Muscle Relaxation

image of man stretching.
The goal of progressive muscle relaxation is to reduce the tension in your muscles. First, find a quiet place where you'll be free from interruption. Loosen tight clothing and remove your glasses or contacts if you'd like. Tense each muscle group for at least five seconds and then relax for at least 30 seconds. Repeat before moving to the next muscle group.
  • Your face. Squint your eyes tightly, wrinkle your nose and mouth, Clench your teeth, and pull back the corners of your mouth toward your ears, feeling the tension in the center of your face. Relax. Repeat.
  • Neck. Gently touch your chin to your chest. Feel the pull in the back of your neck as it spreads into your head. Relax. Repeat.
  • Shoulders. Pull your shoulders up toward your ears, feeling the tension in your shoulders, head, neck and upper back. Relax. Repeat.
  • Upper arms. Pull your arms back and press your elbows in toward the sides of your body. Try not to tense your lower arms. Feel the tension in your arms, shoulders and into your back. Relax. Repeat.
  • Hands and forearms. Make a tight fist and pull up your wrists. Feel the tension in your hands, knuckles and lower arms. Relax. Repeat.
  • Chest, shoulders and upper back. Pull your shoulders back as if you're trying to make your shoulder blades touch. Relax. Repeat.
  • Stomach. Pull your stomach in toward your spine, tightening your abdominal muscles. Relax. Repeat.
  • Upper legs. Squeeze your knees together and lift your legs up off the chair or from wherever you're relaxing. Feel the tension in your thighs. Relax. Repeat.
  • Lower legs. Raise your feet toward the ceiling while flexing them toward your body. Feel the tension in your calves. Relax. Repeat.
  • Feet. Turn your feet inward and curl your toes up and out. Relax. Repeat.

Perform progressive muscle relaxation at least once or twice each day to get the maximum benefit. Each session should last about ten minutes.

Another way of relaxing your muscles is through massage. Massage is a system of pressing and kneading different soft tissues in the body (muscles, tendons, and ligaments). Massage offers a variety of health benefits: pain relief, relaxation, improved muscle tone, stimulation of circulatory and lymphatic systems, and more efficient elimination of waste throughout the body. Although a single massage will reduce fatigue, relax you, and provide mild stress relief, the effects of massage are cumulative. A course of massage treatments will allow you to reap the most benefits. Ultimately, massage can rejuvenate you physically, mentally, and spiritually. Massage rates can vary between $50 and $125 per hour, depending on the massage therapist and the location where you receive your massage. For example, you will pay more for someone to travel to your home to provide massage therapy. Fortunately, many chiropractic centers offer massage therapy as part of their services.

Location

Find us on the map

Office Hours

Our Regular Schedule

Monday:

9-11:30

1pm - 6pm

Tuesday:

9 am - noon; Call for appointment locations & times

1pm - 6 pm; Call for appointment locations & times

Wednesday:

9 am - 12

2 - 6:00 pm

Thursday:

9am - 2pm Call for appointment location & times

1pm - 6 pm; Call for appointment locations & times

Friday:

9am - 1pm

Call for Appointment

Saturday:

Closed

Closed

Sunday:

Closed

Closed

Testimonial

Review By Our Satisfied Patient

  • "As a veterinarian, I trust Dr. Rebecca with not only my patients, but my own dogs as well. She is professional, knowledgeable, and very skilled. She has a wonderful calm and patient approach to working with her patients, which is extremely important to me as a low stress/fear free certified professional myself. My dog loves Dr. Rebecca, and the change in his movement was noticeable even after a single adjustment!"
    Dr. Cassie Engmann
  • "This past Friday, Raven my Golden Retriever became really ill. My wife and I thought he was having either a stroke or a seizure. He could hardly walk. It turned out that he had vestibular disease. There was not much that the veterinarian could do for him except control his vomiting. Dr. Rebecca came out to the house that evening and worked on Raven's neck and back. He was running outside a couple of hours later and still is doing much better. It was awesome. Thank you so much!"
    Dr. Craig Coulliard, Chiropractor