The differences between a Chiropractor, a Physical Therapist and a Clinical Massage Therapist or Regular Massage Therapist:
Chiropractor: The focus on the treatments of the joints particulary those of the vertebrae. These practitioner attribute pain and other health problems to misalignments(subluxations) of the vertebral joints that impinge on nerve roots. They work with the nervous system in relation to the spinal column.The muscle system is not too much involved.
Physical Therapist: Uses physical exercise and ROM( Range of motion) movements as a means of restoring healthy function to muscles and joints. They also tend to focus on more severe conditons, such as rehabilittio following surgery, serious injury, or congenital deformatities.
A Clinical Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT): Does the direct manipulation of the soft tissues. Based firmly on 3 principles:
- 1. The individual is a whole organism, everything is connected and related.
- 2. Shortened muscle tissue can do no work. We are concerned with the persistently or pathologically shortened tissues or muscles, in other words , tissue or muscle that has shortened, in all likelihood for defensive reason, is unable to work, and resists lenthening.
- 3. The soft tissue of the body respond to touch or massage. One of the most persuasive theories of the many that seek to explain this is that myofascial pain is caused by a self-perpetuating neuromuscular feedback ciciut in which the stimulation of touch/ massage interferes, thus restoreing to normal function.
The Clinical LMT is one who approaches persistently shortened soft tissues and attempts to restore them using pain-free functions through touch or massage, while keeping the whole client in mind.
