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By Bend Total Body Chiropractic Massage Therapy

What You Should Know About Pregnancy Massage

While nine months can seem like forever at the time, pregnancy is a brief, beautiful time in a mother’s life. Treating yourself to a pregnancy massage soothes some of the pain and tension associated with pending motherhood while also encouraging serenity during the last weeks of your pregnancy.

It’s normal to have a few concerns about the massage process while you are expecting – here’s what you should know about prenatal services before you book.

Is prenatal massage safe?

Safety always comes first, especially with so much at stake. Our licensed therapists are trained in prenatal techniques to provide the best care for you and your baby. To avoid blood flow complications, all pregnancy massages are performed side-lying with comfortable support.

What’s the difference between pregnancy massage and a regular massage?

Reasonably, there are several necessary adjustments to our traditional massage techniques. For example, some pressure points in the ankles and abdomen can trigger contractions or early labor so these areas are avoided.

Similarly, we only use gentle strokes rather than deep tissue pressure to avoid releasing stored toxins into the blood, which could potentially affect the developing baby.

When should I schedule a pregnancy massage?

We recommend starting pregnancy massages at about six to eight weeks. In some cases, your massage therapist may allow you to start prenatal massages in the later stages of your second trimester.

Due to the risk of miscarriage in the early stages of pregnancy, it is not recommended to receive a massage in the first trimester.

What are the benefits of prenatal massage?

Pregnancy massage delivers several therapeutic benefits both mentally and physically. Generally, labor is made harder due to the tension and stress that builds up in your muscles. Relaxing these muscles and decreasing overall stress may make delivery easier and a bit faster.

Aside from relaxation, you may experience any number of perks from a prenatal massage:

Less Swelling

Swollen ankles, hands and feet are hallmarks of pregnancy. Massage improves blood and fluid circulation, which transports more nutrients and oxygen to your baby while releasing some of the fluid build-up in your extremities.

Hormonal Balance

High levels of cortisol – the stress hormone – have been linked to early childbirth. The soothing touch of massage decreases the cortisol levels and increases “feel good” hormones like serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin to improve your mood.

Reduced Muscle & Joint Pain

The uneven weight shift that happens during pregnancy impacts your posture and puts pressure on various nerves. Prenatal massage aims to relax tight muscles that may be compressing nerves and relieve lower back pain.

Better Sleep

Of course, the increased relaxation from your massage session may promote better sleep, but the reduced pressure on areas of your back can also make it more comfortable to rest.

With all the stress to prepare your mind and home for a new baby, taking an hour for self-care keeps you healthy and well-rested during what can be considered one of the most demanding times of your life. At Total Body Chiropractic & Massage, our experienced massage therapists will work with you to ensure that each pregnancy massage session is as pleasant and soothing as possible.

By Bend Total Body Chiropractic Chiropractic Care, Massage Therapy

In a Pinch? Treat Pinched Nerves with Chiropractic and Massage

A pinched nerve – you’ll know it when you feel it. While some medical complications lead to this condition, even everyday work requirements can increase your likelihood of experiencing the symptoms. Fortunately, non-invasive techniques like chiropractic and massage can heal this issue, without hassle, quickly and effectively.

What is a pinched nerve?

A pinched nerve results from the compression of a nerve root along the spinal column or in any joint throughout the body (as is the case with carpal tunnel). Issues with the surrounding tissue, including bone, cartilage, muscle and tendon directly cause this condition. The resulting inflammation worsens the problem by adding more tension on the nerves.

Causes of a pinched nerve

Health conditions, aging, genetics and lifestyle habits can all lead to nerve compression.

As you age, the spinal discs – or cushions between each vertebra – begin to wear down or can rupture and protrude. Such is the case with degenerative disc disease and herniated discs, respectively. With these conditions, the bones and discs put pressure directly on the nerves, which can cause issues in any part of the body.

While those conditions commonly cause pinched nerves, symptoms can result from several circumstances:

  • Poor posture
  • Injury
  • Stress, which causes you to hold tension in your muscles
  • Obesity
  • Repetitive movements in the wrists and shoulders
  • Pregnancy
  • Sports
  • Arthritis

Symptoms of a pinched nerve

Due to the widespread connection of nerve endings, you may feel pain radiating to any part of your body, depending on the location of the affected nerve root. However, pain is not the only tell-tale signs of a pinched nerve, look out for these symptoms:

  • Pain
  • Tingling
  • Numbness
  • Weakness
  • Headaches and migraines
  • Neck pain
  • Low back pain

Chiropractic treatment for a pinched nerve

While you may feel that the nerve pain is bearable, it is vital to address it with a professional. Once adjusted, your nerves can resume normal function and blood circulation. When left untreated for long periods, nerve compression can lead to chronic pain and permanent nerve damage.

Chiropractic care and massage therapy provide a natural treatment for pinched nerves by relaxing muscles and properly aligning the spine. Your chiropractor will locate the affected area and discuss your medical and social history to identify the potential cause.

Through adjustments, they will properly align your vertebrae, so they are no longer hindering your nerve function. Your chiropractor will also guide you in light stretches to do at home, which may prevent recurrence and keep you limber.

In some cases, the pinched nerve occurs due to contracted muscles and the associated inflammation. Gentle massage techniques decrease tightness and stretch out muscles to encourage blood flow and mobility.

You don’t have to live with the pain from a pinched nerve. Keep your back and body in line to prevent nerve compression and other preventable conditions. The physical, non-invasive treatments offered by Bend Total Body Chiropractic and Massage work to provide relief as soon as the first visit.

 

By Bend Total Body Chiropractic Chiropractic Care

Understanding Sciatica and How Chiropractic Can Treat It

Back pain is an extremely common symptom of various health conditions, chronic stress, poor posture, and much more. Reasonably so, people chalk this pain up to any number of factors and give a mislabeled diagnosis – such is the case with sciatica. Understanding the causes and symptoms of sciatic pain can lead you to the correct treatment option.

What is sciatica?

Sciatica refers to pain in the lower back, butt, legs and feet that results from irritation of the sciatic nerve. The largest nerve in the body, the sciatic nerve spans from the lower lumbar region, through the hips, and down the leg.

Technically, sciatica is not a condition. Rather, it is a symptom of an underlying issue that is affecting the sciatic nerve. Depending on the contributing factors, you may deal with any number of symptoms ranging from mild to severe:

  • Dull, aching pain or shooting pain, like a jolt of electricity
  • Numbness
  • Tingling
  • Muscle weakness
  • Inflammation

Causes of sciatica

Sciatica results from anything that irritates or compromises the sciatic nerve root as it exits the lumbar region at segment L4 to S3. Commonly, sciatica is caused by herniated discs, bone spurs, disc degeneration, joint dysfunction or spinal stenosis (the narrowing of the spine). Although, some factors like stress-induced trigger points, aging, obesity, sedentary or physically tasking jobs, and diabetes make you more susceptible to experiencing these disruptions.

What is NOT sciatica?

Commonly, the symptoms of sciatica are confused with other conditions. Because the pain extends to the lower body, it’s easy to believe there is an issue with the legs when its actually radiating from the sciatic nerve.

Sometimes, people confuse sciatica with the condition piriformis syndrome. This condition results due to spasms in the small piriformis muscle located in the buttocks. The tightness can also irritate the sciatic nerve and cause sciatic-like pain, numbness, and tingling from the lower back down through the feet.

Likewise, arthritis and joint pain can cause discomfort in the legs that feel similar to sciatica symptoms.

Sciatic treatment options at Bend Chiropractic

Mild or isolated cases of sciatica may resolve with time and OTC medications. Before considering surgery, your doctor will suggest non-surgical treatment options like chiropractic, acupuncture, hot-cold compress and more. Chiropractic and massage therapy can relieve pressure on the nerves and restore some level of comfort to daily activities.

Chiropractic Care

Adjustments gradually return your spine to its proper alignment. This service removes unwanted pressure from the sciatic nerve which may fully resolve the problem. Additionally, your chiropractor will give you individualized stretches and exercises to do at home that may reduce lower back pain and prevent it from returning.

Massage Therapy

Muscle tightness and spasms can constrict nerves and induce sciatic pain. Deep tissue massages and trigger point therapy works to release some of this tension and provide comfort after the first visit.

Sciatic pain, although uncomfortable, is extremely common and treatable. Because sciatica sometimes occurs due to spinal misalignments, excess tension, and other everyday factors, regular maintenance care may decrease the likelihood of sciatic pain returning. At Bend Total Body Chiropractic & Massage, we can help treat sciatica and keep you comfortably on-the-go.

 

By Bend Total Body Chiropractic Chiropractic Care

Feel Your Best This Fall with Chiropractic Care & Massage

Although the summer and many warm-weather activities may be over, the hustle and bustle of everyday life lasts year-round. With increased yard work, holiday stressors and a regular exercise routine, continuing chiropractic care during the fall and winter is necessary to keep you healthy and on the move.

Benefits of chiropractic and massage care year-round

You may not be out hiking or playing sports as much in the fall and winter, but factors like posture, exercise routine and text neck aren’t just limited to the summer months. The benefits of chiropractic care may keep you balanced and more comfortable all year long:

1. Reduced joint pain from weather

As the temperature drops, many people feel the difference in their hips, knees, arms, shoulders and back. The lower air pressure can irritate joints that may already be stiff and inflamed. Similarly, the rainy season can cause swollen and tender joints. Massage therapy reduces inflammation and increases the range of motion in aching areas.

2. Less risk for injury doing yard work

While beautiful and scenic, the falling leaves mean more yard work for you. Twisting, bending, reaching and lifting while finishing DIY projects around the house can quickly lead to strains, sprain and injury this autumn. Regular chiropractic care and massage therapy increases your flexibility and keeps you in alignment. With proper balance, you’ll be able to get more done without pulling anything during your fall clean-up.

Further decrease your chance for injury by warming up and trying these dynamic stretches before carrying out any strenuous activity.

3. Lower holiday stress and tension

Everyday stressors like work, visitors and traffic don’t take a vacation after August. Chronic stress can lead to tense muscles in the back, neck and shoulders, limiting your mobility over time.

Swedish massage relaxes both your body and mind to relieve stiffness and decreases stress hormones levels in the blood. Take on holiday visitors and festivities more easily.

4. Boost your immune system during cold & flu season

Cold weather signals the start of cold and flu season, and misalignments in the spine affect your body’s ability to fight off infection and sickness. By realigning the vertebrae through chiropractic adjustments, your nervous system can function at its best. Massage techniques also remove toxins in the muscles and increase blood circulation, boosting your body’s ability to heal itself and remain healthy.

Other ways to care for yourself this season

Chiropractic care can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle all year, especially with regular exercise and proper hydration. Try to remain active during the colder months and stay hydrated. Drinking enough water (about eight glasses a day) flushes out toxins and lubricates your joints.

Chiropractic care and massage therapy offer more than just a solution for existing health conditions and injuries. They also provide preventative care and encourage a healthier and more active lifestyle. Just because the summer is over doesn’t mean pain and stiffness end. Keep your joints in top form with regular maintenance.

By Bend Total Body Chiropractic Chiropractic Care

Don’t Let Achilles Tendonitis Stop You in Your Tracks

You know about Achilles, the Greek god whose only vulnerability was the tendon connecting his calf muscle to his heel bone – hence the Achilles tendon. Although this tendon is powerful, it is not very flexible, which leaves it susceptible to Achilles tendonitis. Identifying the causes, signs and available treatment options for this condition may ease your symptoms.

What is Achilles Tendonitis?

The Achilles tendon aids in running, walking, jumping, climbing, and more, so repetitive stress can lead to inflammation and irritation, referred to as Achilles tendonitis.

There are two forms of this condition: insertional and non-insertional. Insertional tendonitis occurs where the tendon meets the heel bone. This type results from years of overuse (endurance athletes, runners, etc.). Non-insertional tendonitis occurs in the middle of the tendon and is common in young, active people.

Causes of Achilles Tendonitis

Increased activity during the summer like running, hiking and tennis can cause microtears in the tendon. It also naturally weakens with age, leaving older, active people at risk. Other causes involve the way that you complete these activities:

  • Suddenly increasing the distance, duration or intensity of exercise
  • Starting aggressive exercise with tight calf muscles
  • Inappropriate footwear
  • Cold weather training
  • Poor running form
  • Playing sports only on the weekend

Some causes of Achilles tendonitis are unrelated to your activity:

  • Flat feet or misalignment
  • Different leg lengths
  • Bone spur – extra bone growth at the heel can rub against the tendon

Symptoms

Usually, Achilles tendonitis begins as a mild ache and transitions into more severe pain after prolonged activity. Some cases of this condition occur silently, but most people will experience notable symptoms:

  • Pain along the tendon or heel that worsens with activity
  • Stiffness in the morning that gradually improves with movement
  • Growth of a bone spur
  • Constant swelling
  • Limited range of motion in the ankle

Chiropractic care for treatment and prevention

Don’t rely on ice and rest to completely heal this condition. Chiropractic care and massage therapy may accelerate healing and aid in prevention.

Adjustments

Adjustments improve weight distribution and restore more balance and grace while walking and running. This practice reduces unequal wear and tear and decreases your likelihood of developing this condition.

Graston Technique

This technique is a form of muscle scraping to break up adhesions in the tendon and stimulate blood flow to the area. Generally, tendons do not have a large blood supply which slows healing. Through the Graston technique chiropractors may be able to promote faster healing.

Massage

Tightness and weakness in areas like the glutes or hips can throw off the body and distribution of weight, causing tightness down the whole leg, which can influence tendonitis. Massage therapy relieves muscle tension to stimulate blood flow and improve flexibility.

Regular chiropractic care gives your body the support it needs to avoid unnecessary injury. Not only does it improve balance and posture, but it can directly affect the way your tendons respond to quick movements and repetitive actions. Don’t let Achilles tendonitis stop you in your tracks; find the solution at Total Body Chiropractic & Massage.

By Bend Total Body Chiropractic Chiropractic Care

Identifying and Treating Whiplash

Whiplash is a common neck injury that occurs due to a forceful back and forth motion of the head – think of your neck cracking like a whip. Although the pain may initially feel bearable, this condition can intensify over the days and months following the injury. Knowing the causes, risks and treatment options for whiplash can keep you healthy and on-the-go even after an auto accident.

What is whiplash?

Whiplash is a neck sprain or strain that affects bones, ligaments, discs, joints, muscles, nerves and other soft tissue in the neck. When faced with high impact, your neck stretches beyond its limits, causing tears, herniation and fractures. This soft tissue injury is characterized by tell-tale symptoms:

  • Neck pain and stiffness
  • Decreased range of motion
  • Headaches
  • Pain or discomfort in the upper body
  • Numbness or tingling
  • Dizziness
  • Difficulty concentrating

More severe cases of whiplash may cause additional symptoms:

  • Poor sleep
  • Ringing in the ears
  • Aggravation/Irritability
  • Blurry Vision
  • Memory loss

What causes whiplash?

The most common and well-known causes of whiplash result from vehicle collisions, but any impact or incident that makes your head jerk violently can potentially lead to this injury. Some less obvious reasons include:

  • Impact sports like football
  • Slips and falls
  • Physical injuries from being punched or shaken

Risks of Untreated Whiplash

If you are involved in an accident involving your neck, you should be checked for potential injury. Whiplash does not always show up on imaging machines, so it easily goes unseen. While your symptoms may not seem serious at first, the pain that follows could be debilitating. People with untreated whiplash often experience chronic pain, some immobility from scarring and inflammation, and nerve damage.

Chiropractic Care and Massage Therapy as a Treatment for Whiplash

Some cases of whiplash are mild and heal with rest, hot-cold compress and over-the-counter medications. However, all cases of whiplash benefit from chiropractic care and massage, especially the most severe instances.

Chiropractic care and massage work in tandem to realign and heal the vertebrae and muscles. In cases of whiplash, scar tissue can build up and limit the range of motion. The techniques used during massage therapy help gently break up built-up scar tissue, reduce muscle tension and stimulate blood flow to promote healing.

Starting treatment with massage therapy makes chiropractic care more effective. The muscles are looser after a massage, which makes manipulation of the bones easier. Chiropractic care relieves pressure on the neck and stops nerve compression that may be causing pain. The impact can cause misalignments, which can be treated throughout chiropractic sessions, but many patients begin to feel relief even after one visit.

Whiplash is so common that the severity of this condition is often overlooked. It is important to seek treatment from a chiropractic professional to encourage proper healing and reduce your chance of further complications. The right chiropractic care may help relieve old injuries and give your neck the support it needs to prevent new ones.

 

By Bend Total Body Chiropractic Neck Soreness

Treating Neck Pain with Chiropractic and Massage Therapy

Most people will experience neck pain at some point in their life, whether from poor posture, an auto injury or one of several other common causes of this condition. A combination of chiropractic care and massage therapy may help relieve discomfort and treat immobility associated with neck pain.

What is neck pain?

The neck is a small but powerful combination of vertebrae, muscles and ligaments that impacts most of our daily activities. However, due to its small size and big job, the neck is extremely susceptible to injury, stress and pain. Neck pain can limit your ability to drive, work, sleep or carry out everyday tasks due to the restriction of turning the head, numbness or tingling in the fingers and debilitating pain. Generally, people experience either acute or chronic neck pain.

Acute – Acute pain occurs suddenly from injury or stress on joints and muscles.

Chronic – Chronic pain is classified as pain lasting longer than three months.

What causes neck pain?

There are many contributing factors to neck pain, and your situation could result from one event or a combination of circumstances.

Neck pain can indirectly occur from common events:

·         Whiplash

·         Poor posture

·        “Text neck”

·         Sleeping on stiff pillows

·         Stress

·         Repetitive movements

·         Accidents (auto or bike)

·         Aging

And medical conditions:

·         Osteoarthritis

·         Spinal Stenosis

·         Degenerative disc disease

However, the aforementioned events may directly cause certain changes in the joints and muscles that lead to different types of neck pain:

·         Muscle spasms

·         Inflammation

·         Misaligned vertebrae

·         Disc herniation

·         Pinched nerves

How can a treatment plan of chiropractic visits and regular massage cure neck pain?

Your muscles and joints work together to create movement. Over time, tight muscles can cause misaligned vertebrae and vice versa. By keeping all the components of the neck in optimal condition through chiropractic and massage therapy, you may experience faster healing and decrease the chance of future strains.

Benefits of Massage

Massage typically addresses soft tissue and relaxes tight muscles to increase blood flow and muscle flexibility, decrease inflammation in tendons and tissues, and relieve physical and emotional stress that may be contributing to soreness. This therapy targets neck pain associated with spasms, strains, tensions and overworked or pulled muscles.

Benefits of Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic care focuses on hard tissue like the joints and spine. Adjustments encourage proper alignment of the vertebrae to decrease mobility restrictions and reduce inflammation. This treatment also removes nerve interference from misaligned vertebrae, loosens stiff joints, and increases range of motion even after one session.

Beginning your session with massage warms up and loosens your muscles to make chiropractic treatment more impactful. When the joints are properly aligned, your body can heal more quickly. Together, these ongoing treatments have the potential to alleviate inflammation, restore mobility and promote proper nerve function in the neck and shoulder region. Ask your chiropractor about supplementing your treatment plan with massage therapy for more holistic healing.

 

By Bend Total Body Chiropractic Massage Therapy

Should You Book a Deep Tissue or Sports Massage?

Massage promotes relaxation and calmness of the mind, but it also acts as therapy for the body by releasing tight muscles and improving mobility through touch and manipulation of soft tissue. Two of the most common types of massage are deep tissue and sports massage. Although there are similarities between the two types of therapeutic massage, we’re giving the rundown on sports massage vs deep tissue to help you determine the best massage therapy for your needs.

Deep Tissue Massage

Deep tissue massage therapy focuses on full-body relaxation by applying more pressure on the deepest layers of muscle tissue. The deep tissue massage technique relieves small, newer areas of muscular tension in the tissue and break up adhesions in the fascia (the connective tissue surrounding your bones, muscles, and joints.)

Patients prefer deep tissue massage therapy for its many benefits:

  • Muscle relaxation
  • Reduced chronic pain
  • Lower stress levels
  • Decreased tension in the upper back, shoulders, and neck
  • Pain relief in lower back and relieves muscle tension

Sports Massage

Sports massage caters to athletic patients of all types, professional, collegiate, and high-school level players – even people who exercise regularly and have an active lifestyle. Sports massage therapy is a more focused deep tissue massage and may focus on a certain area of the body. It uses a combination of deep and light modalities to loosen muscle knots, improve blood flow, and prevent lactic acid buildup.

A licensed massage therapist will evaluate your posture, the physical demands of your particular sport, and past sports injuries. Your sports massage therapist can concentrate on the areas of your body that are overworked or stress from aggressive and repetitive movements.

Sports massage techniques use deep tissue and stretching movements on the muscle-tendon junctions to provide certain advantages to enhance athletic performance:

  • Pre-game warm-ups and post-game cooldowns
  • Heal and prevent sport injury
  • Improving flexibility
  • Quicker recovery time between games

Sports Massage Vs Deep Tissue

For many people, these two massage treatments seem very similar, but depending on your lifestyle, you may benefit from one more than the other.

Unlike the deep tissue massage, the sports massage technique mainly focuses on the areas most vulnerable to injury or stress as well as older and larger areas of built-up tension. For example, runners may need more work on their legs, while baseball pitchers may benefit from a shoulder and arm focus.

The main difference is that with the deep tissue massage, you receive full-body therapy to relieve new areas of pain in your muscles and tissues.

However, both massages apply deep and firm pressure, which may cause slight discomfort.

Choosing the Right Service

If you’re deciding between these two services, then there are a few questions to ask your massage therapist that may help you choose the best option:

  • I used to play sports, but I haven’t in years. Which massage is best for relieving the tightness I still have from my time playing?
  • Can I get a deep tissue massage that concentrates on one area, or do I have to get a sports massage for targeted areas?
  • I experienced whiplash recently, should I get a sports massage session to heal the injury, or am I better suited for deep tissue?

Regular massage therapy and chiropractic care can help heal and repair sore and tired muscles and lower your likelihood of general muscle strains and sprains. Your massage therapist will be able to answer any questions you may have and help you determine the best treatment options for your specific issues.

By Bend Total Body Chiropractic Chiropractic Care

Treating Elbow Pain with Chiropractic Care and Massage Therapy

If you’ve never experienced persistent elbow pain, then you might not realize just how often you rely on your elbows to perform everyday tasks. Even the slightest elbow discomfort can become a constant annoyance from the moment you hit snooze on your alarm to when you’re brushing your teeth before bed.

Tennis elbow, another term for lateral epicondylitis, occurs when forearm tendons become inflamed from repeated activities that put strain on the elbow. It can progress from a nagging ache to excruciating and debilitating pain. Keep reading to learn about the symptoms of tennis elbow and the activities—besides the obvious one—that can lead to it. If you suspect that you may be suffering from tennis elbow, we can help you with chiropractic care and massage therapy.

Symptoms To Look Out For

The first sign of tennis elbow is pain on the outside of the elbow or forearm, but symptoms can also manifest as a burning sensation or tenderness in the elbow area. People suffering from tennis elbow may experience discomfort when performing simple everyday tasks that require grip strength, such as turning a door knob or shaking hands after a hard-fought tennis match. Making a fist, straightening the wrist or raising your hand can also result in pain.

Chiropractic and massage treatment can lessen these symptoms. After assessing the conditions of the tendons in your elbow, we can suggest specific wrist stretches and grip strengthening exercises to alleviate pain.

One factor to be aware of is that tennis elbow is usually not the result of an isolated event. It is a form of tendonitis that stems from the joint being overworked over a period of time. So, even if you can’t point to the cause of your elbow pain, if you are experiencing these symptoms, don’t hesitate to seek treatment.

Activities That Can Lead To Tennis Elbow

Tennis elbow is caused by repetitive strain on the elbow joint that eventually leads to inflammation. For instance, the hinging of the elbow joint that is required to hit a tennis serve or a forehand causes strain on the outer elbow. But, don’t let the name fool you—tennis elbow can be caused by many activities besides playing tennis.

Other repeated athletic movements, like shooting a basketball or throwing a football, can result in tennis elbow. As can playing guitar, swinging a hammer, raking the yard and typing on a keyboard. Basically, anyone who uses their hands to perform repeated actions on a regular basis may be at risk of developing tennis elbow.

So, even if you’ve never held a tennis racquet in your life, your elbow pain could very well be tennis elbow. We can help you pinpoint the cause of your inflammation so that you can modify your activity.

Chiropractic And Massage Treatment

Chiropractic and massage treatments have shown to be successful alternatives to anti-inflammatory drugs for treating tennis elbow. After an assessment of the elbow inflammation, we can suggest a treatment plan that usually includes bracing, icing, rehabilitative exercises and massage therapy.

We utilize the Graston Technique, an instrument-assisted practice that treats the muscles and fascia that work in conjunction with the tendons of the elbow. Again, the goal is to get your elbow to feel better faster, and also to help you avoid pain in the future so that you can stay on the court, whichever court that may be.

 

By Bend Total Body Chiropractic Massage Therapy

How to Choose the Right Massage for You

Massage is not one-type-fits-all. People need different types of massage to best address their specific issues. That’s why choosing the right type of massage therapy for your needs is essential. You don’t have to do this on your own – our massage therapists will evaluate you to determine your needs, trigger points and imbalances and then personalize the type of massage best suited for you. Following are several of the varieties of massage therapy that we offer at Total Body Chiropractic & Massage, and who can benefit most from each technique:

  1. Deep tissue massage – this whole-body massage is designed to relax joints and muscles. While it is similar in many ways to the better-known Swedish, or relaxation, massage, its deeper pressure aids chronic pain sufferers.
  2. Myofascial massage – this technique concentrates on pain that stems from tough myofascial tissues, the membranes supporting the muscles and is beneficial for back pain sufferers. It also improves blood circulation, which relieves pain by bringing oxygen and nutrients to tissues. A related type of myofascial massage known as gua-sha is also available. Gua-sha is especially recommended for those with longstanding muscle tension requiring a release.
  3. Pregnancy massage – expectant mothers appreciate the relief offered by this massage, as it can dispel many of the common conditions of pregnancy. These include edema – or swelling – backaches, cramping, and overall stress. Also known as prenatal massage, the practice can help mothers-to-be relax and sleep better.
  4. Sports massage – athletes know the effects of a good massage. Regular sports massage can prevent injuries and increase flexibility and range of motion. The massage therapist targets the most vulnerable areas in the individual’s body based on the type of sport they play.
  5. Swedish massage – this classic form of massage improves circulation and aids in muscle relaxation. It is also effective for minor pain relief. If you’ve never had a massage before, this is a good place to start.

Massage therapy can significantly improve a patient’s overall well-being both physically and emotionally. When combined with proper nutrition and ongoing chiropractic care, massage therapy promotes proper body alignment, balance and function.