Chiropractic and massage are complementary health care systems that work together to promote full-body healing.
Massage and chiropractic both can alleviate vertebral subluxations – misaligned joints in the spine – as well as improve tissue and muscle health.
Chiropractic therapists employ a range of tools to identify troubled areas and give deeper massages. These may include small rollers, cone-shaped massagers and hand held devices that allow patients to receive a more detailed deep tissue massage.
1. Relieves Stress
Stress can cause muscles to tighten, making it difficult for your body to heal. Chiropractic treatments and massages are effective ways to relieve this tension and encourage your muscles to recover.
Both treatments aim to reset your nervous system and trigger endorphin production, decreasing the “fight or flight” adrenaline response that arises when under stress. This can reduce cortisol and other stress hormones while increasing serotonin – associated with a healthy mental state – produced by your body.
Both treatments promote better sleep, helping your body heal itself. This can also help mitigate any negative consequences that a lack of shut-eye may have on your wellbeing, such as increased anxiety or depression.
2. Increases Blood Flow
Lack of blood flow can lead to various illnesses such as high blood pressure, nerve damage and migraines. Chiropractic & massage therapy can improve circulation in your body and make you more resistant to illness.
Improved circulation can prevent injuries by delivering more nutrients to injured tissue and speeding healing by eliminating waste products that build up in tissues after trauma.
Combining chiropractic with massage can accelerate healing in the body. These two treatment modalities work together to realign muscles and relax nerves, restoring normal blood flow.
Massage not only increases blood flow, it can also stimulate the lymph system to transport waste away from organs for elimination. This boosts your immunity by aiding it fight infections and prevents them from arising in the first place.
3. Strengthens Immune System
The immune system is an essential aspect of your body’s natural defenses against germs, viruses, bacteria, chemicals and allergens. It consists of organs, cells and proteins.
When functioning optimally, your immune system acts like a computer that records and remembers every microbe it encounters and then fights it more effectively.
Avoiding illness helps you stay healthy, and speeding up recovery from illnesses helps make a quicker recovery.
Chiropractic and massage work together to strengthen the immune system by relieving stress and other physical tension throughout the body.
The nervous, endocrine and immune systems all share messenger molecules that communicate with one another. Any disruption between these three systems can weaken your immunity to illness.
4. Lowers Blood Pressure
If you are one of the millions of people with high blood pressure, chiropractic & massage may be able to help. Studies have shown that certain types of chiropractic adjustments (known as upper cervical vertebra manipulations) can significantly lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings.
Chiropractic adjustments can realign the C-1 vertebra, commonly referred to as the Atlas bone. This vertebra supports your head and sits at the top of your spine.
Misaligned spinal vertebra can put strain on the brain stem and arteries at the base of your skull, but when this vertebra is adjusted, blood flow and pressure in your arteries is restored – leading to reduced pressure overall.
5. Relieves Pain
Massage therapy can provide temporary relief by increasing blood flow and circulation, loosening tight muscles, and improving muscle function. Furthermore, it aids in eliminating toxins and decreasing inflammation.
Additionally, studies have demonstrated that serotonin has been proven to aid those suffering from insomnia and other sleep-related issues. By stimulating serotonin release in your body, it not only lifts your spirits but also promotes better quality sleep.
Chiropractic and massage work together to alleviate conditions like back and neck pain, headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome and sports injuries. Furthermore, they may reduce symptoms associated with various medical issues like arthritis or heart disease.