Occasionally I talk to people that think chiropractic and massage therapy is basically the same thing. I have heard others say that if you have one the other is not necessary. I think there is some confusion in the minds of those not familiar with chiropractic and massage therapy. In today’s post I want to share my views on chiropractic and massage therapy, why one cannot replace the other, and why they work so well together.
While some of the benefits of chiropractic and massage therapy such as relaxation, improved blood and lymph flow, muscle relaxation, and improved movement may be the same, the two are far from the same.
The purpose of chiropractic is to remove subluxations. A subluxation is when the bones of the spine are not aligned or moving properly and results in nerve interference. Nerve interference does not allow the body to function at its best and can be responsible for any number of health problems. Nerve interference also affects the body’s natural ability to heal. Chiropractors help the body to remove subluxations through chiropractic adjustments, typically specific thrusts done by hand at precise locations along the spine.
The purpose of massage–as I understand it–is also to support the body in healing. This is accomplished through releasing tensions and stresses in the body, mostly in the muscles through a number of techniques typically involving stroking, kneading, or other movements of the soft tissues. This has many beneficial effects on the body such as helping improve circulation, relieving muscle aches and pains, reducing stress, and improving overall well-being to name a few.
While massage can help improve motion and even affect the alignment of bones, it does not address subluxations. And while chiropractic can relieve tensions and stresses in the body through removing subluxations, there are tensions within the muscles and other soft tissues that can only be relieved through massage. Both chiropractic and massage therapy are natural approaches to help the body feel and function better, but I hope you can recognize the differences. In my mind, claiming chiropractic and massage therapy is the same is the equivalent of saying that all doctors do the same thing, all scientists do the same research, all sports require the same skills, or foods are the same.
While chiropractors can do massage and I personally work a fair amount with soft tissues to address issues there, I know a highly trained massage therapist can do things that I cannot do. I respect what massage therapists can do and their expertise with what they do.
So why does chiropractic and massage therapy work so well together? I think it is because they are both natural means to help the body heal and they truly complement each other. I know that someone who has a massage is usually easier to adjust and they tend to ‘hold’ their adjustments longer. At the same time, someone who is adjusted before getting a massage typically relaxes more and responds better to the massage.
In closing, chiropractic and massage therapy are not the same, and one cannot truly replace the other. They both work together wonderfully to help the body function and heal better!
