Enhance the effectiveness of a trip to the masseuse or chiropractor by implementing a few simple steps

By Josiah Groth

Featured Columnist

As a general rule, we like sales. Companies know it and use coupons all the time.

I am not opposed. In fact, we offer several discount programs at my wellness centers. They work. They are a benefit to all involved. However, when it comes to getting the most out of the professional services you pay for, there is an important component to which most of us do not pay attention.

That component is the supporting practices and home-based activities that you can do to enhance your service. Instead of always looking at ways to decrease the prices of the professional services we buy, we should consider things that we can do at home as another great way to get more bang for our buck.

It means taking personal responsibility for making your visits to the chiropractor, massage therapist, and personal trainer more effective. I cannot tell you how many people rush into a massage service and then fly out of the building right back to work. They could enhance the benefits of their massage significantly if they built supporting activities into their day that compliment that massage instead of just relying on the service itself to deliver all the results.

By simply arranging a few things in your day or week to compliment the goals of your services, you can improve the results, shorten the therapy sequences, and reduce the overall cost. This secondary way of maximizing dollars may be the most overlooked way to save money.

While only you know the major goals of your wellness plan, here are some basic practices to showcase what I am talking about.

Getting a chiropractic adjustment? If you get adjusted, do not go to the gym right after. You should avoid intense, jerking, and rough exercises that jar or disrupt the correction for which you just paid.

Getting a massage? They calm your nervous system and increase detoxification. Avoid alcohol, intense stimulation, or anything else that causes increased stress for 24-36 hours after a massage.

On prescription medications? They need to stay active in your system to remain effective. Plan ahead so you do not run out. Set an alarm so you will not forget to take them. You may need to stay on them longer if you do not let them do their job.

Our lives are busy. We are moving fast and getting pulled in a hundred directions. Sometimes we are too busy to clip coupons, even though they are a great way to save money. You may not always find the time to apply the personal practices I am suggesting here, but bringing home a few supporting practices to enhance your professional services makes every dollar stretch further.

Josiah Groth is the owner of Back to Bliss Wellness. More information on his practice is available at backtoblisswellness.com.