Many people may think of massage as something that occurs at a spa, after some form of sports injury, or to periodically reduce tension in muscles.  Two other kinds of massage can be incredibly helpful, however:  massage during pregnancy and massage for infants.

Pregnancy Massage

Prenatal massage can alleviate many of the physical discomforts that come with the pregnancy territory.  Special training is needed to make sure that the mother and unborn child are safe during massage.  Some massage therapists are actually certified in prenatal massage.  The American Pregnancy Association sees many benefits of prenatal massage.  Obviously, anxiety, depression, and stress are reduced at the same time as pains in the joints and muscles are alleviated.  According to the APA, Swedish massage, which improves circulation and reduces tension in the muscles, is the “recommended prenatal massage method…because it addresses…skeletal and circulatory changes brought on by hormone shifts”.  Studies have actually shown that cortisol and norepinephrine (“stress hormones”) are reduced.  This can benefit not only the mother-to-be, but there may also be fewer birth complications and less risk of low birth weight and other problems.  Pregnancy massage can help to treat edema (joint swelling) by stimulating soft tissues to release fluids.  The lymphatic system will also remove waste more efficiently.  Massage can be helpful in treating sciatica nerve pain, caused by the uterine pressure.  There are even a few other side benefits from prenatal massage, including “improved oxygenation” and “better sleep”.  Of course, high-risk pregnancies, hypertension, pre-term labor risk, and severe swelling would require consultation with a medical professional before seeking massage therapy.¹

Infant Massage

While a professional masseuse can be sought for infant massage, it is also something parents can incorporate in their own child care regimen.  Daily massage for an infant is good for bonding, can help the baby sleep and relieve colic, and may also “enhance an infant’s immune system, motor skills, and intellectual development”.  Gentle stroking motions and working section-by-section are key elements.  Simple techniques can be taught by video, and they can give a new parent the confidence they need in massaging their baby at home.  The abdomen can be stroked in a clockwise motion, the baby can be rocked gently side-to-side, the head and face can also be massaged, and the parents can finish off with the chest, arms, back, and legs.  Building massage into the daily schedule, just a few minutes at a time, can be beneficial.²  If parents prefer to seek a professional to massage their infant, there are organizations that specialize in this.^3,4,5

Massage and Chiropractic

Massage can be a complementary procedure to go with chiropractic care.  Chiropractors also treat pregnant women and infants.  DCs can use special techniques to help women pregnant with a breech-positioned baby, for example.  Other types of chiropractic procedures include special positions used for pregnant women.  The moments after birth can also be treated with chiropractic care, both for the mother and child.  Massage is a wonderful companion therapy that can be used in these special times of life.

References:

1 http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/prenatalmassage.html

2 http://www.parents.com/baby/care/newborn/how-to-massage-baby/

3 http://infantmassageinstitute.com/

4 http://www.liddlekidz.com/infant-massage-certification.html

5 http://lovingtouch.com/training_details

Massage therapy is often incorporated into traditional medicine, as well as chiropractic offices.  It can provide a beneficial adjunct to a patient’s spinal manipulation and holistic care.

Types of Massage Therapy

Massage therapy is widely considered to be an alternative medicine.  There are many types of massage therapy.  One type, Swedish Massage, is the most commonly used one in the United States.  Therapists uses kneading, circular motions, and “long smooth strokes”, with lotion or oil, on “superficial layers of muscle”.  Aromatherapy Massage includes essential scented plant oils to help the client feel energized or relaxed, or for balancing and stress-reduction.  Hot Stone Massage incorporates the used of heated stones on certain body points.  It is a lighter massage for muscle tension.  When the therapist targets deep muscles with slower strokes and friction, that is considered Deep Tissue Massage.  Shiatsu is a Japanese massage that uses “finger pressure in a rhythmic sequence”.  Thai massage also “aligns the energies of the body” with pressure points, stretches, and compressions.  The therapist in this type of massage stretches the client into a “sequence of postures…like yoga”.  Pregnant women can also have a special type of massage, with modified positions and techniques.  A type of foot massage is Reflexology, which involves pressure points that match up to organ systems in the body.  Sports Massage is for any physically active person, and it includes faster strokes than Swedish massage and “facilitated stretching” to increase flexibility.1

Training for Massage Therapists

Training for therapists varies.  37 states have laws about massage licensing, and some cities have individual requirements.  Legal minimum education “can range from 330 to 1000 contact hours”, and the education can require weeks to two years.  It is important to note that in states that have no requirements, some practitioners of massage can have no training.2  Massage therapists can practice in public and private locations, including hospitals, offices, spas, and even shopping malls.  Typically, they have a “postsecondary non-degree awared”.3  There are some rigorous training programs available to massage therapists.   The National Holistic Institute, for example, has a “Core 900 Hour” curriculum and offers an “Advanced 450 Hour” program as well.4  Their program is nationally accredited.  “The accreditation process is to provide a professional judgment as to the quality of …program(s) offered, and to encourage continual improvement.”  Because of the various state requirements, some massage therapists may have significantly more training than others.  Illinois, for example, requires 500 hours of training and an “approved certifying exam” with 24 hours of biennial maintenance.6

Massage in Chiropractic Offices

Some massage therapists opt to work in chiropractic offices.  This provides a partnership that can benefit both types of practitioner, each helping the other to build clientele.  Massage therapy can be an excellent complement to spinal manipulation therapy.  Some chiropractic offices offer therapeutic and relaxation massage.   Carson Chiropractic, in Illinois, has highly trained, licensed massage therapists in its practice, who focus on “trigger point, therapeutic and deep-tissue massage therapy…[and are] trained in pregnancy massage”.  The practice believes “strongly in the positive benefits of massage therapy…when paired with chiropractic care”.7

References:

1 http://altmedicine.about.com/od/massage/a/massage_types.htm

2 http://www.naturalhealers.com/qa/massagecareers.html

3 http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/massage-therapists.htm

4 http://www.nhi.edu/articles/massage-therapist-training.html

5 http://www.nhi.edu/articles/massage-certification.html

6 http://www.massageregister.com/massage-license-requirements

7 http://www.carsonchiropractic.com/staff.html

The population of this country is aging.  The “baby boom” generation is now entering the Medicare patient pool.  With health care reform, chiropractic  is part of the eligible healthcare providing team.  Because of these factors, chiropractic care is becoming a more popular treatment option in the elderly patient pool.

Elderly Population and Health Care

“By 2030, there will be about 72.1 million older persons, more than twice their number in 2000,” according to the Administration on Aging.¹  Many health issues arise as people age, and traditional medical treatments may not be the sole treatment necessary for many individuals.  Some of the health problems encountered may include:  “Alzheimer’s and dementia, incontinence, cancer, heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, sleep disorders, depression, osteoporosis.”²  With these disorders, there can be pain and nutritional concerns.  Complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) should also be under consideration as treatment options for the elderly population.  The American Chiropractic Association lobbied to ensure that chiropractors would be included as health care practitioners, on a non-discriminatory basis, in President Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.³

Chiropractic Treatments for the Elderly

According to the American Chiropractic Association, the elderly often suffer from “musculoskeletal conditions, such as nonspecific back and joint pain and osteoarthritis, common causes of disability and decreased function”.  Chiropractors have several years of education and training in treating these kinds of conditions, and “chiropractic is, by far, the largest “alternative” health care profession”.  Besides treating immediate pain conditions, many patients choose to continue to see their chiropractors for wellness care and preventative therapy.  Chiropractic is part of a holistic approach to well-being, and it can be a complementary treatment method that works with other traditional medical care.  Prevention can also include “exercises and healthful activities of daily living”.  If a patient is frailer, gentler chiropractic adjustments can be used, such as “low force and soft tissue techniques”.  Chiropractic can offer another option to doctors prescribing additional medications and surgeries for their elderly patients, as well.⁴

Benefits of Chiropractic

As adults mature, there are changes in the spine, discs, joints, muscles, and ligaments.  Degeneration can happen, and it can take longer to heal from injuries.  Mobility is decreased, and patients may be in more pain.  Instead of providing symptomatic relief with medication, or permanent changes (and associated risks) with surgery, chiropractors can help their elderly patient with overall health and well-being.  Chiropractors can provide pain relief, decreased stiffness, more range of motion and balance, decreased inflammation, less joint pain and degeneration, and reduce the risks related to fall injuries.⁵

References:

¹ http://www.aoa.gov/aoaroot/aging_statistics/index.aspx

² http://www.agingcare.com/Health-Conditions

³ http://www.acatoday.org/content_css.cfm?CID=3400

⁴ http://www.acatoday.org/pdf/WHCoA_FinalPaper.pdf

⁵ http://www.dcdoctor.com/pages/rightpages_wellnesscenter/babyboomers/chirocare.html

One of the most common complaints during the later months of pregnancy is experiencing back pain. Typically, during pregnancy the pain is felt in the low mid back and pelvis areas. Because this back pain can remain once the pregnancy is over, it is important to seek treatment to prevent the pain from becoming too severe. The mid back pain and pelvic pain can be felt on only one side or be felt in the middle of the back. This pain can be felt throughout the day or only during the evening and at night. The causes of mid back pain during pregnancy include the additional weight of the growing baby, hormone levels, body mechanics, circulation and the amount of activity during the day. Strengthening and stretching exercises are important during pregnancy because of the change in hormones. A hormone present during pregnancy is relaxin, and this hormone helps to relax the pelvis for increased flexibility during labor. Because relaxin loosens the pelvic joint, the sacroiliac joint can become less stable and pain can be felt at the SI joint and other joints along with spine. Other hormones can cause back pain during pregnancy as well because as the hormones increase, water retention in the soft tissues and ligaments puts additional weight on the spinal joints.

Back Pain During Pregnancy

Some causes of back pain during pregnancy, such as hormonal changes, cannot be controlled or prevented to avoid back pain but some causes can be improved. Body mechanics and the amount and type of activities during the day can be altered to help decrease back pain and possibly avoid an increase in the severity of the back pain. Practicing good posture, sleeping on your side with a pillow placed between the knees, lifting small items while squatting and using your legs, using maternity belly support belts and wearing appropriate footwear with good arch support will all help with prevention of back pain while pregnant. Massage therapy, when indicated during pregnancy, and chiropractic care can also provide pain relief for mid back and pelvic pain. Aside from manipulations, a chiropractic physician can offer stretching and strengthening exercises for the back and abdominal muscles. Strengthening these areas will provide greater stability to help fight the effects of the hormone relaxin. These exercises may also provide more strength and endurance during the course of labor and delivery as well.

References Cited in this Article

www.familyeducation.com

www.mayoclinic.com

There is more information on chiropractic care in pregnancy.

Are you pregnant and experiencing agonizing and unrelenting back pain?  You’re not alone; Pregnancy and Back Pain almost always go hand-in-hand.  The reasons why this happens is due to the following: you’re gaining weight, you’re walking in a different way, and your hormones are relaxing the muscles and ligaments in your body.

How to Ease Back Pain at Home

There’s absolutely no reason to do nothing about the back pain while pregnant.  Here is a list of some common things to perform at home to reduce the effects: sleep on your side holding a body pillow between your legs and arms, sit and stand appropriately, always practice good posture by tucking the buttocks under bringing the chin and head to anatomical position, when lifting lift with your legs and also only objects that aren’t too heavy, wear proper fit shoes with a good arch support, exercise regularly but not strenuously, perform pelvic tilt exercises, and try heat or cold compresses at home.

How to Ease Back Pain Outside of the Home

While performing at home regimens is necessary, sometimes it’s just not enough to ease the pain and discomfort of back pain.  Some women choose to seek out the care of Chiropractors, Massage therapists, and Acupuncturists.  Some Chiropractors are skilled in the Webster technique, a technique which stabilizes the women’s pelvis by adjusting the sacrum and performing soft tissue techniques to the ligaments of the pelvis like the round, broad, and the sacro-tuberous ligaments.  Massage therapists may receive additional training in the art of pregnancy massage.  In these classes, the massage therapists are trained in proper bolstering of pillows, proper draping, and techniques to not only reduce the patient’s back pain but also the therapist who is performing the massage session.  It is always important to obtain clearance from the OBGYN before administering massage therapy, especially in the first trimester of pregnancy.  Skeptics claim that it could possibly cause a spontaneous abortion and must be contraindicated.  However, this has not been proven recently.  In addition, Acupuncture may provide the pregnant patient with reduced back pain and a sense of calm as well.  Acupuncturists will help to balance the patient’s chakras and meridians.  In the third trimester upon the delivery date, they will be able to induce delivery by applying pressure to specific points on the hands and feet.  These points may also reduce the pain that the pregnant women feels while laboring.

There is more information on chiropractic care during pregnancy.

Aside from the joys and happiness of pregnancy, there are some common physical issues that may make the later stages of pregnancy more difficult and painful. Pregnancy and back pain seem to go hand and hand, as most women will complain at some point about feelings of pain or discomfort in the lower back. As the unborn baby develops and grows larger, a woman will notice her center of gravity changing from week to week. Along with this change, the uterus and abdominal muscles will become stretched and grow weak, making it more likely to cause discomfort and increase the chance to become off-balance, putting greater strain on the muscles of the lower back. This increase in abdominal weakness places more strain and tension on the low back muscles and this can cause low back pain. Additionally, hormonal changes during pregnancy, specifically the presence of the pregnancy hormone, relaxin, will cause joints like those in the pelvic area, to become more loose and relaxed, which can cause joint instability and produce pain as well. The two types of low back pain that may be experienced during pregnancy is pain in the lumbar spine and pain that is present in the posterior pelvic region. Lumbar spine pain is felt at the specific lumbar level that is experiencing strain or compression. Posterior pelvic pain is common in pregnancy and the pain felt is lower than lumbar pain, in the buttocks or thighs. The pain may be exacerbated by movement such as walking, lifting, turning while in bed, sitting or leaning forward or walking up stairs.

Sacroiliac Dysfunction

Studies have shown that as many as half of women who are pregnant experience back pain at some point during their pregnancy. From the January 1988 edition of Obstetrics and Gynecology, a paper titled “Low Back Pain during Pregnancy” was published and related a study that was done that included 862 pregnant women in Sweden. Of the 862 women, all of them had symptoms of low back pain. 78% of the back pain was caused by sacroiliac dysfunction. Chiropractic physicians involved in this study provided manipulations to the SI joint and the results produced improvement and reduction of pain in 70% of the pregnant participants. This study shows that chiropractic care during pregnancy, when indicated and appropriate, is beneficial and can provide the desired results. Massage therapy can also help to relax the strained muscles and joints, offering another conservative option for women who complain of low back pain during pregnancy. Because some women have other health problems during pregnancy, it is important to discuss conservative care options with a chiropractic physician before beginning treatment.

References Cited in this Article

www.babycenter.com

www.dynamicchiropractic.com

There is more information on chiropractic treatment in pregnancy.

]]> http://www.echiropractor.org/pregnancy-and-sacroiliac-dysfunction/feed/ 0 http://www.echiropractor.org/chiropractic-careers-colleges-and-education/ http://www.echiropractor.org/chiropractic-careers-colleges-and-education/#comments Thu, 23 Jun 2011 15:13:46 +0000 echiropractor http://www.echiropractor.org/?p=3657

About Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic Careers, Colleges and Education – Chiropractic care provides natural healing techniques for adjusting the misalignment of the vertebrae. Chiropractors believe that problems within the spine, nervous, and muscular systems, reduce an individual’s ability to fight disease. Since chiropractors are natural health practitioners, many people are seeking these physicians as an alternative to medications and treatment for injuries.  Chiropractors appeal to health-conscious Americans because they promote healthy lifestyles and don’t conduct operations.  According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, chiropractic careers are expected to see growth through 2016, making the industry promising for aspiring doctors.

Licensing and Education

Chiropractors are required to have a license in all 50 states.  Agreements between different states recognize mutual requirements for licensure, despite each state having different education requirements.  To acquire a license, Chiropractors must complete a 2-year undergraduate degree.  Bachelor’s degree is required in some states including Florida, Kansas, Montana, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin.  In addition to a bachelor’s degree, various states require a degree from a 4-year accredited chiropractic college. Applicants in a chiropractic institution are also mandated 90 credit hours of undergraduate study.

Chiropractics

To some people, the two may not seem to correlate well: chiropractics and children. However, shed in the light of pregnancy, the relation is much closer. Chiropractics during pregnancy aid the mother by limiting lower back pain which is very common, as well as  helping to curb the symptoms of nausea or “morning sickness.” Another unexpected boon to having regular chiropractic treatments during one’s pregnancy is a lower time spent in labor. For mothers expecting their first child, the time spent in labor was almost 25% less. For mothers who had previously given birth, the time dropped by an average of 33%.

Prenatal Massage

Prenatal massage is also a great step for expecting mothers. Among a reduction in stress levels and receiving better sleep, studies show that women who receive prenatal massage, experience less pain and swelling, and are better at regulating their hormones. Mothers who underwent  prenatal massage saw a drop in cortisol and other stress-related hormones. Moreover, these same women saw a rise in dopamine and serotonin levels. When compiled, these benefits are strongly suggestive of an overall healthier pregnancy which ultimately ends up benefiting the newborn.

Check out more information on children and chiropractic.

About U.S Career Institute

U.S. Career Institute is an online school that offers a variety of educational opportunities.  Students are provided with real world curriculum and customized textbooks to help advance their education and career skills.  All classes are taken online and students work at their own pace.  There is no need to commute or attend class as everything is completed at the rate of the student’s preference.  U.S Career Institute is affordable as there is 0% interest and low monthly payments.  The institute also offers a career service which helps students write their resumes and find job placement after graduation.

 Massage Therapy

Students will learn a variety of massage therapy techniques as well as ethics and business communication skills.  Courses will explain how to perform Swedish massage, sports massage and energy techniques.  Students are also provided with video instructions that explain the step-by-step process of various techniques.  Also, several courses will explain how to start a massage business and how to communicate effectively with clients.  The program is self paced and can be completed when the student feels he or she has been prepared adequately.

Massage Pregnancy

Massage Pregnancy is different from a regular massage in various ways.  The main difference is that the client is pregnant and it is important for the masseuse to know the anatomy of a pregnant woman.  It is critical that the masseuse places the client in proper positioning that’s safe for the baby and the mother.  There are also several parts of the body that should not be massaged.  The massage table is set up so the woman will sit in a half reclined position.  The practitioner will also supply the woman with pillows and extra padding to make sure the client is comfortable.  The room is very similar to a regular massage with soft playing music and dimmed lights to make the atmosphere comforting.  It is up to the client if she wants to remove all clothing or leave her undergarments on.  Massage pregnancy is great for everyone including women carrying multiple babies.

Benefits of Massage Pregnancy

The pregnancy massage has many of the same benefits as a regular massage.  Pregnant mothers will feel relieved of muscle cramps and spasms as well as pain in the lower back.  The massage will reduce stress and pain in the joints and increase blood circulation.  When blood circulation is increased, swelling will be reduced.  Studies shows that pregnancy massages can actually reduce the pain of labor and improves the outcome of birth.  There are no side effects to a pregnancy massage and it may be something that many expecting mothers should consider.

Learn more about pregnancy massage.