The Benefits of Integrating Massage with Chiropractic Care and Therapy

posted by Pivotal Health Solutions on Friday, January 2, 2015

Complementary medicine is designed to be just that—to complement other therapies. In a recent article on Sport & Spine Rehab, rehab specialist Heather Watson reviews how the benefits of complementary medicine multiply when different modalities are used together to care for patients. 

Having practiced massage and bodywork for many years, I often get asked a lot of questions. Question like:

How does massage work?

How can it benefit me?

What is the difference between a massage done at a local spa or at a Chiropractors office?

I have had the great pleasure of working with acupuncturists, chiropractors, personal trainers and other health care professionals over the last ten years. Each practitioner utilizes massage technique very differently from the other, but all are looking to achieve the same goals. To reduce pain, increase blood and oxygen flow to our tissue, to nourish the skin, and to relax those ever so tight things we call muscles.

Let’s start with a fascinating piece of history. Massage therapy along with Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine have been practiced for centuries. Surprisingly, some of our earliest written history contains massage therapy. In 722 BC, massage appeared in scripture. The Nei-jing is a compilation of medical knowledge and is the foundation of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Massage is referred to in 30 different chapters of the Nei-Jing, and specifies the use of different massage techniques and how they should be used in the treatment of specific ailments, and injuries. Fast forward a few thousand years, and you will see Massage Therapists on the track and field with some of our greatest athletes and Olympians, in Hospice Care, and alongside Chiropractors.

Massage Therapy can be an integral part of chiropractic care and can be incorporated into chiropractic care for many reasons. A massage done at a local salon or spa of course feels wonderful, and can be incredibly rejuvenating, however, chronic pain or fatigue can return rather quickly. This is in part because the underlying cause of pain is not being addressed. On the other hand, a therapeutic massage performed along with the medical knowledge and guidance of a medical practitioner, like a chiropractor, can change the course of your rehabilitation. If you have had a recent surgery, a therapeutic massage can make a great difference in your healing time. Not to mention, can immensely help reduce the appearance of scar tissue.

Want to enrich your health and well-being? Try Incorporating massage and bodywork into your chiropractic, physical therapy, and rehab care plan.