Chiropractic, Massage, and Hydrotherapy

Chiropractic medicine is a fairly large field, used to treat back pain/injuries, headaches, joint injuries, and body alignment problems. The main emphasis is the proper alignment of the spine. This is based on the fact that the spinal cord can be affected by poor alignment, and this can cause various ailments throughout the body. The belief is that when the spinal cord is aligned properly it can function the way it's suppose to and the body can deal with any ailments by self healing. Proper alignment allows nerve impulses to travel freely to and from all the organs, which assures proper organ function and control by the central nervous system. Despite many misconceptions about chiropractic medicine it does not involve dangerous sudden movements, there are no cracking or aggressive manipulation of joints. Using gentle pressure and movements the chiropractor tries to realign bones and joints.

Massage therapy focuses on muscles. Muscles are responsible for all our movements. They are always being used and they can easily become injured, stiff, tight, sore, etc. Muscles also control the alignment of our joints and bones. When muscles are injured or stiff they can pull on one side of a joint causing major misalignment. For example, women that wear high heels, this causes the hamstrings to shorten, this causes an irregular curve of the pelvis, which causes the lower back to become misaligned. Sometimes this can also lead to misalignment of the upper back. All this from just high heels. Another example, too much stress can cause tight neck and shoulder muscles. This can lead to head aches, sore necks, and even poor shoulder mobility. Massage therapy puts emphasis on realigning bones and joints by muscle manipulation, mostly, as the name implies, by massage. A proper massage can improve circulation (which helps flush out waste from the muscles and lymphatic system), loosen tight muscles, and improve relaxation.

Hydrotherapy is the use of hold or cold water to obtain certain health benefits. It is well known that cold is used immediately for bone or joint injuries to reduce inflammation and scar tissue later on. Heat is used 3-4 days later to improve circulation and speed healing. But cold and heat can be used for other issues as well. Hot water is very relaxing (as many sauna and whirlpool users already know) and soothing. Heat also helps the body in getting rid of waste and toxins, mostly through perspiration. Keep in mind, it does not have to be water, this can also be achieved in saunas and steam baths. Using heat can also help the body fight off certain illnesses, by helping the body's own immune system become more active. The immune system is stronger when body heat is higher, which is one reason why someone may become feverish during an infection. It is believed that alternating between hot and cold can stimulate the endocrine and adrenal glands, alleviate inflammation, and improve certain organ functions.