Welcome to Feel Amazing Chatswood’s Winter Wellness Blog series.
Winter can bring more than just cold weather—it often leads to aches, stiffness, fatigue, and even the winter blues. But with the right wellness tools, you can thrive all season long.
How Massage, Chiropractic, Dry Needling, and Acupuncture can keep you healthy.
Winter will soon settle in across Australia, with not just cooler and shorter days, but the range of temperature and rainfall patterns adding to increased stress on the body and mind. Many of us can experience muscle stiffness, joint discomfort, fatigue, and mood changes. Fortunately, incorporating holistic therapies like massage, chiropractic care, dry needling, cupping, and acupuncture into your winter wellness routine can significantly improve your physical and emotional wellbeing.
Read on for how each of our Feel Amazing services works and what the research says about their benefits.
🌿 Massage Therapy: Relieving tension and boosting immunity
In Australia, approximately 20% of the population visits a massage therapist annually, with many seeking relief from back pain and stress related conditions.
Winter tends to increase muscle tension due to cold-induced muscle constriction and reduced physical activity. Massage therapy improves circulation, reduces pain, and supports immune function.
Research-backed benefits:
• Pain reduction: A 2020 systematic review found that massage therapy significantly reduces musculoskeletal pain and improves function in individuals with chronic pain conditions. ¹ Another found that massage therapy significantly reduced pain and anxiety in cancer patients.
• Stress and immunity: Massage lowers cortisol levels and increases lymphocyte count, which enhances immune response. ² Massage can also stimulate the lymphatic system, aiding in the removal of toxins and boosting the body’s defence mechanisms.
• Mood improvement: Regular massage helps reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, which often peak during winter months. ³ This has been linked to lower levels of cortisol, the body’s stress hormone, and increased serotonin and dopamine levels, which help improve mood.
🦴 Chiropractic Care: Enhancing mobility and alignment
Chiropractic care is widely practiced in Australia, with research supporting its effectiveness in treating musculoskeletal conditions.
Cold weather can worsen back and joint stiffness, especially in people with arthritis or chronic pain. Chiropractic adjustments improve spinal alignment, relieve pressure on nerves, and increase joint mobility.
Research-backed benefits include:
• Lower back pain relief: A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association concluded that spinal manipulation was associated with significant improvements in low back pain. ⁴
• Improved function: Chiropractic care has been shown to improve range of motion, which can be crucial during the less active winter months. ⁵ Maintaining joint mobility in the cooler weather can help reduce stiffness.
• Headache and posture correction: Chiropractic adjustments can reduce cervicogenic headaches and correct posture affected by winter hunching and sedentary habits. ⁶ (Who doesn’t like to hunch up with a cosy blanket to keep warm?!)
💉 Dry Needling: Targeted relief for muscle pain
Dry needling is a technique targeting trigger points in muscles, to relieve muscle pain and tension, often caused by stress, posture, or injury. Dry needling is particularly effective for winter-related muscle stiffness.
Research-backed benefits:
• Myofascial pain relief: A 2021 meta-analysis showed that dry needling significantly reduces pain intensity and improves function in patients with myofascial pain syndrome. ⁷ Other clinical studies have demonstrated significant pain reduction and increased pressure pain thresholds for up to 12 weeks following dry needling treatments.
• Muscle recovery: Athletes and active individuals benefit from dry needling’s ability to promote faster recovery and reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness. ⁸
• Improved muscle function: By releasing tight muscle bands, dry needling can enhance muscle flexibility and function.
• Complement to other therapies: It works well in combination with physiotherapy, massage, and chiropractic care. ⁹
🧘 Acupuncture: Balancing energy and boosting wellness
Acupuncture is a Traditional Chinese Medicine practice that involves using fine needles to stimulate specific points in the body, promoting balance and healing. In Australia, acupuncture is regulated, and research supports its use for various conditions. It’s widely used to manage chronic pain, stress, and seasonal affective symptoms.
Research-backed benefits:
• Pain management: The National Institutes of Health recognizes acupuncture as effective for chronic pain, including back pain, arthritis, and migraines. ¹⁰
• Immune support: Regular acupuncture sessions can enhance immune function and reduce inflammation—both especially helpful during cold and flu season. ¹¹
• Mood stabilization: A 2019 study found acupuncture significantly reduced symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD)¹² through the release of endorphins and serotonin.
Winter Wellness Strategy: Combining therapies for amazing health
When used together, these therapies create a powerful winter wellness strategy:
• Start with massage to reduce tension and promote relaxation.
• Use chiropractic care to address spinal misalignments and mobility issues.
• Incorporate dry needling to target deep muscle knots and improve movement.
• Add acupuncture to balance energy, enhance immunity, and lift winter blues.
Tips to complement these therapies and maintain overall wellbeing during winter
• Stay active: Engage in regular physical activity to keep muscles and joints flexible.
• Dress warmly: Layer clothing to retain body heat and prevent muscle stiffness.
• Stay hydrated: Cold air can be dehydrating; ensure adequate water intake.
• Eat a balanced diet: Consume foods that support immune function (such as citrus fruits, spinach, broccoli, almonds, sunflower seeds, green tea, garlic and ginger).
• Prioritize sleep: Adequate rest is crucial for recovery and maintaining energy levels.
Conclusion
Winter doesn’t have to mean increased pain, stiffness, or low mood. Integrating massage, chiropractic care, dry needling, and acupuncture into your routine offers a natural, evidence-based approach to staying well through the colder months. Whether you’re battling chronic health challenges, illness, or just looking for a wellness boost, these therapies offer both physical and mental health benefits.
References
- Furlan, A. D., et al. (2020). Massage for low-back pain. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
AMT – Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of massage therapy - Rapaport, M. H., et al. (2010). A preliminary study of the effects of a single session of Swedish massage on hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal and immune function. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.
- Moyer, C. A., et al. (2004). Massage therapy and stress hormone levels. Psychological Bulletin.
- Paige, N. M., et al. (2017). Association of spinal manipulative therapy with clinical benefit and harm for acute low back pain. JAMA.
- Hawk, C., et al. (2007). Chiropractic care for musculoskeletal pain. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics.
- Biondi, D. M. (2005). Cervicogenic headache: a review of diagnostic and treatment strategies. The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.
- Liu, L., et al. (2021). Effectiveness of dry needling for myofascial trigger points. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
- Kietrys, D. M., et al. (2013). Effectiveness of dry needling for upper-quarter myofascial pain. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy.
- Cotchett, M. P., et al. (2014). The effectiveness of dry needling for musculoskeletal conditions: a systematic review. The Journal of Foot and Ankle Research.
- Vickers, A. J., et al. (2012). Acupuncture for chronic pain. Archives of Internal Medicine.
- Kim, T. H., et al. (2013). Acupuncture and immune modulation. Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology.
- Wang, W., et al. (2019). Acupuncture for seasonal affective disorder. Complementary Therapies in Medicine.
- Science Direct – website resources.
- Other website information also sought in conjunction with practitioner resources.