When it comes to our health and well-being, it’s important to know when to take which avenue. When we visit the doctors office, it’s not uncommon to feel as though we’re referred to one specialist after another, essentially jumping through one rabbit hole just to find another it seems. Because of this, many people resort to more natural approaches. Two of the most common being chiropractic care and massage treatment. However, there seems to be some confusion on which therapy treats what ailments. To clear the smoke a bit, below are the break-downs of each:

When You Need a Massage

Massage is often thought of as a luxury, only for those who want to treat themselves to a day at the spa. But this is often not the case at all. Massage is one of the best things you can do to keep your body in tip-top condition that can act as both a preventative and healing therapy. The most common issues treated by are those that are muscle related. Receiving regular massage can release built-up toxins and muscle tension which, if left unattended, can eventually lead to chronic pain, discomfort and aches (including serious headaches). This release of toxins and movement of other fluids and energy can also improve mood and increase energy levels. Some forms of massage therapy include deep-tissue, Swedish, trigger point therapy and cranial sacral therapy. Some additional areas massage can be helpful for include:

• Anxiety
• Digestive disorders
• Boots Immunity
• Fibromyalgia
• Insomnia related to stress
• Improves skin conditions
• Soft tissue strains or injuries
• Sports injuries

Here is a great recommended massage therapist in South Haven, MI.

When You Need Chiropractic Treatment

Chiropractic therapy differs from massage in that rather than treating muscle related issues, it directly targets the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. While massage tends to treat soft tissues, chiropractic therapy can focus on the hard tissues such as the spine and joints. The most common reason for seeing the chiropractor is to have a spinal readjustment. But it’s also very useful for other joint problems or from being generally, even subtly, out of alignment. Unbeknownst to many, nearly all of us are out alignment to some degree, and this can affect our day to day capabilities more than we realize. Something as small as the way we walk to using our phones on a daily basis, (where we keep our heads down and hands up), can affect our posture over time. And when we’re no longer properly aligned, our body isn’t able to function as it’s supposed to. Some of the most common benefits of regular chiropractic therapy are:

• Sciatica
• Low Back Pain and Neck Pain
• Colic and Ear Infections
• Neurological Conditions
• Blood Pressure
• Surgery Prevention
• Frozen Shoulder
• Joint pain
• Headaches
• Tendonitis
• Insomnia

Here is a great chiropractor in Greenville, SC we recommend.

Of course, if you really want to be on the ball, using both therapies in conjunction with one another is the best way to ensure your well-being. It’s often thought that massage is best to lead up to a visit to the chiropractor as it can loosen up the muscles to give your spine and joints more room to be readjusted and with less strain. Just keep in mind, regardless of which route you take, that optimal health takes time. Just because you don’t see results on the first go doesn’t mean it’s not working. Stick with it and know that just by taking that first steps to improve your state of well-being means you’re on the right track.