We use the muscles of our body all the time, with every breath and movement. In addition, most of us are moving at a ridiculous pace. The muscles can get overworked and become tight in an instant or over time.

Next they will develop knots or trigger points that can refer pain to other areas and limit your body’s normal range of motion. Complaints like neck pain, stress in the muscles, headaches and back pain can be associated or caused by muscles that are in spasm or too tight.

As a Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) I see these kinds of conditions on a regular basis. In my practice I work on the spine, as well as the muscles, because they are both connected and involved with what the other is doing.

Many chiropractic physicians have massage therapists in their office because the two forms of treatment complement each other extremely well and help patients recover faster.

When I think of a massage, I think of Sean Connery as James Bond trying to get a relaxing rub down and having Olga come in and work him over like she’s tenderizing a steak. There are many forms of massage techniques. In fact there are more than one hundred so one of them has to be right for you.

The massage profession has grown from the days of ancient civilizations using massage, and rulers like Julius Caesar getting regular massages each day. There are more than 200 accredited programs nationwide in private and community colleges teaching the art of massage.

The program typically includes 500 – 750 hours of classes focusing on the sciences, nutrition, ethics and treatment. There are more than 45,000 practitioners who are credentialed and have passed national board exams. 

But instead of listening to me ramble I decided to ask a Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT) all of the burning questions people usually have regarding massage. My guest for today is Melaney Wood, LMT from Body Anew Massage and she will be in the hot seat for today’s article.

WHAT IS MASSAGE THERAPY?

Massage Therapy is part of complementary health care and one of the oldest methods of healing. It involves manipulation of soft tissue (muscles, ligaments, tendons and fascia) and indirectly affects the circulatory-lymphatic system, nervous system and other key systems of the body. There are over 200 types of massage world wide, Deep Tissue, Swedish