Aches and Pains
Aches & Pains
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Chiropractors treat more than just the spine.
I treat a wide range of common yet disruptive aches and pains including: Neck pain, TMJ syndrome, Headaches, Carpal tunnel, Low Back pain, knee pain, and postural fatigue syndrome to name a few.
An individualized combination from a wide variety of techniques that work best for your body can include:
Chiropractic Adjustment
I have been trained in many different styles and techniques of adjusting including Diversified, Thompson Drop, Activator, and SOT, and may use a combination of these styles based on your health history, bodies response and of course your comfort. These techniques range from High Velocity to Low Force and can be applied to any joint in the body.
Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Release
Our muscles are made up of thousands of fibers that should contract and relax smoothly as a unit. When we have scar tissue or adhesions from chronic tension and muscle tightness these fibers are no longer aligned and working together as a unit. Think of when the plastic wrap you use to cover your leftovers clings to itself creating bumps and ridges and no longer able to be pulled taught and smooth, this is what happens to our fascial layer surrounding our muscle tissue.
Graston and Cupping
Graston is a soft-tissue technique using rounded stainless steel instruments to mobilize and release scar tissue and adhesions that may be restricting normal motion and function by getting into the tissue at this fascial/fiber level.
What conditions can it be used for?
Graston can be used to treat almost any soft tissue condition, some of the things that respond best to Graston Treatments are:
◆ Plantar Fascitis
◆ Rotator Cuff tears / sprains / strains
◆ Hamstring sprains / strains
◆ Myofascial trigger points
◆ Limited shoulder and chest wall mobility following mastectomy and breast cancer treatment.
◆ Tennis and golfer’s elbow
Myofascial Cupping is used much in the same way as the Graston Technique to break up facial adhesions and fibrous scar tissue to realign muscle tissue to function optimally. However this gentler technique of lifting and separating the tissue layers offer more decompressive forces than direct contact.
Is it painful?
Most patients report that the initial treatment is slightly uncomfortable and that subsequent treatments are comfortable and non-painful. Each patient’s experience is different. This technique is always fully discussed and demonstrated prior to each treatment, and the expected outcomes discussed with each patient on a case-by-case basis.
Active Release Technique
ART® is a hands-on myofascial release technique through movement based massage It is great for treating problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves. When scar tissue, muscular and fascial adhesions build up in our tissues the muscles become shorter and weaker. This tension on tendons causes tendonitis, or compression of nerves leading to reduced range of motion, loss of strength, pain, tingling, numbness, and weakness. I use my hands to evaluate this tissue and treat it by combining precisely directed tension with very specific patient movements.
Electrical stim
Electrical stim is another way to relax muscles that is less invasive than the more hands on muscle work above. This technique works by sending stimulating pulses across the surface of the skin and along the nerve strands. The stimulating pulses help prevent pain signals from reaching the brain during the treatment, and can also help stimulate your body to produce higher levels of its own natural painkillers, called “Endorphins” for more lasting relief. Think of it as rebooting the signal a painful tight muscle is sending your brain.
Taping
Rocktape is a brand of rehabilitative kinesiotape that is designed to facilitate the body’s natural healing process while providing support and stability to muscles and joints without restricting the body’s range of motion. RockTape helps to alleviate pain and facilitates lymphatic drainage by microscopically lifting the skin, which is ideal for acute injuries as well as help prolong the benefits of manual therapy after treatment.
Unlike athletic tape, RockTape still allow the joint or tissue in question to move through it’s full range of motion while giving it stabilization and proprioceptive support, and can be worn for up to a week at a time. I use this in conjuncture with your treatment plan, and has seen success with use in treating knee and shoulder pain, low back instability and postural fatigue, as well as belly taping for pregnancy.
