Chiropractors, as I’ve mentioned before, use their hands as a first line diagnostic tool. Our hands are trained to detect subtle signs of the source of patient discomfort and pain. Years of instruction and almost 1,000 hours of interning in a professional environment are how we learn to use this tool effectively.
So, do our chiropractors use massage in their treatments at Back & Body Medical in New Jersey? You bet we do. We use all the therapeutic responses at our disposal appropriate to the individual patient being treated. And because our hands are our guides and assets, massage is a perfect fit for us.
Preparing the body
Many patients come to me in a state of tension. Pain makes many people afraid to move, as they fear making matters even worse than they already are. When pain strikes, the natural response of muscles is to become rigid.
It’s tough to treat people when they come into my office full of knots from muscle tension. That’s why massage is so useful for chiropractors. Massage allows us to prepare the patient’s body for more intense work because it relaxes the muscles to the point where we can make meaningful progress with the underlying condition that’s causing the pain.
Using massage in this way is highly effective. The practice of massage can also stimulate the immune system and promote healing, so it’s something many chiropractors turn to as part of a mindful approach to healing pain.
Collaboration
Often, I find that patients can benefit from some preliminary work with a dedicated massage therapist, before even starting the chiropractic care I offer.
Depending on the type and location of pain being treated, I’ll recommend Swedish massage as very relaxing for patients who’ve been dealing with pain for a long time and have become knotted up and rigid, as a result. It can be the ideal prelude to non-invasive spinal decompression therapy.
Other patients benefit more from the deep tissue massage offered by sports-related practitioners. Sports-centered massage isn’t just for athletes. It can be effective for all kinds of patients, especially in conjunction with chiropractic adjustment and/or physical therapy.
I often see patients who’ve undergone some type of medical massage but haven’t fully resolved the problem. While their muscles may have responded positively to the therapy, they continue to experience pain. That’s where I can really help.
Addressing the problem
Because my profession focuses on the nervous system and its response to dysfunction in the spine and surrounding muscles, I’m able to address the problem at its source. Massage is a great way to prime the body for the profound soft tissue manipulation I practice as a chiropractor.
I can reach layers of tissue which are inaccessible with massage. Using diagnostics (arguably more sophisticated than my hands), I can find the root cause of pain and address it directly.
Using a collaborative approach, the patient’s sensitivity is accommodated and clinicians can work together to make the journey toward healing smoother because it’s less traumatic.
Need pain relief? Contact us.
