I am often asked about "my take" on chiropractic treatment. My opinion: like any profession, especially massage therapy, there are some incredible practitioners who really provide some relief, many that I wouldn't describe as "stellar", and some that are downright overly aggressive and damaging.
There are some cases that completely necessitate chiropractic treatment. So, assuming you have a great chiro, here is my hard and fast rule: If you are going to be receiving chiropractic care, you MUST receive massage therapy.
Why? There is a very simple answer: Muscles move bones (this is what allows us to move). So, if you adjust the bones without addressing the forces that pulled them out in the first place, then these forces will simply pull them out again. And, depending on the aggressiveness of your chiropractic treatment and the level of tension in your musculature, you may sustain a little bit of soft tissue damage in the process.
But...partner your chiropractic treatment with some therapeutic massage, and you have the perfect conditions for a stellar adjustment that will hurt less and hold better. This leads into another common question: Which first—Chiropractic or Massage? My answer: Massage, for all of the above reasons. Massage is a great primer for chiro. I have massaged plenty of traumatized and inflamed tissue post-adjustment. Had the order of treatments been reversed, the client would have been more comfortable for both, and the results would have been better.
As always, choosing a therapist with an intimate understanding of injury treatment and anatomy is vital to get the best results. Correct assessment of the condition and specific targeting of the necessary musculature is the key to providing relief to any pain syndrome or injury, whether or not you opt to partner your massage therapy with chiropractic care
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