Guest Blog Post by Jenny Morris

Chiropractic treatment and massage therapy work hand-in-hand when it comes to pain management. Combining these two different yet closely related approaches can speed up recovery of sore muscles as well as other medical ailments. Recent polls actually show people use both massage and chiropractic therapy to treat back pain, osteoarthritis, cholesterol, depression, insomnia, and prostate issues.

Why is using both chiropractic and massage so effective? Together, they act as a holistic approach rather than a quick fix or treatment of just one area. This means they facilitate faster and more comprehensive healing and overall wellness.

Why Use Chiropractic for Pain Management?

Chiropractic treatment addresses issues of the hard tissue (i.e., spine and other joints). Doctors of chiropractic can recommend therapeutic and rehabilitative exercises. They often use massage therapy to warm up the soft tissue supporting the joints to better prepare your body for adjustment (the most common chiropractic technique, also known as a spinal manipulation).

Many people see chiropractors to treat headaches, back discomfort, neck pain, sore muscles, and leg and joint issues—ailments which can also be helped by massage therapy.

Why Use Massage for Pain Management?

It’s no wonder that chiropractic treatment and massage complement each other so well—they are two sides of the same coin!

Massage therapy focuses on soft tissue manipulation of the muscles, tendons, and ligaments. By treating soft tissue, massage therapy helps correct misalignments, thus reducing pain and preventing injury. Massage also relieves surrounding tension, allowing improved mobility of the joints.

Many use massage to aid with anxiety and depression, ease stiffness and pain, increase mobility, relieve stress, and improve sleep.

How Do They Work Together?

Musculoskeletal misalignment can cause dysfunction, pain, or injury. Targeting both hard and soft tissue with a combination of chiropractic and massage treatments allows for a speedier, fuller recovery. As hands-on therapies, chiropractic and massage therapy are very effective for conditions like back pain, osteoarthritis, and fibromyalgia. Tiffany Field, PhD, director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine, says this is because moderate pressure to muscles and soft tissues stimulates a cascade of biological effects.

“We are finding that moderate pressure is essential for any of the effects we see from massage,” Field said. “That may be one way chiropractic works, because typically a chiropractor applies moderate pressure.”

Massage is often used as preparation for a chiropractic adjustment because it enhances the benefits and effects of the adjustment by decreasing muscle tension. After all, a relaxed body is easier for a chiropractor to realign.

Additionally, as the chiropractor corrects these structural issues that are causing your pain and stiffness, massage stretches and relaxes the affected muscles. This keeps your body loose and allows you to stretch and exercise on a regular basis, leading to a faster recovery and improved overall state of well-being. Chiropractic, on the other hand, extends the benefits of a massage in order to prevent repeat visits for the same issue due to temporary relief.

Using both massages and chiropractic medicine increases flexibility and helps patients enjoy longer-lasting benefits from each adjustment. In fact, you can conveniently and affordably get the best of both worlds with a high-quality massage chair. Your chair can help you prep your body before or keep muscles loose after chiropractic adjustments, eliminating the need of seeing a massage therapist.

Before getting any chiropractic or massage therapy, always consult your doctor, who can recommend the appropriate treatment based on your health conditions. There are many chiropractic techniques and forms of massage, and it’s important to make sure you receive the pain management that best suits you.

About the Author
Jenny Morris is a freelance writer who frequently contributes content to MassageChairStore.com. She has written engaging and optimized web content for a variety of industries, including technology, home goods, social media, and travel. A Massachusetts native, Jenny graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a bachelor of arts in communication. In addition to writing, she keeps busy with a range of social media and creative projects. In her free time, Jenny loves reading and traveling.