How Massages Help When Coupled With Chiropractic Care

When you experience discomfort, chances are that a friend or a relative has recommended that you visit a chiropractor. A chiropractor is the healthcare professional who adjusts your spinal cord to ease the discomfort you are feeling. They manipulate your vertebrae to ease the pain and to release the tension in your bones and nerves.

But chiropractic is just one of the non-surgical ways to ease body discomfort and injuries. There is also another treatment – massage therapy – that is highly recommended for complement chiropractic manipulation. It is said that massages help with pain relief with coupled chiropractic care

How does chiropractic care connect with massage therapy?

Going back to the definition of chiropractic care according to the American Chiropractic Association, it “focuses on disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system, and the effects of these disorders on general health.” Based on the Association’s definition, chiropractic care already involves the muscles in the first place. When you move, it’s not just the bones that are taking action. A big part of movement involves the muscles. Since massages focus on easing muscle tension and injuries, it will be helpful if it supplements the chiropractic care you are already receiving.

What kind of massage do you get?

There are many kinds of massages and knowing the right massage is crucial because you don’t want to stress your muscles even further. You cannot simply go to a massage parlor and ask for any kind of massage. So, the best therapy after chiropractic adjustments is a deep tissue massage. This is because deep tissue massages focus on relaxing and improving the movement.

You can also ask your masseuse what type of massage is best for relieving muscles and for reducing the pain after a chiropractic adjustment. After all, your aim is to relax your muscles and prevent them from being tensed.

Effects of a Massage Before or After Chiropractic Treatment

When you start massage therapy alongside chiropractic treatment, your first question would be when to add the massage therapy. Will it be best to do it before or after the chiropractic treatment?

The answer is you can do both, but you must avoid overdoing the massage part because you don’t want to overwork the muscles.

Going for a massage therapy before the chiropractic adjustments warms up the muscles and eases the tension so it is easier for the chiropractor to adjust the bones and joints. Also, a massage therapy before chiropractic treatment increases the blood circulation to the muscles leaving them in a more relaxed state.

On the other hand, a massage therapy taken after the chiropractic adjustments will help your body adjust easily to the changes made during the treatment. However, this will only be beneficial if you get a massage right after the treatment itself. Having a massage after will also quicken your healing and adjustment period making you move a lot better after a while.

Benefits of Getting a Massage

Aside from the benefits you’ve read above, there are more things you can get by adding a massage to your overall chiropractic treatment. Here are the other bodily improvements you’ll get from combining the two:


  1. Ease of adjustment to the new posture

Not all chiropractic adjustments are easy. There are times that you will have a hard time with the adjustments that it’s going to be distressing to you and your whole posture. A massage after the treatment will help your body ease into the new posture and it will also help your muscles be accustomed to it.

  1. Improves blood circulation

When you’re tense and stressed, your body might have poor blood circulation. Improving the blood circulation becomes a must in this case because you want to make sure that your muscles have enough blood and nutrients for them to function properly.

Chiropractic care is an effective way to work on injuries and tensed muscles and bones without going under the knife. But if you are going for faster results and fewer tensed muscles, combining the chiropractic treatment with a massage therapy will be greatly beneficial.

If you plan on adding it to your treatment, you can consult your chiropractor about it and tell them of your intentions to get a massage. Based on his assessment, you’ll know what type of massage best fits you.