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Perhaps you
received a gift certificate for massage. Maybe work’s been stressful,
and you’ve thought about getting a massage to unwind. Or maybe
you’re already a fan of massage and want to try a different type
of massage.
Whatever your
reasons, there are some basic things you should know to get the
most from your massage.
There are
many terms for types of massage. The American Massage Therapy
Association (AMTA) designates the various methods as massage modalities.
Ask your massage therapist what massage modality will give you
the results you want.
The most popular
include:
- Swedish
massage: The most common type of massage, to relax and energize
you.
- Deep tissue
massage: For muscle damage from an injury, such as whiplash
or back
strain.
- Sports
massage: To help prevent athletic injury, keep the body flexible
and heal the body should injury occur.
- Chair massage:
Massage of the upper body, while fully clothed and seated in
a special portable chair.
Finding a
qualified massage therapist is also important. Ask your massage
therapist about his or her credentials. And remember, each massage
and bodywork modality requires specialized training.
AMTA, which
requires members meet education standards, recommends asking the
following questions:
- Did you
graduate from a program accredited by the Commission on Massage
Therapy Accreditation (COMTA) or from an AMTA member school?
- Are you
licensed or registered as a massage therapist in this state?
Not all states license massage therapists.
- Are you
a member of AMTA?
- Are you
certified by the National Certification Board of Therapeutic
Massage and Bodywork?
- Do you
have training in any specific massage modalities?
Jenice Mattek
is a licensed massage therapist and member of the American Massage
Therapy Association.
Source: http://www.amtamassage.org/
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| What
is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic
is a branch of the healing arts which is concerned with human
health and disease processes. Doctors of Chiropractic are physicians
who consider the individual as an integrated being and give special
attention to the physiological and biochemical aspects including
structural, spinal, musculoskeletal, neurological, vascular, nutritional,
emotional and environmental relationships.
History
of Chiropractic Care
The roots
of chiropractic care can be traced all the way back to the beginning
of recorded time. Writings from China and Greece written in 2700
B.C. and 1500 B.C. mention spinal manipulation and the maneuvering
of the lower extremities to ease low back pain. Hippocrates, the
Greek physician, who lived from 460 to 357 B.C., also published
texts detailing the importance of chiropractic care. In one of
his writings he declares, "Get knowledge of the spine, for this
is the requisite for many diseases".
In the United States, the practice of spinal manipulation began
gaining momentum in the late nineteenth century. In 1895, Daniel
David Palmer founded the Chiropractic profession in Davenport,
Iowa. Palmer was well read in medical journals of his time and
had great knowledge of the developments that were occurring throughout
the world regarding anatomy and physiology. In 1897, Daniel David
Palmer went on to begin the Palmer School of Chiropractic, which
has continued to be one of the most prominent chiropractic colleges
in the nation.
Throughout the twentieth century, doctors of chiropractic gained
legal recognition in all fifty states. A continuing recognition
and respect for the chiropractic profession in the United States
has led to growing support for chiropractic care all over the
world. The research that has emerged from " around the world"
has yielded incredibly influential results, which have changed,
shaped and molded perceptions of chiropractic care. The report,
Chiropractic in New Zealand published in 1979 strongly supported
the efficacy of chiropractic care and elicited medical cooperation
in conjunction with chiropractic care. The 1993 Manga study published
in Canada investigated the cost effectiveness of chiropractic
care. The results of this study concluded that chiropractic care
would save hundreds of millions of dollars annually with regard
to work disability payments and direct health care costs.
Doctors of chiropractic have become pioneers in the field of non-invasive
care promoting science-based approaches to a variety of ailments.
A continuing dedication to chiropractic research could lead to
even more discoveries in preventing and combating maladies in
future years.
Education of Doctors of Chiropractic
Doctors of Chiropractic must complete four to five years at an
accredited chiropractic college. The complete curriculum includes
a minimum of 4,200 hours of classroom, laboratory and clinical
experience. Approximately 555 hours are devoted to learning about
adjustive techniques and spinal analysis in colleges of chiropractic.
In medical schools, training to become proficient in manipulation
is generally not required of, or offered to, students. The Council
on Chiropractic Education requires that students have 90 hours
of undergraduate courses with science as the focus.
Those intending to become doctors of chiropractic must also pass
the national board exam and all exams required by the state in
which the individual wishes to practice. The individual must also
meet all individual state licensing requirements in order to become
a doctor of chiropractic.
An individual studying to become a doctor of chiropractic receives
an education in both the basic and clinical sciences and in related
health subjects. The intention of the basic chiropractic curriculum
is to provide an in-depth understanding of the structure and function
of the human body in health and disease. The educational program
includes training in the basic medical sciences, including anatomy
with human dissection, physiology, and biochemistry. Thorough
training is also obtained in differential diagnosis, radiology
and therapeutic techniques. This means, a doctor of chiropractic
can both diagnose and treat patients, which separates them from
non-physician status providers, like physical therapists. According
to the Council on Chiropractic Education DCs are trained as Primary
care Providers.
What is a Doctor of Chiropractic?
The proper title for a doctor of chiropractic is "doctor" as they
are considered physicians under Medicare and in the overwhelming
majority of states. The professional credentials abbreviation
" D.C." means doctor of chiropractic. ACA also advocates in its
Policies on Public Health that DCs may be referred to as (chiropractic)
physicians as well.
Chiropractic Philosophy
As a profession, the primary belief is in natural and conservative
methods of health care. Doctors of chiropractic have a deep respect
for the human body's ability to heal itself without the use of
surgery or medication. These doctors devote careful attention
to the biomechanics, structure and function of the spine, its
effects on the musculoskeletal and neurological systems, and the
role played by the proper function of these systems in the preservation
and restoration of health. A Doctor of Chiropractic is one who
is involved in the treatment and prevention of disease, as well
as the promotion of public health, and a wellness approach to
patient healthcare.
Scope of Practice
Doctors of Chiropractic frequently treat individuals with neuromusculoskeletal
complaints, such as headaches, joint pain, neck pain, low back
pain and sciatica. Chiropractors also treat patients with osteoarthritis,
spinal disk conditions, carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, sprains,
and strains. However, the scope of conditions that Doctors of
Chiropractic manage or provide care for is not limited to neuromusculoskeletal
disorders. Chiropractors have the training to treat a variety
of non-neuromusculoskeletal conditions such as: allergies, asthma,
digestive disorders, otitis media (non-suppurative) and other
disorders as new research is developed.
A variety of techniques, treatment and procedure are used to restore
healing which will be the topic of future education releases.
As presented
on the American Chiropractic Association website- http://www.amerchiro.org/
Works cited:
- Chapman-Smith,
David: The Chiropractic Profession. West Des Moines, Iowa, NCMIC
Group Inc., 2000: 11-17, 70-71.
- Chiropractic:
State of Art. Arlington, Virginia, American Chiropractic Association,
1998: 2-3, 12-14.
- Spinal
Manipulation Policy Statement. Arlington, Virginia: American
Chiropractic Association, 1999: 6.
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