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Chiropractors are committed to helping each individual patient realize their full health potential by reduction of nerve interference through chiropractic and the implementation of other natural and herbal remedies and therapies. Many chiropractors offer massage therapy along with standard chiropractic care.
THE COMPLETE WORKOUT
Why are so many sports and fitness enthusiasts including regular therapeutic massage as part of their conditioning programs? There is a growing awareness that a complete workout routine includes not only the exercise itself, but also caring for the wear-and-tear and minor injuries that naturally occur with strenuous movement. The physiological and psychological benefits of massage make it an ideal complement to a total conditioning program.
Who can benefit from regular massage? Anyone who routinely stretches their physical limits through movement such as running, cycling, hiking, swimming, dancing, tennis and other racquet sports, strength training and aerobics. In fact, anyone who experiences regular physical stress like mothers with small children, gardeners, or those who use their bodies strenuously in their work will find relief with therapeutic massage.
Massage is beneficial when starting a conditioning program, because it helps you get into good shape faster, and with less stiffness and soreness. It helps you recover faster from heavy workouts, and relieves conditions which may cause injury. Massage can be something to look forward to after a workout -- a healthy reward.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU EXERCISE?
Regular exercise increases vigor and promotes a general sense of well-being. If done in moderation, it can help the effects of stress, and has been linked to decrease in physiological depression. The fun of sports and physical activity is one of the "healthy pleasures," and greatly improves the quality of life.
Regular exercise produces positive physical results like increased muscular strength and endurance, more efficient heart and respiratory functioning, and greater flexibility. Exercise, along with a healthy diet, also results in less body fat and greater lean body mass. These are the components of health-related fitness.
These positive physical changes occur as the body gradually adapts to the greater demands put on it by regular exercise. The body improves its functioning to meet the challenges placed on it. Conditioning has been described as a process of pushing the physical limits (tearing down), recovery, and then building up to meet the new demands. Recovery is often overlooked, but essential for the rebuilding phases, and to realizing the benefits of a conditioning program.
The "tearing down" phase of the adaptation process often involves stiffness and soreness, especially when the amount of movement is significantly increased from what the body has been used to in the past. Referring to post-exercise soreness, people often comment about finding muscles "I didn't even know I had."
Delayed muscle soreness (24-48 hours after exercise) may be caused by any of a number of different factors. Some possible causes are minor muscle or connective tissue damage, local muscle spasms that reduce blood flow, or a build up of waste products (metabolites) from energy production.
Trigger points or stress points may also cause muscle soreness and decreased flexibility. These points are specific spots in muscle and tendons which cause pain when pressed, and which may radiate pain to a larger area. They are not bruises, but are thought by some to be small areas of spasm. Trigger points may be caused by sudden trauma (like falling or being hit), or may develop over time from the stress and strain of heavy physical exertion or from repeated use of a particular muscle.
Heavily exercised muscles may also lose their capacity to relax, causing chronically tight (hypertonic) muscles, and loss of flexibility. Lack of flexibility is often linked to muscle soreness, and predisposes you to injuries, especially muscle pulls and tears. Blood flow through tight muscles is poor (ischemia), which also causes pain.
HOW MASSAGE HELPS
RECOVERY
Therapeutic massage helps the body recover from the stresses of strenuous exercise, and facilitates the rebuilding phase of conditioning. The physiological benefits of massage included improved blood and lymph circulation, muscle relaxation, and general relaxation. These in turn lead to removal of waste products and better cell nutrition, normalization and greater elasticity of tissues, deactivation of trigger points, and faster healing of injuries. It all adds up to relief from soreness and stiffness, better flexibility, and less potential for future injury.
In addition to general recovery, massage may also focus on specific muscles used in a sport or fitness activity. For example, areas of greater stress for runners and dancers are the legs, for swimmers in the upper body, for tennis players in the arms. These areas are more likely to be tight, lose flexibility, and develop trigger points.
OVERTRAINING
Adequate recovery is also a major factor in avoiding the overtraining syndrome. Overtraining is characterized by irritability, apathy, altered appetite, increased frequency of injury, increased resting heart rate, and/or insomnia. It occurs when the body is not allowed to recover adequately between bouts of heavy exercise. Therapeutic massage helps you avoid overtraining by facilitating recovery through general relaxation, and its other physiological effects.
TROUBLE SPOTS
You may also have your own unique trouble spots, perhaps from past injuries. A massage therapist can pay special attention to these areas, monitor them for developing problems, and help keep them in good condition. An experienced massage therapist can also compliment treatment received from other health care professionals for various injuries.
FOR THE COMPETITOR
RECOVERY
During competitions, such as tournaments and races, athletes push themselves to their limits, performing at a maximum effort. At these times, sports massage is used to prepare for, and recover from the stresses of all-out effort.
PRE-EVENT
Pre-event sports massage is given within the four hours preceding an event to improve performance and help decrease injuries. It is normally shorter (10-15 minutes) than a regular conditioning massage, and focuses on warming-up the major muscles to be used, and getting the athlete in a good mental state for competition. Certain massage techniques can help calm a nervous athlete, and others can be stimulating.
INTER-/INTRO-EVENT
Inter- and intra-event massage is given between events or in time-outs to help athletes recover from the preceding activity, and prepare for the activity coming up. It is also short, and focuses on the major muscles stressed in the activity.
POST-EVENT
Post-event sports massage is given after a competition and is mainly concerned with recovery. Recovery after competition involves not only tissue normalization and repair, but also general relaxation and mental calming. A recovery session might be 15 minutes to 90 minutes in length. Some tournaments and races provide sports massage for competitors, or you may want to schedule an appointment before and/or after an event with your own massage therapist. You don't have to be a professional athlete to benefit from therapeutic massage.
WHAT KIND OF MASSAGE IS BEST?
Traditional western (e.g. Swedish) massage is currently the most common approach used for conditioning programs. It is frequently supplemented by other massage therapy approaches including deep tissue, trigger point work, and acupressure. Some massage therapists have special training in sports massage and greater experience working with athletes. Discuss your conditioning program with your massage therapist to choose the approach that best suited for your needs.
MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR CONDITIONING MASSAGE
Schedule your conditioning massage (30 minutes to 90 minutes duration) for after your workout or on a rest day.
Cool down completely after your workout before getting a massage.
Take a shower, sauna, steam-bath, or jacuzzi before a massage, if available. This will give a head start to the recovery and relaxing processes.
Tell the massage therapist about your current activity, work-out and/or sport participation so she or he can tailor the massage to your unique needs. The massage therapist may want to talk to your personal trainer, aerobics teacher, or coach to confer about your situation.
Let the massage therapist know about upcoming competitions or events. It might affect their approach to an individual session.
Tell the massage therapist about past or recent injuries which continue to cause problems or pain. The massage therapist may want to talk to your health care provider about your injuries either to help the healing process or avoid further damage.
Give the massage therapist feedback on painful areas. These may need special care or attention.
Depending upon your general physical condition, first time massages may leave you slightly sore. It's like exercise - your body may have to adjust to it. As tissue becomes healthier, you will appreciate deeper and more vigorous massage.
Just like your regular exercise or training schedule, plan ahead for regular massage appointments. "Regular" means once-a-week to once-a-month.
REFERENCES
Robert K. King, Performance Massage; Muscle Care for Physically Active People, Champaign, IL; Human Kinetics Publishers, 1993.
Bonnie Prudden, Myotherapy: Complete Guide to Pain-Free Living, New York Ballentine Books, 1984.
Therapeutic Massage for Sports and Fitness written by Patricia J. Benjamin, PhD.
Information & graphics obtained from Hemingway Publications, P.O.Box 4575, Rockford, IL 61110-4575. © 1994 Hemingway Printers, Inc.
MoonDragon's Alternative Health Information Index
LOCAL CHIROPRACTORS (Salem-Beverly Area)
73 Lafayette Street
Salem, MA 01970
978-741-9416
Green Chiropractor PC
310 Lafayette Street
Salem, MA 01970
978-744-1123
Palombo Chiropractic Office
1 Colonial Rd
Salem, MA 01970
978-744-3590
Fantini Chiropractic Office
20 Central Street
Salem, MA 01970
978-745-5454
Dupilka Family Chiropractic
48 Congress Street
Salem, MA 01970
978-745-6224
A Rosen Chiropractic
528 Loring Ave
Salem, MA 01970
978-745-6868
Gordon Chiropractic PC
76 Federal Street
Salem, MA 01970
978-745-8862
Beverly Depot Chiropractic
142 Rantoul Street
Beverly, MA 01915-4241
978-921-4440
Beverly Venti Chiropractic
332 Cabot Street
Beverly, MA 01915-3362
978-927-2270
579 Cabot Street
Beverly, MA 01915-2548
978-927-5825
Franson Family Chiropractic
181 Elliott Street # 101d
Beverly, MA 01915-6115
978-927-8466
Gauthier Chiropractic Office
72 Sohier Rd
Beverly, MA 01915-2654
978-927-5880
Kintish Chiropractic Office
58 Dodge Street
Beverly, MA 01915-1043
978-922-0127
Mager Chiropractic
139 Elliott Street
Beverly, MA 01915-3205
978-922-1605
New Life Holistic Health
38 Enon Street Rear
Beverly, MA 01915-1139
978-922-1723
Russell Center For Chiropractic
319 Elliott Street
Beverly, MA 01915-2421
978-927-2607
Troy Wheelwright DC
Wheelwright Chiropractic
319 Elliott Street
Beverly, MA 01915-2421
978-921-2110
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