Duos often create more exciting outcomes
Lewis and Clark, the Lone Ranger and Tonto, and even Batman and Robin functioned more efficiently together than apart. Complementary pairings propel results and enhance efforts. This is decidedly true with medical massage therapy and chiropractic care. While massage and chiropractic offer considerable benefits on their own, they often mesh well to create a more comprehensive treatment plan to resolve many conditions or injuries.
Chiropractic is based on the belief that your body can keep itself healthy if your spine, neck, and head are properly aligned and healthy. Chiropractors work with spinal structures to correct subluxations and injuries and to speed healing of nerve, joint and muscular problems. But the spine is also surrounded by soft tissue – muscle and tendons which control the movement and flexibility of the spine and can exacerbate the structural problems. “Tight” or inflamed muscles can prolong spinal problems and delay healing. Massage therapy can be useful in relieving these kinds of soft tissue problems.
In the simplest terms, chiropractors work with bones and massage therapists work with muscles, yet they are both compatible and complementary. Massage is often recommended along with chiropractic treatment, either before an adjustment or afterward, as part of a longer treatment regimen. This combination of treatments often produces much more effective results and much faster healing in the patient. One of the reasons for this is that both chiropractic and massage share a similar goal – helping you to resolve the root cause of your problem.
While many people report great success with either of these therapeutic modalities, better outcomes definitely come about when patients combine the services of a qualified chiropractor and a skilled massage therapist.
How Can Chiropractic Care and Massage Be Combined?
Massage is often recommended as a preparation for a chiropractic adjustment because it relieves the muscle tension that may be pulling joints out of alignment and makes it easier to move them to be adjusted back into place. Massage is also relaxing, and a relaxed body is easier for the chiropractor to work with. In addition, as the chiropractor corrects the structural problems that are causing pain or limiting your mobility, massage can complement the healing process by stretching, releasing and relaxing muscles that have been aggravated by these structural problems, making it easier for you to stretch and exercise.
Dr. Hoch (pronounced Hoke), is a 1988 Graduate of Peotone High School and a 1990 Graduate of Joliet Junior College. She Received both her B.S. in Human Biology (1991) and her Doctorate of Chiropractic (D.C.) (1993) from The National College of Chiropractic in Lombard, IL. She also received her graduate and post-graduate certifications in Acupuncture from NCC. This article is copyrighted and may not be copied or duplicated in any manner including printed or electronic media, regardless of whether for a fee or gratis without prior written permission of Dr. Hoch.