Massage Chairs Are Popping Up Chiropractic Offices

by Steve Esquire

Chiropractic medicine is a form of alternative medicine that focuses on diagnosing and treating problems of the spine, nervous system and musculoskeletal system. Chiropractors are specialists in holistic medicine and use natural therapies to help their patients to restore health to their backs. Chiropractors use a variety of treatments such as massage therapy to restore health to the back. Massage chairs are becoming increasingly prevalent in many chiropractor offices across the country. Did you know the word chiropractor originates from Greek? This is a combination of "cheir" and "praxis" from the ancient Greek language. Together they mean a treatment done by hand. Technology has come a long way since the Greeks. I am sure the ancient Greek chiropractors would be enthralled with today’s high tech massage chairs. Chiropractors receive three main types of conditions. People that have overstressed or injured their spine. Conditions where the parts of the spine are degenerating or wearing down. The third condition is certain pre-conditions of insufficient health from the beginning. They are trained by a college accredited by the Council on chiropractic education. To become a practicing Doctor of Chiropractic medicine, they must earn a D.C. degree and be licensed from the state. Even though chiropractic medicine has been around since Egyptian times, it has not been covered by major health insurance plans. Big Medicine is covering more chiropractic treatments as now many state workers compensation systems are covering chiropractic treatment. This has forced Big Medicine to ante up and now many HMO’s and private plans have included chiropractic coverage. Chiropractors work with patients to determine the root cause of conditions related to the back, neck and shoulders. Most of these conditions are related to the spinal column. This also includes the soft tissues such as muscles, tendons, and ligaments that connect the bones of the spinal column. Most people have heard of a spinal adjustment. This seems to be the most known treatment by the general public. Most of us picture the chiropractor holding them, aligning their spine and then making an adjustment. The adjustment usually is accompanied by a crack or pop sound. Many chiropractic offices are utilizing massage chairs to help automate and deliver more consistent treatments for patients. The benefits of massage therapy to helping the body maintain its health is more widely known. Massage chairs are used to provide targeted massage therapy which can loosen tight muscles and help restore flexibility. We really have to appreciate the spine which allows us to walk on two feet. The spine is designed to distribute the weight over the length of the spine. This keeps everything in balance. However, certain conditions can cause a shift in the balance. This can cause a large portion of the body weight to be put on some very small areas. Your spine is particularly sensitive to not being in balance. The spine has to work together to take the weight of the body plus whatever you are carrying. If one area has problems, the spine becomes more sensitive in this problem area. The weight of the body can shift which can also cause further injury. Massage chairs provide an effective means to help the soft tissues to become more flexible and elastic. They help to elongate the muscles with soothing massage techniques. As the muscles relax, then elasticity is restored allowing a greater range of motion. Regular massage chair therapy helps to reduce built up tension and stiffness in these critical areas. Massage chairs are available for home use as well as professional health care use. Massage chairs may be the perfect complement to your back care.