Some people believe that massage is the simple process of kneading muscles of the body in a peaceful room to relax a person. While massage is a useful tool in alleviating stress, deepening relaxation, and improving mood, the practice is deeply rooted in both Eastern and Western medicine throughout human history as a tool to improve health conditions, relieve pain, and augment wellness across many cultures. When massage is used to improve health, it is called “therapeutic massage” or “message therapy.”
Therapeutic massage is the manipulation of soft tissue using different degrees of pressure and varying movements to benefit your body and overall wellbeing. It can be used to reduce stress, increase immune function, improve range of motion, increase relaxation, and get relief from pain and muscle tension which makes it an important part of an integrative health approach.
Typically, a massage therapist will use a wide range of soft tissue manipulation techniques on muscles, connective tissues, skin, tendons, and ligaments in order to relieve symptoms due to both acute and chronic conditions related to physical or mental health.
Because chiropractic treatments fix the structural issues and massage enhances the function of soft tissues, they make a very collaborative pair. Massage therapy increases the blood and fluid circulation in the body that helps to warm up the muscles and other soft tissues so that the chiropractic adjustment can be done with less tense tissues, therefore the body is more easily manipulated, and the effects of the adjustment are prolonged.
While massage is great for a whole-health approach, it can also be done independent of other standard treatments. You should feel free to talk with your massage therapist to identify areas of the body causing discomfort or discuss other characteristics such as fatigue or depression.
Massage therapy has long been an integral part of whole health and wellness. Whether you have pain related to an injury or chronic illness, or want relief from stress, Kinesio Care Center has a licensed massage therapist that will work with you and your care team to develop an effective treatment plan for your condition.