How Massage and Chiropractic Care Work Together

Posted on July 3, 2016 by admin

Those have already visited a chiropractic office probably know that many chiropractic facilities also offer professional medical massage for their patients. This isn’t just because those who seek chiropractic care may also benefit from massage; it’s because chiropractic care and massage can work together synergistically, improving your overall response to the therapies.

What’s the Difference Between Chiropractic Care and Massage?

For those who are unfamiliar or new to chiropractic care, its focus is primarily on the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system to lessen discomfort and improve overall health. This is often achieved through manual manipulation of the spine, neck, and extremities.

Massage is the skilled manipulation of muscular tissue to improve tone, reduce tension and pain, and aid in overall health. Both of these hands-on techniques work well on their own, but together, they can provide patients with amazing relief from symptoms.

Benefits of Massage Before Chiropractic Adjustment

One of the simplest ways that massage and chiropractic care work together is by increasing muscular relaxation. Massage prior to a chiropractic appointment or adjustment can result in looser, less tense muscles, which in turn make the body accept the manipulations more easily. Without needing to battle against muscular tension, the chiropractic professional will likely have a much simpler and more effective hands-on session with the patient.

Benefits of Massage After Chiropractic Adjustment

If, like many people, a patient prefers to receive massage therapy after a chiropractic session, the massage can offer additional benefits for the patient. It can lessen any soreness from the chiropractic session and decrease the amount of time needed between sessions. It can also help the body to recover more quickly, leading to better results from treatment. Massage helps increase circulation of blood throughout muscle tissue, which can help relieve any built up lactic acid created by work or athletic activity. This can help improve a patient’s sense of wellbeing and reduce their recovery time after training.

Work With Your Doctor to Determine Frequency

Used in conjunction for the same symptoms and conditions, massage and chiropractic services can truly increase the speed of recovery, reduce pain and discomfort, and improve overall health. If you are considering engaging in chiropractic care for any of a number of conditions, you should speak with your chiropractor to see if they recommend massage for the same condition.

Depending on the doctor’s suggestions, you may end up receiving massage every time you come in for an adjustment, or every other time. How often you receive massage with your chiropractic care depends on the nature of your needs and how your body responds.

What is clear, however, is that if it is administered professionally, massage can greatly improve your response to chiropractic care and your personal sense of wellbeing. Contact Spencer Chiropractic Center today with any questions regarding massage in tandem with your regular chiropractic adjustments.

Benefits of and Important Reasons for Regular Adjustments

Posted on May 12, 2016 by admin

People see a chiropractor for many different reasons, including treatment for physical trauma sustained in a car accident, managing pain conditions (i.e. scoliosis), and more remote health problems. The frequency of your adjustments will vary depending on your state of health and the reason you visit a chiropractor, in addition to the practitioner’s approach to treatments. However, everyone can benefit from a consistent treatment schedule–there are some important reasons for regular adjustments.

Reduce Chronic Pain

According to the American Chiropractic Association, 31 million Americans suffer from low back pain. Chiropractic treatments are most effective at treating the back and joints for wellness and pain management, so that after an extended period of ongoing treatments, we can re-establish the body’s equilibrium and stimulate a natural healing process to reduce chronic pain.

Improve Immunity

Although it may not seem to relate, regular adjustments can actually be an immunity booster! Several studies have been completed that show–and patients often report–fewer colds and flus after repeated chiropractic adjustments. In one study, a doctor at New York’s Preventive Medicine Institute found that patients who receive long term chiropractic care have a 200% stronger immune system than those who had not received regular chiropractic adjustments.

Energy Boost

After you’ve been receiving chiropractic treatments consistently for a long time, you will likely notice reduced fatigue and more energy. What’s more, long-term chiropractic care has been shown to improve the quality of sleep for both children and adults. Better sleep leads to more restfulness and energy when you wake up.

Emotional Benefit

The body is incredibly interconnected, and the spine is the root of it all. Ongoing, long-term chiropractic care has been shown to positively affect more than just your posture and spinal alignment; even improving your hormone balance. If you suffer from anxiety and/or depression, regular adjustments will help to reduce the ‘bad’ hormones such as cortisol, while increasing hormones that improve your mood, like dopamine.

Injury Prevention

With the spine in alignment, athletes and fitness professionals can appreciate the benefit of injury prevention. Chiropractic adjustments help maintain overall wellness and range of motion, preventing some injuries that come with an active lifestyle, such as strains or over-extension.

Contact Spencer Chiropractic Center today to discuss how regular adjustments could benefit your lifestyle!

Featured photo source: Pixabay.com

Four Questions to Ask Your Chiropractor

Posted on March 25, 2016 by admin

As in all medical practices, some doctors are better than others, and we understand that choosing your chiropractor is a major decision. After all, this is someone you trust to manipulate your spine and skeletal structure! We want our patients to be completely confident that they are able to find care from a practice that offers the highest level of expertise, professionalism, and integrity possible, and so we’d like to suggest a few questions you might want to ask your chiropractor, whether that means us or any other practitioner!

dr. spencer assistant viewing patient xray

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Identifying Back Pain from Car Accidents

Posted on February 20, 2016 by admin

Maybe your spine and your car were just never meant to get along. The statistics for auto accidents and spinal injuries are alarming. Back pain from car accidents or long car trips (perhaps even worse with the trend of Seattle traffic) is a common enough problem for car manufacturers to consider the spine in their newest car customizations and features. What is it about driving that’s so toxic to the spine?

How Auto Accidents Cause Back Pain

There are several back injuries that can result from an auto accident–some much more serious than others. Only a medical professional can diagnose a back injury from a car accident for sure, but knowing a bit about each can help you make steps to prevent auto-related back injuries in the future.

Spinal Fracture

Serious, potential emergency

Caused by: often the result of the upper body being thrown forward while the lower body remains in place–e.g. loose seat belt.

While complex, the spine is a fragile structure, and prone to damage during even seemingly minor accidents. People between the ages of 16-30 are at the highest risk of suffering an SCI, otherwise known as a “spinal cord injury.” The AANS estimates that auto accidents are the leading cause of the around 11,000 injuries each year in the U.S., followed by falls and gunshots.

Whiplash

Usually not serious, may require treatment

Caused by: many auto accidents that cause injuries cause whiplash. Soft tissues, muscles, and ligaments can all be strained during an accident

One problem with whiplash is that you may not feel symptoms for more than 24 hours after the initial accident. While whiplash is infamously associated with cervical collars, the current method of treatment is often no more complicated than pain relief medication, simple exercises, and massage. More serious cases may require ultrasound or injections.

Disc Herniation

Moderately serious, often requires treatment

Caused by: the nature of an auto accident can over-extend the spinal discs’ natural ability to absorb impact.

Like whiplash, symptoms can be delayed or nonexistent, but a disc herniation from an auto accident can range in severity. Leg or arm pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness are all sometimes present with a herniated disc. Not every herniation requires medical treatment, but the condition must be diagnosed and treated by a health professional, possibly with surgery, therapy, and/or medication.

Contact Spencer Chiropractic Center today for a consultation or tips on how to recover from injuries sustained during auto accidents.

Chiropractic Care for Athletes: End Joint Pain!

Posted on January 10, 2016 by admin

Athletes are supposed to be the ones making something look easy—that fastball pitch, wicked serve, or five minute mile. But in order to perform quickly, deftly, and expertly, athletes need to be able to perform painlessly.

One of the biggest setbacks facing many athletes is joint pain, and the risk only increases throughout your career. Years of impact can cause the the cartilage cushion between your joints to erode, or repetitive muscle contraction can pull bone structures out of alignment. Chiropractic care can not only reduce joint pain or help reduce the risk of joint injury, it can improve mobility and noticeably improve performance.

“I think it should be mandatory for athletes to see a chiropractor.”– former Major League Baseball player, Barry Bonds

Chiropractic Care and Sports Medicine

90 percent of world-class competing athletes are estimated to use chiropractic care to increase performance and prevent or treat injuries. Hundreds of chiropractors accompany Olympic teams to the games, and in 2012 chiropractic care became one of the core services offered by the host country to athletes. Chiropractors are a big part of sports medicine, and there are some things they’re especially capable of treating.

Tennis, Pitcher, or Golfer’s Elbow

Elbow pain, often known as either lateral epicondylitis (as in tennis elbow) or medial epicondylitis (as in golfer’s elbow), is usually caused by inflammation in the joints. Bending your wrist or gripping tightly with your hand—as you might in tennis, golf, baseball, and other sports—causes your tendon to contract against the bone. Overuse of the tendon injures it, and it either becomes inflamed or the cells of the tendon themselves begin to degenerate.

A chiropractor can not only help reduce the stress on the tendon and the bones of your elbow, but also give you advice for how to protect yourself in the future.

Runner’s Knee

Knee pain is extremely common among athletes because so many sports involve jumping, running, or bending at the knees. Though especially problematic for runners, who often expose their knee joints to daily exertion and pounding impact, “runner’s knee” can affect anyone.

The symptoms typically include knee pain when the joint bends, a popping or scraping sound or sensation, and pain directly behind or slightly above the kneecap. The pain is often caused by poor alignment in the hips or spine that cause the athlete to over- or under-pronate, putting unequal pressure on the joint. Realignment, combined with stretches, ice, and other treatments, will help get you back in your sneakers again.

We Can Help

If you are an athlete experiencing joint pain, contact us at Spencer Chiropractic Center! We’ve earned the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Community Leadership Award and have a staff that values and understands athletics.

Many of the area’s top amateur and professional athletes have trusted Spencer Chiropractic with their health, from weekend cyclists to Seahawks. We are the most qualified chiropractic center in Seattle to treat sports injuries or help athletes maximize their performance capacity. Contact us today to talk about what we can do to help!