massage therapy

Alternative Therapy for Arthritis – Get a Massage

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As time has evolved, more and more people have started to resort to massage therapy as a way of getting rid of arthritis pains. For those who are unaware, massage therapy is best for those who have joint stiffness or inflammations as this can make sure all these problems vanish. However, one may wonder how massage can be the best way to fix arthritis issues the answer is simple. Read on to find out.

Overview on Massages

Massaging is one of the oldest arts used for healing. It was first practiced by the Greeks, Chinese, and Egyptians and later brought to the US. When an individual gets a massage, the massage therapist has to press, rub, knead, and manipulate the soft tissues and muscles of the body.

Since it has been around for so long, there are over 250 massage techniques; however, most therapists use one of the more basic ones. There are many different kinds of massages that have been invented. One form is known as the Swedish massage, which entails the use of long strokes that are supposed to calm the body. When the body is relaxed, the therapist begins to focus on the parts that are the stiffest. Another popular form is the deep tissue massage where a strong pressure is applied to soothe the deepest layers of the tissue. Then there are Asian methods that are called shiatsu or acupressure – these involve rubbing body parts until there is a positive response.

How It Helps With Arthritis

Relaxation

The number one thing that can be achieved by massage therapy is relaxation because massage is supposed to make the body feel good. Many therapists call massage the “Comfort Touch” as it uses slow yet steady pressurized movements to remove any tensions in the body. Some people say that massage has the tendency to trigger the parasympathetic nervous system as it allows the body to restore its energy. The flight or fight response is switched, the heartbeat slows down, and muscle tension is better.

Changes in Circulation

Although the mechanism is not completely understood, massage has been proven to promote the flow of lymph in the body – a liquid that goes around the body and with its presence in the cells, your body can fight diseases and infections. During a massage, the circulation increases, this can cause certain people to feel cooler during massages because the blood pressure is lowered.

Better Joint Movements

Apart from providing complete pain relief, massage therapy can help with joint movements. When direct pressure is applied, massage therapy can cause mobility in connective tissues, and muscles to improve. Therefore, for those who are suffering from arthritis, massage will allow their joints to be better and lessen the stiffness in their ligaments, tendons, and muscles.

 

Luckily, those who were hopeless with their arthritis condition can now get instant relief with the help of massage therapy.

Yoga, Chiropractic

4 Powerful Ways Yoga Increases the Effectiveness of Chiropractic Care

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Yoga hasn’t taken the world by storm, but it has gained steadily in popularity in the last decade. Originally developed thousands of years ago, the practice of breathing, posing, and stretching offers a variety of important health benefits. Reduced stress and blood pressure, increased flexibility and stamina, greater balance, and a better understanding of breathing techniques are all fabulous results of practicing yoga.

In addition to the normal exercise benefits yoga offers, the practice serves as treatment for a variety of injuries and health conditions. Yoga embodies the recognition of the link between physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness, and reaches its fans in deeper ways than other forms of traditional exercise.

Although the two disciplines come from entirely different histories, the concept that yoga heals the body in its entirety closely mirrors the concept behind chiropractic care. These similar foundations offer enormous benefits to those suffering from a variety of injuries and conditions that seek help from a chiropractor. By incorporating yoga sessions into their treatment, chiropractic patients often reap great rewards.

Here are four reasons why:

Yoga primes the body for healing

Practicing yoga stretches and elongates the body’s muscles, releasing tension and stress. Before patients visit their chiropractors, yoga can serve to warm up their bodies and clarify their minds, so the chiropractor can dig into the root problem. Yoga complements chiropractic treatment by readying the body to heal itself.

Yoga strengthens joints and ligaments

Dealing with a health condition or injury is frustrating and can seem like it takes forever to heal. Implementing yoga into a recovery plan helps strengthen joints and ligaments, which aids in promoting healing and cutting down the time it takes to get better.

Yoga works on the body as a whole and promotes greater well-being from head to toe. A stronger body absorbs chiropractic care more productively and deeply than one that is stiff, sore, and unhealthy.

Yoga increases range of motion

Depending on the severity of the individual’s specific condition, chiropractic patients may need several visits to "prep" their bodies before the main issue can even be addressed. Yoga sessions increase a body’s flexibility and help with the range of motion in the neck, back, hips, and other joints. By going into a chiropractic treatment equipped with better range of motion, the patient is more pliable, and the visit is able to offer more in-depth adjustments, for greater results.

Prevents future injury

Many reasons individuals seek chiropractic treatment are for recurring issues. Yoga provides an ongoing way for patients dealing with chronic issues to manage and reduce instances of pain, inflammation, and other symptoms. A regimen of yoga coupled with chiropractic care keeps the body aligned, its balance level, the muscles stretched and de-stressed, and the joints operating efficiently.

Both also serve to keep posture correct, and ligaments strong. All of these results create a body that is less susceptible to future injury, and less inclined for previous medical conditions to resurface. Individuals enjoy greater mobility longer, all without changing their active lifestyles.

Yoga has long been touted as the answer for many of the body’s issues, and it’s smart for individuals, whether dealing with current issues or in prime health, to check out the basics of yoga. Chiropractic care coupled with yoga offers a great many benefits to patients who are dealing with medical conditions or injury. Ask your chiropractor for an evaluation of your health issues, and whether adding yoga to your overall health plan would help you lead a better, more active life.

Massage Benefits

How Massage Helps You Feel More Relaxed

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Apart from the  relaxation provided by a massage, massage therapy can also be the best way for improving mental health, physical being, and relieving all body pains. Researchers have proved that massage therapy improves comfort and functioning of the human body. It can allow the body to overcome physical trauma and issues like depression, insomnia, and anxiety.

General Benefits of Massage Therapy

  • It eases sore muscles and lessens other pains or aches.
  • It provides with physical relaxation.
  • It improves blood circulation and allows your body to get rid of any waste.
  • It helps release compression in the nerves.
  • It allows you to be more flexible.
  • It triggers good energies.
  • Clinical style massages help heal broken ligaments, tendons and muscles tears.

Conditions That Massage Therapy Can Improve

There are countless benefits of massage and how it can help the human body. It relaxes the muscle tissue that leads to less nerve compression, more space for joints and improved range of motion. This also leads to a better functioning body and less pain in the entire body.

Massage helps with blood circulation that leads to an enhancement of oxygen delivery, well-nourished muscle cells and aids with the removal of waste products. With better circulation, massage can treat conditions that cause inflammation. These conditions would include edema or arthritis (this is when there is an excessive amount of fluid in the tissues).

It is also believed that massage therapy provokes relaxation response that causes the heart rate and respiratory rate to lower down and helps with blood pressure. It strengthens the immune system and lessens the physical effects cause by stress.

Additional Benefits of Massage

  1. Massage helps fight again the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is a condition that causes muscle pain, bone tenderness, and fatigue. These symptoms can get worse if there is stress or lack of sleep involved. Massaging is the most effective and efficient way of reducing the pain associated with fibromyalgia as it can lessen all the discomfort and muscle pain the patients feel.
  2. Postsurgical habilitation centers have started using massage to help patients. It improves blood circulation, relaxes muscles, and helps with movement and flexibility. This way the person can be back on their feet in no time.
  3. There is no secret that massaging can make you feel better and relaxed. Additionally, it lessens anxiety and depression people feel. Massaging releases good hormones in the human body, namely dopamine and serotonin.
  4. Migraines are often caused by bad sleeping patterns and stress. Massaging provides people will better sleep which leads to fewer migraine attacks. The effects of massage can last up to 3 weeks, so getting regular massages can banish all headaches.
  5. Massage lowers blood pressure and helps prevent heart attacks and strokes. Getting regular 10-minute massages can relax the body while lowering blood pressure.

Since massage therapy is so beneficial, making it a part of a regular routine is a smart thing to do!

Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine,

How Acupuncture Can Treat Acne

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One thing that every human being wants to achieve in his or her lifetime is clear and flawless skin. Which is why humans are always on a search for good skin products, interested in skin care treatments and on the lookout for cosmetic medicine. However, the need for skin care rises when an individual is experiencing a skin-related problem, such as an allergy or break-outs. But that does not mean that he or she will need to raid drugstores and try every single skin product out there.

More and more doctors are suggesting acupuncture as a solution for acne. Dermatologists and skin experts think that this addition to the skin care industry is crucial, as individuals will have safe alternatives to get rid of acne and have a clear complexion.

Acupuncture is being added to skin care regimes by dermatologists as it has endless benefits to it.

What Experts Say

The main purpose for cosmetic acupuncture is to rejuvenate the human skin and provide it with a healthy and youthful glow. Acupuncturists claim that getting cosmetic acupuncture can clear acne spots, help with age spots and even treat rosacea. Other than fixing acne-related issues, it can strengthen facial muscles, giving individuals an instant face-lift. This happens because acupuncture promotes collage production, helps with skin elasticity, removes wrinkles and fine lines, and can help with complexion.

Each Individual is Different

For some people, there is a point when acupuncture is recommended as an alternative for acne treatment. The benefit of it is clear, flawless skin without having to apply so many different chemicals on the face. This way there is a lower chance of the skin being damaged. This is because acupuncture does not call for additional chemicals; rather it promotes your body to use its inherent chemicals so it can treat the acne.

Therefore, those who are confused or tired as to what chemical or treatments they need to go for and what will come after, it is recommended to opt for a natural remedy as it might fewer appointments to the acupuncturist and produce minimal or no side effects.

Why Acupuncture

The practice of acupuncture promotes finding the balance inside your body without having to rely on applying or ingesting synthetic chemicals. It is also believed by many that the human body has what it takes to heal pain or whatever other symptom it may be feeling. Unfortunately, it becomes hard to find a good treatment that has the right balance between beauty concerns and health. Therefore, if you are lucky enough to find this balance within your body, then opting for acupuncture is the best option.

Aside from fixing acne, acupuncture can fix vertigo, hypertension, and other problems, making this the best and safest alternative!

TMJ

How Chiropractic Helps Those That Suffer from TMJ Joint Disorder

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Temporomandibular Joint Disorder, or TMJ, is a common condition that affects the jaw. It can be extremely painful and many people are turning to methods other than medication or surgery to relieve that pain. While lifestyle changes such as diet may help, chiropractic care has been cited as a viable treatment for TMJ pain.

At first, this may seem counter-intuitive simply because it is widely believed that chiropractors only treat the spine and neck. This commonly held belif is not entirely accurate. Chiropractors treat all joints, including the spine and neck. A chiropractor may treat ankles, wrists, knees, and, yes, even the jaw. Sometimes the neck and spine can be contributing factors and they can be treated with chiropractic care as well.

What is TMJ?

The joint that connects your jaw to your skull and allows you to open and close your mouth is the temporomandibular joint. When you have problems with the muscles or joint in that area it is called TMJ, or more accurately temporomandibular disorders, or TMD.

This disorder is characterized by pain and stiffness on one or both sides of the jaw. The jaw may also lock or get stuck in either a closed or open position. Patients may also notice a popping, clicking, or grating sound in the jaw when chewing, yawning, or when closing or opening their mouth. They may also have trouble chewing and even experience swelling.

Doctors don’t know what causes TMJ. It seems to be linked to trauma to the neck, such as with whiplash, but it also can be caused by:

  • Arthritis in the jaw
  • Grinding the teeth
  • Stress that causes clenching of the jaw
  • Movement of the disc, or soft cushion, that lies between the socket and ball of the jaw

Diagnosis and Treatment for TMJ

Many conditions can mimic the symptoms of TMD. After taking a medical history, your doctor will check the joints in the jaw for popping, clicking, or grating sounds. He will also assess the patient’s pain or tenderness level and check for any stiffness. During the exam, the doctor will assess the job and its ability to function properly. X-rays may also be a part of the examination.

If the doctor can pinpoint the probable cause of the TMJ, he may prescribe certain treatments or make recommendations that will help. Medication is one option, mainly stress or anti-anxiety medication to help the patient relax. A night guard or splint is another option. It helps to put the patient’s teeth in the correct position. A splint is worn all the time and a night guard is worn only at night. Dental work is another option and in come more serious cases, surgery.

Chiropractic Care for TMJ

Chiropractic for TMJ is not only common, but very effective. The chiropractor may perform neck or spine adjustment as well as adjustments to the jaw. This means that the patient may experience pressure on their skull, jaw, upper spine, or neck as the chiropractor treat the condition. There are also soft tissue treatments that the chiropractor may perform during the course of treatment for TMJ.

The chiropractor will often recommend lifestyle and diet changes to patients. This offers the patient the opportunity to treat the whole body as opposed to just one area. They may apply cold packs or heat packs to the area, recommend supplements, and teach the exercises designed to lessen the pain and encourage healing. Chiropractic is a safe, effective, and non-invasive treatment for TMJ.

So if you or a loved one have been diagnosed with TMD and/or are experiencing TMJ pain, give us a call. Our Doctor of Chiropractic is here to help!