A Comparison of Chiropractic Vs Physical Therapy

While there are many overlapping areas of expertise between chiropractors and physical therapists, there are essential differences. The chiropractor is the expert in spinal manipulation and the correction of spinal subluxations.

Chiropractors practice the art of manipulation daily and are often trained in numerous methods of adjusting the spine. The very fact that physical therapists embrace spinal manipulation and want to be able to provide this service as well demonstrates how effective spinal manipulation is for relieving various musculo-skeletal conditions.

The problem is that physical therapists often do not achieve the mastery of correcting spinal alignment in a week-end course. Physical therapists do not provide manipulative therapy with the frequency that chiropractors do nor have they had the same number of hours or years of training in adjusting techniques. Would you rather see a generalist or a specialist when it comes to adjusting your spine?

Chiropractors are also trained to diagnose your problem through physical examination and radiology. Chiropractic care focuses on the whole being not just an injured part. Chiropractors are trained in anatomy, physiology, pathology, public health, nutrition, physiotherapy and rehabilitation. An average of 4,820 hours of combined classroom, laboratory and clinical experience is completed prior to graduation.

Physical therapists complete an average of 3,398 hours of classroom and clinical study prior to graduation. They are trained in stroke rehabilitation, cardiorespiratory and post-operative orthopedic rehabilitation. They work with patients suffering from brain damage and other disabling conditions.

Both chiropractors and physical therapists have national licensing examinations. Both professions have residency and internships. Board certification is also required in both fields. Doctors of chiropractic must complete a four year undergraduate degree before completing the four year full-time doctorate of chiropractic program. Three academic years are required for a doctorate in physical therapy and two years for a master's degree. In other words both professions are well trained in what they do. Both professions can also specialize in areas of orthopedics, spinal cord injuries, pediatrics, geriatrics and other specialties.

Some treatment techniques which overlap include manual therapy techniques ranging from soft tissue mobilization to therapeutic exercises, neuromuscular re-education and gait training.

While there are many similarities chiropractors stand apart from physical therapists with their training in diagnosis and their expertise in spinal manipulation. Chiropractic patients were found to be more satisfied with their back care after four weeks of treatment than were medical patients. Results from observational studies suggested that back pain patients are more satisfied with chiropractic care than medical care. Additionally, studies conclude that patients are more satisfied with chiropractic care than they were with physical therapy after 6 weeks.

What To Expect During A Massage Therapy Session

What can you expect in most cases during a massage session? For daily stress, discomfort and maintenance, massage is highly recommended in all forms. The following will help you know what to look for and what to ask in advance so that you will be able to relax and enjoy your treatment to its fullest.

A well-trained massage therapist will take notes prior to each session to document where you have discomfort and pain, what medications you may be taking and anything else that is necessary for your therapist to know before proceeding. This will help you to know that she/he is listening to you, that your needs can be addressed correctly and so that you can both keep track of your progress. If you have any aversions or allergies to fragrances, please inform your therapist before your session.

After information is shared in the beginning of the session, the rest of the appointment should be quiet if you are receiving a relaxing massage. Most likely you will enter into a therapy room that has soft lighting and relaxing music playing in the background. The room should be pleasing to the eye, but at times may have a more sterile appearance depending on the type of therapist you are visiting. You will disrobe in private, and then lay on the massage table under a 'drape.'

Draping is a very important part of the massage. It is important for your sense of privacy and comfort. In most cases, you will not be wearing any clothing so you need to be covered well. This is typical and better for you and the therapist to address the whole back. You can keep your underwear on if you feel more comfortable.

The massage room may tend to be a bit cool since the therapist working with you will get warm fast; your body temperature will naturally decrease with relaxation and the therapist's will go up as they work. It is important for you to question about proper draping before your session to make sure that it is a priority so that you can relax fully and enjoy your session.

If you are naturally warm and prefer less draping, that can accomplished with less material and the therapist can still achieve complete privacy for you. As a teacher of massage therapy, I feel proper draping is a priority to the ethics of massage in an office or salon. The therapist should tell you exactly how to prepare for your massage and then should leave the room to give you privacy when undressing and getting onto the table. There is no reason for the therapist to be in the room at this time unless you need assistance. In that case, it would be best to bring someone with you that you are comfortable with to help you on and off the table.

Your therapist will use oil or cream to help with the flowing strokes that promote good circulation and help to relax the body. If you go to a neuromuscular therapist or other specialist for chronic pain and muscular imbalances, they may use little or no oil and you may not even be able to relax too easily during the session, but the results will be long lasting in the right hands and worth the therapy. They will most likely warn you of this fact in advance.

Another large part of your massage session is the amount of pressure that will be used. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being extreme pressure that would be intolerable), the pressure should range from between 5 to 7 unless you are receiving more focused work and then you will need to understand how the scale works for that particular therapy. The therapist will help you with that. Even with deeper therapies, it shouldn't go above an 8 or 9 or last too long in one area. Keep in mind that the scale is measured by your tolerance only and not by the therapist's suggestions.

There may be times that the therapist may need some feedback during the session, but otherwise a session should remain quiet for optimum results. If you feel the need to talk, that is o.k. as long as the conversation remains focused on you and not the therapist's personal opinions or needs. A good therapist can listen to you and perform their work at the same time. We're used to it. During certain more specific therapies, you may need to give feedback throughout your session.

With any massage therapist, you should never feel exposed or uncomfortable in any way. This is your time for yourself and it should be a good experience. The more massages you get, the more in touch with your body you will become and the more easily you can relax between treatments. Remembering back to your massage experience can help you to relax just about anywhere.

Top 10 Massage Therapy Scholarships

If you are planning on pursuing a degree in massage therapy, there are many different scholarships and grants available to help you pay for your schooling. Some of these awards are available from the school itself, and some are national awards for future massage therapists. The following are thought to be the top 10 scholarships and grants for this:

• 
  American Specialty Health (ASH): ASH provides scholarships usually valued at around $500 for alternative therapy students, including those at therapy schools.



• 
  Austin Schools of Massage: This school offers $1,000 scholarships for students in the Clark Foundations Program and the Clark Advanced Clinical Program class, as well as the Dottie Scholarship Fund to help with tuition for students who qualify.



• 
  The Costa Rica School of Massage Scholarship Program: There are four $1,000 scholarships and grants for therapy students at this school each year.



• 
  Great Lakes Institute of Technology Medical Careers Scholarship: This school in Erie, Pennsylvania offers scholarships to qualifying students that equal 25 percent of their tuition cost.



• 
  MASSAGE Magazine: Five $1000 scholarships are given each year to students pursuing a degree in massage or touch therapy at a school participating in the Massage Magazine Schools Program.



• 
  Massage Therapy Foundation: This foundation awards several research grants ranging from $1,000 to $20,000 each year to students and professionals pursuing this therapy research.



• 
  Massage Therapy Training Institute Scholarship: This institution offers scholarships and grants three times each year to full-time therapy students who meet GPA requirements at its Missouri and Kansas campuses.



• 
  The Regents Professional Opportunity Scholarship: There are more than 200 scholarships that range all the way up to $5,000 for minority and disadvantaged students studying for licensed professions such as massage therapy in the state of New York.



• 
  The Spa Foundation: Students pursuing a degree in therapy self-help and financial management resources may qualify for awards from this foundation.



• 
  Swedish Institute College of Health Sciences Massage Therapy Program: This New York City school offers three different scholarships in honor of alumni who have contributed to the field of therapy.

What Is A Physiotherapy Assistant? Learn About Becoming A Physiotherapy Associate

A physiotherapy assistant, sometimes called a physiotherapy associate, helps physical therapist in their daily activities. Physical therapy assistants help people recover from illness, injury and physical disabilities. The job of a physiotherapy assistant can be very rewarding, and the profession commands a very good salary.

So what does a physiotherapy assistant do? Well the following list is just a sample, but will give you an idea of the daily activities of the job.

• You will teach people how to use the various equipment they may need to get around


• You will teach people how to do the various exercises the physiotherapist prescribed


• You will help the patient understand what the therapy entails and what they can expect


• You will help with setting up the equipment and preparing for the next patient


• You will keep records of the patients training, questions, and progress


• You will report to the physiotherapist as to the progress, and concerns of the patient

Who will you be taking care of? Well the ages may differ according to the facility you work at, but a physiotherapy assistant can work with children, adults and senior citizens. You will have a wide variety of patients. Taking care of the patient physically is just one aspect of the job. Many of the problems a patient is suffering stem from the emotional pains of the injury or trauma. Being able to help people emotionally is also a big part of the job description.

What type of training will you need? Physiotherapy assistant course work varies depending on what level of responsibility you desire. Most countries and US states provide coursework needed to become an assistant. You can usually start training with a high school diploma in a local community college.

Where will you work? Many physiotherapy associates work in doctor's offices, hospitals, physiotherapy offices and also visit people in their home. In recent years the need for associates to visit in the home has increased. As the aging population grows, and the costs of healthcare increase, one of the ways to service the elderly and others is by taking the service to their home.

Physiotherapy can be very rewarding and is an excellent career choice if you enjoy working in the health field, working with those that are injured, and like a variety of work. You need people skills and be able to work a physical job, but the benefits and rewards are tremendous.

Hype of Hydrotherapy / Aquatic Physical Therapy

Doesn't water suggest life? Since the dawn of time, water has possessed an overflow of revitalizing healing properties. Water cleanses, purifies, soothes. In more medical terms it eliminates inflammation and infection. Helping healing better, and more cheaply, than many of our chemically advanced concoctions, the simple molecule does so much more it may be futile to ask why - just how.

In hydrotherapy or aquatic physical therapy, patients are gently immersed in warm water. This form of underwater therapy aims to assist patients to overcome conditions where movement is limited because of paralysis or pain, or where the patient's muscles have been weakened due to injury or illness. Water immersion allows patients to exercise painlessly, even pleasurably, aiding a hasty recovery from a wide variety of conditions.

Aquatic physical therapy has been used for decades as an integral part of treatment for severe arthritis or post knee or hip surgery. Fibromyalgia or rheumatic syndrome, a condition characterized by body aches, pain, sleep disturbances, fatigue, and anxiety, combined with tenderness and whose cause is unknown, is also healed by aquatic physical therapy. Ankylosing Spondylitis, a form of arthritis where the spinal vertebrae become progressively inflamed and the spine eventually becomes fused, making movement very limited, also benefits from the hydro treatment. Even in some serious neurological conditions, the aquatic physical therapy can increase mobility as well as the power in the muscles by allowing movement in muscles normally unable to move. Though it cannot help the illness, aquatic physical therapy can also help to re-instruct muscles to get over damage from stroke or accidents.

Regrettably, aquatic therapy still has its share of limitations. Pure water therapy cannot help patients who are incontinent for hygiene reasons, as well as those with skin conditions or allergies to chlorine. And it is unsuitable for people who have high blood pressure as hydrotherapy raises the blood pressure.

Nonetheless, hydro/aquatic physical therapy especially helps therapists help their patients because being immersed in warm water makes the buoyant movement much easier as the water lifts the limbs, improving joint movement and getting the joints working effectively again, in contrast to painful movement against gravity.

The qualified aqua therapist has three primary objectives in performing therapy in warm water for his patients: to abolish gravity, allowing the body to float and amplifying the power in the muscles, and providing greater movement of a specific limb or joint; to conduct gentle exercises because of its effective resistance to movement; and to relax the muscles and ease the pain with the water's warmth and healing powers. And to look at it simply, hydrotherapy is just an underwater exercise...

Starting Your Own Massage Business

Before starting your own massage business, you already need to have massage therapy experience, so I will not be covering that aspect. After all, you know you are ready to start your massage therapy business when your customers are coming back for more, and when the money you earned from your side-gig as a masseur is no longer considered 'pocket money'. Or maybe you have worked at a spa or for somebody else and now you are ready to take the plunge and go on your own. You can do this, and here are some tips to get you started.

When you start a new business, any kind of business, the first step is making a business plan. What type of massage will you be offering to your clients? Most therapists learn 2-3 different styles and specialize in them, with focus on one particular style. It is good to either have a certification from a massage school, not only to hang if from your wall, but to increase your credibility with your clients and really know that you can do it.

The next step is actually becoming a business. You need to register a company name and the business type. Usually your local Chamber of Commerce will be able to help you with this step. You also need to have a location for your business. Will it be a home based business, in one of your rooms dedicated to massage therapy, or rented space somewhere else?

Once you have gotten over the first steps of planning everything out and getting yourself a business space, now it's the time to set it up properly. First, you need a good massage table. Do not rush this decision as it is important and a very good investment in the long run. Will you be traveling to your customers to give them massage (which means you will need a good portable massage table) or will you base your therapy business solely in your own practice? Massage tables are by no means cheap, but they last for many years to come, and giving your clients the most comfort they can get is crucial in making them return customers.

Next step is advertising your business. This is a step not to be overlooked, because while word of mouth goes a long way, it is not enough to make it a sustainable business. A business needs many returning customers and advertising locally is a must. Here are a couple of things you need to do:

1. Your business needs to have a website properly optimized for the keywords your customers will search online for. 'Massage therapy in Houston' would be a good keyword to rank high for if you are in Houston.

2. Your website needs advertising and proper SEO. Depending on your marketing knowledge, you can either do it all by yourself, or hire a good marketing advisor or expert who will do all this for you.

3. This will free your time on doing other important things like getting a good set of business cards. Having business cards that you can hand out to friends and people you meet in various places, is a must. For example earlier on, when I was learning reiki therapy and getting myself attuned to it, I met a girl who was a craniosacral therapy practitioner. We started talking, she gave me her card, and I have been one of her customers ever since.

4. Furnish your business. A massage therapy is a must, but you also need to take into account other features your massage space needs to have: proper lighting, a reception area, a small office to take care of the logistics, etc.

5. When you have all these done, it is time to open your business. Business cards and advertisements in the local newspapers, magazines and even radio will help greatly with this step. Also offer a free massage to the first x people coming to you, or give them a discount voucher for their next massage. The possibilities here are endless as long as you attract customers and make them return.

Having a massage therapy business is more than just having massage skills. If you want to start a business, you need to treat it as such. You have to be aware that there is lots of competition out there and you need to do everything you can to get your customers and make them come back to you over and over again. So it is important to have the proper equipment in place, such as a very good and reliable massage table, have your massage space, have a website and have the marketing advertising in place. It is tough but it can be done. All you need is have a proper plan that you will follow to the letter, step by step.

What Are the Physical Benefits of Massage?

It is amazing that there is still a vast amount of people who have never been introduced to the physical benefits that massage therapy can offer them. Whether seeking a relief from pain and discomfort as a result of everyday living or recovery from an injury, the use of massage therapy and a natural remedy is recognised more today than ever before. Yet many people have still not embraced the benefits that await them.

Most people will be aware that the most obvious and accepted physical benefit of massage is the attraction of gaining relief from muscle tension and stiffness. How many people complain of these ailments and think that a massage would help yet do nothing about it? Undergoing massage therapy will enable the speedier healing of muscles that have been strained plus sprained ligaments where the immediate beneficial effects are a reduction in pain felt and swelling. Where injuries have been caused by active participation in sport, massage can be utilised as part of the programme of rehabilitation from injury. On the subject of rehabilitation, massage can be undertaken as part of post operative therapy for the process of muscle conditioning and repair and it can counter the excessive formation of scar tissue in the post operative time period.

By utilising massage as part of a body conditioning plan, athletes and sportsmen are now recognising the benefits it creates in greater joint flexibility and range of available motion as a means to enhance their performance. Using pro active management for the condition of the body's muscles when in periods of fitness or injury, performance can be improved by wholly natural means.

It is not just in identifiable fitness that the various types of massage can offer benefits. It is accepted that the problem of high blood pressure can be reduced and in addition the circulation of blood increases with the manipulation of the muscles. This induced state of relaxation and inner calmness will undoubtedly create the effect of both deeper and easier breathing, something that most do not derive the benefits from. And don't forget that a relaxed and supple body frame will have the benefit of improved posture, which in turn will significantly reduce possible ailments such as back pain. Other physical benefits include the reduction in tension related headaches plus the improvement in the health and nourishment of the skin when specific massage techniques are used particularly in relation to the facial and head area.

There are many different types of massage including full body, back and neck, facial and head and you should identify the specific type that will derive the most benefit. It is easy to discover simple massage techniques that can be used not just on yourself but others that are in need of receiving the benefits that this natural form of therapy offers.