Oct 31
0
Massage Therapy. A massage therapist rubs a patients temples to alleviate stress and promote wellbeing.

5 Reasons to Get a Massage – That You Didn’t Already Know About

By | Massage Therapy | No Comments

Go ahead and book a massage session to wind down after your long work week! With all the health benefits – beyond reducing stress and muscle tension – this indulgence is well worth it.  According to numerous research studies, massage therapy can help improve all systems of the body.

 

How does massage therapy alleviate pain?

Massage therapy works to inhibit muscle and soft tissue pain in three main ways.  Firstly, massage therapy reduces pain by inhibiting muscle spasms.  Secondly, massage therapy either sedates or stimulates nerves as needed, to promote proper nerve functioning.  Thirdly, massage therapy causes the body to release natural painkillers called endorphins.

 

How can massage therapy benefit your health?

As a massage therapist uses their hands to stretch the muscles, it helps to improve circulation, promote relaxation and inhibit pain caused by stiff muscles and connective tissues.

While most individuals understand massage therapy to be a cure for low back pain, neck pain, muscle tension, or stress, there are a host of surprizing health benefits that massage therapy offers.  Below we will explore 5 health benefits of massage therapy – that you may not already know.

 

1.  Improves Sleep Quantity and Quality

Massage therapy triggers your brain to release serotonin, a neurotransmitter that can lead to a feeling of calmness and relaxation.  Serotonin further promotes sleep by causing the body to create melatonin.  Melatonin acts as a natural regulator of our circadian rhythm – our built-in body clock that regulates our sleep-wake cycles.  These findings are supported by a 2005 study conducted by the Swedish Sleep Medicine Institute (SSMI) in Seatle.  The study found that individuals that received massage therapy benefited from improved sleep quantity and quality. Individuals who received massage therapy not only spent less time laying awake at night, they also spend a longer amount of time in deeper, more restorative sleep.

 

2.  Eases Depression Symptoms

A massage by a professional massage therapist can cause “feel good chemicals” called endorphins to be released.  Endorphins provide several mental health benefits in addition to alleviating the symptoms of depression.  According to clinical trials conducted by the National Centre for Complementary and Integrative Health, massage therapy has been shown to reduce depression and depression-related symptoms.  Some depression-related symptoms that massage therapy can help include sluggishness, back pain, joint pain, and muscles aches.  Another way that massage therapy can further promote mental health is by making you feel more relaxed through improving blood circulation and relieving muscle tension.

 

3.  Relieves anxiety

Another mental health condition that massage therapy can help treat is General Anxiety Disorder (GAD).  Just one session of massage therapy can cause the brain to release serotonin – a calming neurotransmitter that causes the body to enter a relaxed state.  Often individuals with high levels of anxiety are constantly in a fight-or-flight state physiologically and display symptoms including heightened heart rate and cortisol-levels.  In a 2010 study conducted by Karen J. Sherman and her colleagues, massage therapy was evaluated for its effectiveness in treating General Anxiety Disorder (GAD).   In the study, 23 individuals went to 10 sessions of massage therapy over a 12-week period.  Immediately following the treatment, individuals had a reduction in anxiety.  These improvements actually remained 26 weeks after the individual’s last massage therapy session.

 

4.  Enhances Exercise Performance

Massage therapy can help athletes perform at their best by boosting their abilities while reducing their risk of a sports-related injury. More specifically, massage therapy helps athletes maintain flexibility and range of motion while reducing the risk of soft-tissue injuries.  Following injury or exercise, massage therapy can further help by reducing the recovery time. Massage therapy speeds the recovery process by improving circulation. Having good circulation allows nutrients and oxygen to muscle cells more efficiently, providing the fuel for cells to become renewed.  In a 2012 study published by Science Translational Medicine, massage therapy following exercise had many of the benefits as anti-inflammatory medicine.

 

5.  Improves Cardiovascular Heath

Working with a skilled massage therapist can help you manage high blood pressure. Individuals with high blood pressure have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular problems such as stroke, heart disease, and kidney failure.  A 2013 studypublished by the International Journal of Preventative Medicine, found that massage therapy was effective in controlling blood pressure in women with pre-hypertension.  A good massage can help by causing an increased state of relaxation, thereby inhibiting stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline from being released.  By improving relaxation and reducing stress, massage therapy can help to lower blood pressure.  Reducing blood pressure can help prevent or slow the development of hypertension or a cardiovascular-related illness.

 

In short, massage therapy causes your biological systems to work more effectively and leads to an increase in overall health as well as a decreased risk of injury.  If you have difficulty falling asleep, if can help improve the number of hours you spend asleep, and help you achieve a deeper level of sleep.  Massage therapy can also promote good mental health, by alleviating depression symptoms and reducing anxiety levels. Finally, massage therapy can help enhance exercise performance and improve cardiovascular health by promoting good circulation, helping the body to heal itself.

 

Massage Therapy at Glenora Chiropractic & Physiotherapy Clinic

At the Glenora Chiropractic & Physiotherapy Clinic, we are proud to offer massage therapy to promote health, healing, and general well-being. The healing art of massage therapy dates back 4,000 years and since that time it has expanded beyond the ancient art of massage to incorporate anatomy and exercise physiology.

Want to learn more about how massage therapy, physiotherapy, and chiropractic therapy can benefit your health?  Give our office a call to book an appointment today!

After just one appointment you will feel the relief in pain or stress.

Oct 02
0

6 Common Causes of Knee Pain

By | Chiropractic Therapy, Injury Recovery, Physiotherapy | No Comments

Is your knee pain causing you to miss out on the activities you love? When you have knee pain, even the simplest tasks, such as walking around the grocery store or going for a bike ride can lead to a feeling of instability and discomfort.  There are many causes of knee pain ranging from surgery and arthritis to the simple wear and tear from daily activities.  Depending on the exact cause of your knee pain, a physiotherapist or chiropractor can prescribe an individualized treatment plan for you.

 

What Causes Knee Pain?

Is the pain around your knee cap or behind or to the sides of the knee?  Do you experience knee pain more when you are at rest or when you are exercising?  Your specific symptoms of knee pain and the timing or your knee pain when you perform certain activities provides a good clue as to the cause of your knee pain. Here are 6 common causes of knee pain with their associated symptoms.

 

  1. Patella Tracking Issues:

    Your kneecap, or patella, is the bone covering your knee, providing strength and structure as you bend and move your knee joint. If you have pain around your kneecap that gets worse with exercise or repetitive movements involving bending and straightening your knee, you may have patella tracking issues. Patella tracking issues can be caused by several factors, including: having weak thigh muscles, performing repeated twisting motions, or a traumatic blow to the knee.  A clicking sensation when you bend and extend your knee is another symptom of a patellar tracking issue.

 

  1. ACL Damage

    Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) damage affects the ligament connecting your thigh bone to your shin bone. Ligaments are fibrous connective tissues that connect two bones to hold together a joint.  Of all the knee ligaments, the ACL is the most frequently injured.  If your knee pain began after repetitive movements, such as from athletic activity or exercise, you may have ACL damage.  Most ACL injuries are the result of a quick pivoting maneuver performed while playing a sport such as soccer, football or basketball. ACL symptoms include knee swelling, a reduced range of motion, and sudden pain followed by a feeling of knee instability, especially when changing direction quickly during walking or running.

 

  1. Damaged or Sprained Knee Ligaments

    Sprains and damage to knee ligaments are usually caused by overstretching, overusing, or twisting your knee during exercise. For this reason, highly active individuals are at a higher risk for developing a torn knee ligament. Your knee ligaments are connective tissue that connects bone to bone, helping you to move your knee joint effectively. Depending on the ligament damaged you may experience instability, immobilization, a reduced range of motion, swelling, tenderness, or pain.

 

  1. Meniscal Injuries

    Your meniscus is a piece of thin cartilage that separates your thigh bone from your shin bone, providing a cushion as you move your knee. Activity as simple as getting up very suddenly from a squatting position could lead to a teared meniscus, though other causes include sports (such as football, basketball, tennis, and soccer), and activities that involve putting pressure on or rotating your knee joint. If you have difficulty straightening and your knees feel unstable or give way when standing up, you may be suffering from a tear to your meniscus. During the initial injury of your meniscus, you may hear a popping sound and your knee may lock in place.

 

  1. Tendinitis

    Knee tendonitis, otherwise called patellar tendinitis, involves an inflation of one of tendons around your knee area. A tendon is a flexible band of tissue that attaches a muscle to bone. Knee tendonitis. A common symptom is mild or severe pain behind or to the sides of the knee. For people with knee tendinitis, kneeling or standing from a squatting position can be especially painful.  Often referred to as “jumper’s knee”, knee tendinitis is often caused by sports involving jumping such as volleyball or basketball.  However, it isn’t just athletes who may experience knee tendonitis.  Several other causes of knee tendinitis include having tight leg muscles, uneven leg muscles, obesity, shoes without enough padding, or rigorous physical activity.

 

  1. Trigger Point Referral Pain

    Trigger points are defined as sensitive areas of the body that can cause pain or symptoms in another area. If muscles around your thigh or knee experience decreased circulation or have a buildup of toxins, the nerves surrounding your knee could become more sensitive, causing mild to severe pain. In the case of muscle pain caused by a trigger point, the muscle fibre causing the pain has formed into a knot, causing reduced blood flow in the trigger point area.  If you have developed pain in your knee due to a trigger point, your knee pain will likely be worse with rest and better with exercise.  Other symptoms of trigger point pain in the knee include pain when extending the knee joint, a feeling of tightness along your thigh muscle, having a deep ache at the front or inside the knee, and having increased pain when at rest.

 

No matter the culprit behind your knee pain, physical therapy and/ or chiropractic therapy could be your quickest path to recovery.

 

Which treatment is best for Knee Pain?

Depending on the root cause of your knee pain, your knee injury diagnosis, and your current physical health, your physiotherapist or chiropractor will tailor their approach to you.  For example, someone over the age of 50 who has diabetes will have a very different treatment plan from a young athlete recovering from a sports injury.  Your personalized treatment plan may include knee mobilization techniques, massage, taping, wearing a knee brace, stretches and strengthening exercises.

 

Treatment Plans Unique to You

No matter whether your visit our clinic regularly or want to come in for a limited time following a sports injury, we can help.  Our physiotherapists and chiropractors at the Glenora Chiropractic and Physiotherapy Clinic will design a treatment plan specific to your needs, age, condition, and lifestyle.

 

Want to learn more about how the Glenora Chiropractic and Physiotherapy Clinic can help you achieve full-body harmony?  Call today to book your appointment.

Feb 07
0
About us

New website… same great service

By | News | No Comments

We are pleased to announce the launch of our brand new website. This website has been redesigned to display on mobile phones/tablets in addition to desktop view. We also added more detail about the services we provide.

In addition to Chiropractic, we offer a variety of additional services to ensure optimal recovery and prevent future injuries:

  • Physical Therapy
  • Massage Therapy
  • Kinesiology/Athletic Therapy
  • Acupuncture
  • Custom Knee Braces
  • Foot Orthotics
  • Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression
  • Laser Therapy
  • Radial Shockwave Therapy
  • A.R.T
  • Graston Technique

Conveniently book an appointment with our online form

Our very own Glenora Chiropractic and Physical Therapy representative will review your booking request and contact you to confirm your appointment.

Meet our staff

We strive to help patients reclaim active and fulfilling lives that are free from pain. We help accomplish this by hiring the best talent possible. Drop by our About page to see staff photos and biographies.

Enjoy our new site!