The Benefits of Massage Therapy for Pain & Stress

How massage therapy helps your body

Massage therapy is far more than a luxury. At The Spine and Wellness Center in Coral Springs we use therapeutic massage to relieve pain, release muscle tension and lower stress for patients from across Coral Springs and Parkland — and, paired with chiropractic care, it becomes one of the most effective drug-free tools we have.

Therapeutic massage works on the muscles, tendons and connective tissue (fascia) that support the spine and joints. With targeted pressure and movement, our licensed therapists relax tight muscles, release adhesions and trigger points, improve circulation and calm the nervous system. The result is less pain, more flexibility and a deep sense of relaxation that touches both body and mind. You can explore the service on our massage therapy page.

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health summarizes the research: massage has evidence for short-term relief of low back and neck pain, for reducing stress and anxiety, and for improving quality of life in several conditions, with a strong safety record when delivered by a trained therapist.

7 proven massage therapy benefits

1. Relief from muscle tension and tightness. Overworked muscles and the knots they form are a leading cause of back and neck pain. Releasing them restores comfortable movement.
2. Reduced back, neck and shoulder pain. Especially desk-related stiffness and the chronic tightness that builds between the shoulder blades.
3. Fewer tension headaches. Trigger points in the upper traps and neck refer pain into the head; releasing them is a core part of natural tension headache relief.
4. Better circulation and faster tissue repair. Massage increases blood flow, delivering oxygen and nutrients while helping clear the waste products that build after activity or injury.
5. Faster recovery after exercise or injury. Athletes and active adults across Coral Springs, Parkland and Coconut Creek use it between hard sessions and as part of rehab.
6. Lower stress and anxiety. Massage activates the parasympathetic nervous system — heart rate slows, cortisol drops, and the body shifts from stress mode into repair mode. We explain the loop in how stress affects your spine.
7. Better sleep and range of motion. Less pain and less tension make it easier to settle at night and move freely during the day.

Why massage and chiropractic work better together

Muscles and joints are one system. A stiff spinal joint makes the muscles around it guard; tight muscles pull a joint back out of alignment. Treat only the joint and the muscles drag it back; treat only the muscles and the restricted joint keeps re-tightening them. Doing both breaks the cycle.

In practice, massage before an adjustment relaxes the guarding so the adjustment is easier and more comfortable; massage after helps the correction settle. Patients who combine the two consistently report that adjustments hold longer and that they need fewer visits over time. It is one of several soft-tissue tools we use alongside adjusting — cupping therapy for stubborn, deep tightness and Graston Technique for scar tissue and chronic tendon problems are the others.

Inside our 4R Method, massage therapy appears in every phase. In Repair it reduces guarding and pain so decompression and adjustments can work. In Rebuild it keeps tissue pliable while strength is built. In Regenerate and Refine it becomes a recovery and stress-management tool — a monthly session is one of the most common maintenance choices among our long-term patients.

What to expect at a session

Sessions are 30, 60 or 90 minutes, with 60 the most common. Your therapist starts with a brief conversation about where you hurt, what you want from the session and any health considerations, then works at a pressure you are comfortable with — relaxation, deep tissue or trigger-point focused as the goal dictates. Communicate during the session; ‘good pain’ is a stretch or ache that eases, never a sharp or radiating pain.

If you are also a chiropractic patient, your therapist works from the same findings as Dr. Cohen — the surface EMG scan shows exactly which muscles are overworking — so the session targets what matters rather than a generic routine. Mild soreness for a day afterward is normal; drink water and keep moving gently. We serve many patients who read our overview of drug-free pain relief options and start with massage.

• Relaxation massage: lighter pressure, full body, stress and sleep.
• Deep tissue: firmer, slower work on chronic tension and adhesions.
• Trigger-point and sports massage: targeted release of specific knots and recovery between training sessions.
• Prenatal massage: side-lying, pregnancy-safe technique for the back, hips and legs.

Is massage right for you?

Massage is safe for most people. We adjust or avoid it with acute injuries and fractures, blood clots or clotting disorders, skin infections over the area, uncontrolled high blood pressure and certain cancers without physician guidance. Tell your therapist about medications and health conditions; it changes the approach, not usually whether you can be treated.

Most new patients start with a first visit where we measure: a conversation, a hands-on structural exam, surface EMG and thermal scanning, and digital X-rays when indicated. Visit two is the report of findings and plan, including where massage fits. If massage alone is what you want, you can book it directly — and if the therapist finds something that needs a chiropractic look, Dr. Cohen is down the hall.

Serving massage patients across North Broward

Our clinic at 5675 Coral Ridge Drive, Coral Springs, FL 33076 serves Coral Springs, Parkland, Coconut Creek, Margate, Boca Raton, Tamarac, Pompano Beach and Deerfield Beach. Same-day appointments are usually available — call (954) 341-2256 or book online. Most patients from Parkland and Coral Springs are here in under 15 minutes.

Medically reviewed by Dr. Jared Cohen, DC — Co-Founder & Clinical Director, The Spine and Wellness Center. Last reviewed October 2026.

Frequently asked questions