Massage Therapy

Massage therapy involves the therapeutic treatment of soft tissues through targeted manual techniques that apply pressure and manipulation to muscles, tendons, and connective tissue. Our Licensed Massage Therapists, regulated by the Virginia Board of Nursing, collaborate closely with our chiropractic physicians to provide care tailored to each patient’s needs. By emphasizing deep soft tissue therapy/therapeutic techniques, our massage treatments help alleviate pain, release muscular tension, improve circulation, and enhance the effectiveness of chiropractic care. This integrative approach supports recovery, restores mobility, and promotes overall physical wellness.

1. What is massage therapy?

The Virginia Board of Nursing is the governing body for massage therapy in the Commonwealth. They define massage therapy as the following: Massage therapy” means the treatment of soft tissues for therapeutic purposes by the application of massage and bodywork techniques based on the manipulation or application of pressure to the muscular structure or soft tissues of the human body. The terms “massage therapy” and “therapeutic massage” do not include the diagnosis or treatment of illness or disease.

2. What types of techniques do your massage therapists use?

Our massage therapists employ a variety of techniques for a deep soft tissue massage but, our massage therapists will vary their level of pressure according to each patient’s preference and tolerance..

3. What training/education is required to be a certified massage therapist?

• The massage therapist must complete a minimum of 500 hours of training from a massage therapy program, certified or approved by the State Council of Higher Education…
• The therapist has passed the National Certification Exam for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork or an exam deemed acceptable to the Board of Nursing leading to national certification. Having passed the examination they have applied and received licensure from the Commonwealth as a Certified Massage Therapist.

4. Are your therapists certified?

We only hire therapists once they are certified by the Virginia Board of Nursing and we are able to verify their licenses.

5. Will insurance cover massage therapy?

Massage therapy may be covered by insurance, provided that it is done under the chiropractic physician’s direct supervision. Once the patient is evaluated by the doctor and he finds that therapeutic massage is clinically indicated, many insurance plans will cover the massage. Feel free to call either office listed at the bottom of this page or e-mail us your insurance information on our “Contact Us” page and we’ll be happy to verify your benefits for you.

6. Is it impolite for me to tell the therapist to use more/less pressure?

Absolutely not. We encourage our patient’s to give feedback to our therapists to ensure they are receiving the best experience possible.

7. Will I have to completely disrobe?

No. Our massage therapist may ask you to remove specific articles of clothing to access the particular area that is to be massaged. During the massage, your modesty will be maintained at all times by use of sheets and/or towels to keep you covered

8. How do I know if I need a massage or chiropractic treatment?

If you are having pain, you need to be evaluated by a chiropractic physician. The chiropractic physician will diagnose your condition using various range of motion, orthopedic, neurological and possibly imaging tests, as necessary. Once a diagnosis is made the physician may then implement massage with his or her treatment plan.