April 10, 2023

Muscular Therapy vs. Massage

Muscular Therapy vs. Massage

In our clinic, we offer muscular therapy to complement our chiropractic care. Many people think massage and muscular therapy are the same, but they are actually quite different in technique and in purpose. While most massages are designed for relaxation, muscular therapy is designed to relieve pain or tension at the source. Muscular therapy focuses on the function of the muscle and getting it to work properly. With muscle therapy the emphasis is more on restoring normal movement (movement that is free from pain and tension).Sometimes our muscles get adhesions, which are bands of painful, rigid tissue in muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Adhesions can block circulation and cause pain, limited movement, and inflammation. Muscular therapist must break down these adhesions to relieve pain and release tension. They need to go deep into the muscle to achieve this.Massages can be great for relaxing muscle tissue and helping relieve tension, but the difference is that they don’t restore function as well as muscular therapy. Massages will have you feeling good during the massage, but they don’t typically have a long-term effect on the muscles. Muscular therapy doesn’t feel as good while it’s happening—in fact it can be painful—but after the session, your muscles will feel better.Sometimes we can get used to the way our muscles feel even if they’re not at their best. And although muscle therapy can help those who suffer from chronic muscle pain, there’s no need to wait until you are in pain to have a muscular therapy session.

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