whiplash | Everett Spine & Rehab

The Role of Massage Therapy in Injury Rehabilitation

admin — Tue, 22 Nov 2022 06:53:42 +0000

Massage therapists routinely treat people to relieve tight muscles from stress. Not only is massage excellent relaxation therapy, but medical evidence supports using massage therapy in injury rehabilitation.

Health care has included massage therapy for thousands of years. Human structure and conditions, like musculoskeletal injuries, pregnancies, stress, and disease, are affected by muscle tone and conditioning.

Studies have indicated that consistently applied force on injured muscles squeezes inflammation-causing cells from the muscles. The results of the controlled circumstances in the studies showed muscle regeneration and reduced tissue scarring were significant.

There are many techniques for massage therapy. When a medical professional provides a diagnosis for their patient, the therapist can use the appropriate massage technique to support the recommended rehabilitation path.

Examples of conditions could be Runner’s Knee, torn rotator cuffs, whiplash, sciatica, sports injuries, automobile accident injuries, or work-related injuries.

Another factor in determining the type of massage therapy applied would be a patient’s medical conditions. Knowing if a patient has heart or blood pressure issues, anxiety, depression, or previous injuries is all pertinent information for treatment.

Swedish Massage

Swedish massage can help release muscle knots. It uses a combination of kneading, flowing strokes in the direction of the heart, passive joint movement, and circular motions.

Swedish massage can be a supportive treatment for low back, neck, and shoulder injuries. Studies indicate the relief may be temporary but effective when combined with exercise.

Deep Tissue Massage

Deep tissue massage uses more pressure than Swedish massage. The massage therapist will use deep finger pressure to relieve tension in the connective tissue and the deepest layers of muscle.

Research on Deep Tissue massage suggests the technique may help with recovery by improving circulation to reduce swelling, reduce the buildup of fluid around the injury, improve the range of motion and reduce pain and stiffness in the affected joints.

Deep tissue massage

Sports Massage

Massage therapists apply sports massage to the entire body or injured area. The therapist may use different pressures or strokes depending on the injury and limb stretching techniques.

Limb stretching during sports massage can be beneficial to increase flexibility and range of motion of the joints. Sports massage can lower an athlete’s stress levels, increase blood flow and relieve muscle tension. All these factors lead to improved injury rehabilitation.

Reflexology and Shiatsu Massage

Massage therapists use Reflexology and Shiatsu to relax or restore energy levels. The therapist will apply firm pressure on different pressure points on the hands, feet, and ears in Reflexology, and Shiatsu works the whole body.

These two forms of massage can improve a person’s recovery from injury by affecting their internal energy system. There is limited research, but studies have found that shiatsu massage can complement standard injury treatment for low back pain.

Reflexology massage

Lymphatic Drainage Massage

Lymphatic Drainage Massage is a gentle massage to move lymphatic fluids through the body. Because it removes toxins and improves circulation, lymphatic drainage massage can be helpful in the healing process of many conditions.

Rehabilitation specialists often use Ice, compression, and elevation, which are effective therapies, but manual lymphatic drainage promotes more effective edema reduction after an injury.

Massage therapy has its place in the world of injury rehabilitation. Assembling an appropriate team of health and wellness providers can and will provide the best possible treatments for each individual, and remaining open to the possibilities can be life-altering for them.

Everett, Washington Massage Therapy for Injury Rehab

Our clinic specializes in work and auto injury rehab. Our goal is to get you back to feeling normal again! If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please call 425-347-8614.

The post The Role of Massage Therapy in Injury Rehabilitation first appeared on Everett Spine & Rehab.

Should I Get Chiropractic Care or Physical Therapy for a Car Accident Injury?

admin — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 22:36:13 +0000

Today I would like to talk to you about doing physical therapy or chiropractic therapy when it being involved in an injury
such as a car accident.

Technically, you should be doing both.

What we do in our office is we start with chiropractor care, as well as deep tissue massage therapy during your acute/subacute states of recovery from your injury.

Once you have demonstrated spinal stability and have begun to heal the most painful part of your injuries, we then refer you to physical therapy, either to our in-house physical therapist, Dr. Sapida, or to a physical therapist of your choice.

So think about it. Do you get referred to physical therapy right after surgery, or do you generally wait until the surgery has
healed somewhat? Now, if you broke your arm or had a laceration, would you start physical therapy right away, or wait until there has been some healing that has taken place? Well, same thing happens inside of us.

When we've had a whiplash type injury, we generally will have some degree of tearing of the muscles and ligaments that move your body and hold your joints together. To start exercising those muscles and ligaments right after an injury is not the best thing to do, especially after an auto accident.

Sometimes it's best to let those tissue heal naturally with chiropractic and massage therapy, while gently guiding you through those treatments to make sure the spine aligns and heals correctly and that the deep tissue massage therapy treatments, which help prevent muscles from going into spasm and contracture, has an opportunity to let things kind of relax before you get into the next phase of care. Once that phase of recovery has passed, you should then start physical therapy.

Oftentimes I see patients, primary care providers, family doctors, refer them right away to physical therapy, immediately after a car accident. Well, coincidentally, statistically, those are also the patients that take the longest to heal and often time don't make a full recovery.

However, by doing physical therapy at the appropriate time and in conjunction with chiropractic care and massage therapy,
you ensure your chances of reaching maximum medical improvement and pre-injury status with minimal if not any residual symptoms whatsoever after the treatment.

I generally like to start, like I said, with chiropractic care and massage therapy care, in the acute/subacute stages of recovery and then when you're stable enough we move on to physical therapy and transition from active to passive care.

If you'd like to learn more about that, if you'd like to learn more about please call 425-347-8614 to setup a complimentary consultation.

The post Should I Get Chiropractic Care or Physical Therapy for a Car Accident Injury? first appeared on Everett Spine & Rehab.

Whiplash FAQs

admin — Wed, 05 Apr 2017 13:57:26 +0000

If you were just in an auto accident and you don’t have any apparent broken bones, you might turn your attention to your vehicle. That said, you may have soft tissue injuries you don’t even yet realize, such as a whiplash injury.

Here’s everything you need to know about whiplash:

Q: What is whiplash?
A: Whiplash is soft tissue damage that is often caused by a car accident injury. Any injury or incident in which you are whipped violently forward and then jerked back can lead to whiplash, though.
This can affect the neck, back, or shoulders. You may feel stiffness, intense pain, and be unable to lift your arm or turn your head.

Q: I was just in an auto accident and I don’t feel any pain yet. Does this mean I don’t have a whiplash injury?
A: No, it does not mean you don’t have a whiplash injury. The adrenaline and shock of the auto accident is so strong it may be days before you feel any pain. In some instances, it takes a week for the pain to develop.

Q: Does whiplash get worse over time?
A: Yes, whiplash injuries tend to get worse over time. This is, of course, if they’re left untreated. To prevent chronic pain, you should get medical treatment for your injuries, such as through a chiropractor.

Q: How is whiplash treated?
A: A chiropractor will use techniques like adjustments, manipulations, and spinal decompressions to correct spinal misalignments, reduce the pressure on pinched nerves, and heal the injured soft tissue. By releasing healing nutrients to the damaged tissue, pain is greatly reduced.

About Everett Spine & Rehab, Your Choice for Whiplash Care after an Auto Injury

If you just had an auto injury and you need treatment for your whiplash, come to us at Everett Spine & Rehab. Our trained chiropractors treat migraines, headaches, back pain, neck pain, auto accident injuries, and more.

Through our services–massage therapy, physical therapy, and chiropractic care–you can get pain relief for your car accident injury. Call us today at 425-347-8614 or stop by Everett Spine & Rehab on 927 128th Street Southwest, Suite B. We’re located near:

West Lake Stevens, WA.
Marysville, WA.
Mukilteo, WA.
Snohomish, WA.
Mill Creek, WA.
North Marysville, WA.
Martha Lake, WA.
North Creek, WA.

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