Now that Healthwise Massage Therapy is located at Southridge Chiropractic Center, I wanted to mention that there are several Chiropracters to choose from here whom apply chiropractic techniques, acupuncture and help you get healthier by recommending supplements where needed.
Complement to Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic and massage therapy, used in combination, form a powerful healing approach that addresses pain on many levels. Both long-term muscle tension and sudden impacts, such as falls, can pull and hold joints out of normal alignment. Chiropractic uses adjustments to return the joints to their normal positions and restore joint mobility. Joint misalignments or subluxations, are often accompanied by tension or injury to the surrounding muscles, and ligaments. These tissues can produce pain that spreads because it causes protective muscle tightening in surrounding areas. Over time, tight, inflamed muscles and fascia suffer poor circulation and can develop adhesions that prevent muscles from lengthening completely. Painful trigger points can also develop, referring pain or tingling to other areas in the body. Addressing soft tissue problems is an important complement to chiropractic care. Muscles move joints, while ligaments support them. If a subluxation is adjusted without addressing related soft tissues, the whole problem is not being addressed and the pain and dysfunction may persist.
Massage and Adjustments
Local massage is often used in preparation for an adjustment. Massage relieves muscle tension and warms up the soft tissues in the area, making joints more pliable and more easily adjusted. A general massage can also be good preparation for an adjustment. It also helps you to 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 of, 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 cause 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, by repeated use of a particular muscle, or may develop over time from chronic musclular tension in any area. Direct pressure with the thumb or fingers on a trigger point will often deactive it, thus relieving the pain it 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 this cycle. The phenomena 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 so on until something breaks the cycle. massage, often used with ice, helps break this painful cycle.
Southridge Chiropractic makes it easier for you by having qualified licensed massage therapists on hand to help you achieve a better adjustment!
