
• Tendonitis
• Whiplash

Massage and Chiropractic Care 

When you combine massage therapy with routine chiropractic care, you will experience even greater and longer lasting benefits than using either treatment on its own. That’s because your body’s muscles and skeletal system are meant to work together.  

Massage can allow the body to respond faster and more fully to chiropractic adjustments. This therapy also helps maintain alignment for longer periods of time. And, by helping to strengthen the muscles once the musculoskeletal system is properly aligned, your body can “reset” and allow this improved physical state to become the norm, rather than the exception.

Together, massage and chiropractic care enhance emotional well-being along with proper, natural physical functionality. Pain relief can become more profound and long-lasting and, when you follow the recommended regimen, these treatments used together can help prevent your pain from returning.

By integrating massage therapy with routine chiropractic care, you’ll also experience:

• Improved nervous system’s functioning
• Reduced inflammation in your body
• Increased blood flow and circulation
• Increased flexibility and range of motion