Massage therapy is the manual manipulation of soft body tissues (muscle, connective tissue, tendons and ligaments) to enhance a person’s health and well-being. There are many types of massage therapy methods (also called modalities). People seek massage therapy for a variety of reasons; for example, to reduce stress and anxiety, to relax muscles, to rehabilitate injuries, to reduce pain and to promote overall health and wellness.
Massage therapy has been growing in popularity among chiropractors. Many chiropractors have their “in-house” massage therapist to work alongside. The benefits of working together on musculoskeletal issues not only quickens the treatment time but also has longer lasting effects. While chiropractors focus more on the musculoskeletal issues, massage therapists can assist with soft tissue and muscle issues.
What makes our results so effective and beyond the normal treatment?
Our massage therapists have all had advanced training that offer the most effective approach to all qualities of pain and problems. What your condition demands is what we provide to offer the best effective results. Deep tissue massage may be applied to one area while abdominal and Swedish massage are applied to another area.
Massage is often recommended as part of a treatment plan for sports injuries, repetitive stress, chronic pain and anxiety. There are many different specialized massage techniques commonly used. These include: Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, sports massage, shiatsu and combinations of these techniques are also used.
Massage therapists move the skin, muscles, tendons, ligaments and the membrane, called fascia, that surrounds the muscles. This is done to promote the flow of blood and lymph. It also serves to relieve tension, stimulate nerves, and keep the muscles elastic and easy to move.
Every session is actually a combination of examination and treatment. A massage therapist uses their hands to evaluate the texture, tightness and movement of muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments and nerves. Abnormal tissues are treated by combining precisely directed tension with very specific patient movements.
Moving lymph fluid is important because lymph carries waste from the tissues. The lymph does not circulate. Instead it relies in part on muscle contraction to keep it moving. That is why massaging the muscles aids the flow of lymph through the body. Massage also moves the blood and increases its oxygen capacity.
Massage can both soothe and stimulate the nervous system. Different techniques are chosen to achieve different effects. Massage can also speed recovery from the fatigue that often follows exercise. This is why many athletes use massage as part of their training plan.
The massage is done on a padded and heated massage table. Your body is covered with a sheet or a blanket. Only the part that is actively being worked on is exposed at any given time.
There are also many other types of bodywork that include massage as part of the discipline. Although some massage strokes may be somewhat uncomfortable, a person having a massage should generally feel good. Massage techniques vary in the amount of pressure applied to area being treated. Deep tissue massage uses slow strokes and deep pressure on painful parts of the body. Sports massage is used to assist training, prevent injury, and to treat sprains, strains and sore tendons. Manual lymph drainage stimulates the lymph system. This can relieve some of the swelling that follows some surgical or radiation treatments. A healthcare provider can determine if massage therapy might be helpful after surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
Massage therapy may have to be avoided if a person: is pregnant, has swelling in one area of the body, has eaten in the previous two hours, particularly for abdominal massage, has just completed chemotherapy or radiation treatment, has an infectious skin disease or unhealed wound. This might include a broken bone, a bad sprain, or body bruises, has phlebitis or varicose veins, or finds hands-on therapies uncomfortable.
All of the massage therapists at the River West Chiropractic Clinic are licensed in the state of Oregon.
For more information or to Schedule an Appointment, call us today at (503) 244-3389.