Is Massage Therapy Safe Following a Car Accident?

Is massage therapy safe following a car accident? The short answer is, “yes.” However, there are some things to consider…

Most people get massage to reduce tension and stress both physically and emotionally. During a typical massage, the therapist will apply pressure to tight muscles in an attempt to reduce tension or spasms. After an acute car accident injury, there will be muscle spasms, but if the massage therapist applies the same pressure that may be required to reduce chronic stress, the result will be more pain and inflammation, thus prolonged healing time and a risk of developing a myofascial pain syndrome. Not good.

Immediately following a car accident, we begin treatment with some very light effleurage, a massage technique intended to simply move superficial fluid gently. My massage therapists will use this technique in a way that “pulls” inflammation away from the injured area to help speed healing.

So, to answer the question, “Is massage therapy safe following a car accident?”… At Dixie Chiropractic, absolutely!