Mobilization/Manipulation/Adjustment
Spinal manipulation or an “adjustment” is a technique used to restore proper motion to any segments of the spine that are “restricted” or not moving properly. Restrictions can come from repetitive motions at your work or activities of daily living as well as staying in a certain posture for prolonged periods of time. If restrictions are present in the spinal joints, it then in turn makes the surrounding muscles work harder to achieve full range of motion.
To find any restrictions that may be present, we will use our hands to feel the range of motion of your spinal joints. We will then use our hands to put the necessary force into the joints to restore their proper motion.
There are multiple factors that determine the amount of force necessary to move a joint including age, sex, co-morbidities and more. This type of treatment has been found by research to be extremely effective for many conditions.
Soft Tissue Massage & Passive Stretching
In our office, we find addressing the muscles with massage techniques and stretching is very beneficial in treating a patient’s symptoms. Like our joints, our muscles can become very tight from repetitive motions or being in certain postures for prolonged periods of time.
This can result in pain in the muscle itself as well referral of pain to other regions of the body which would be indicative of trigger points in the muscles. For example, pain in your arm and hand could be trigger point referral from your shoulder region.
Likewise, pain in your knee could be the result of trigger points in the muscles of the hip or thigh. Soft tissue work can be performed by the clinician’s hands or assistive tools depending on the patient’s tolerance. It is also important to note that the different regions of the body are connected through soft tissues, so an issue in one region may be caused by dysfunction in a different region. We will work to define the areas of dysfunction and treat accordingly.
Therapeutic Exercise & Active Stretching:
Therapeutic exercise is a great tool to help increase both mobility and stability depending on the patient’s condition. Stretches and movements that put joints through their full range of motion can help increase mobility in muscles and joints that are stiff or not moving properly.
Strengthening exercises that challenge a patient’s strength, coordination, and balance can help to stabilize regions of the body that are weak or unstable.
We find that implementing therapeutic exercises along with joint manipulation and soft tissue massage really sets our patients up for success and is backed by research. This gives our patients something to do on their own to maintain their progress and hopefully decrease their risk for future re-injury and allows for long-term independence.
Class IV Laser Therapy
We use the Class IV Laser therapy to treat both acute and chronic conditions such as ankle sprains, tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis, low back pain, migraines and many more. The laser stimulates a chemical response on a cellular level called Photobiomodulation.
This simply means that the parts of the cells responsible for producing energy are stimulated to perform their job faster. It also stimulates a local inflammatory response by causing vasodilation which allows for more blood flow to the area.
This, in turn, brings the other nutrients needed for tissues to heal properly. We have found this treatment to be extremely effective for patients who have “tried everything else” without finding complete relief.