Los Gatos Chiropractor Adds Graston Technique To His Practice

A complaint often raised against chiropractors is "I feel great after my visits, but you have to continue going 3x/week forever." That is certainly not our approach at Positive Motion Chiropractic. In fact, as a doctor of chiropractic I know that there are more people in our community with pain and dysfunction in their bodies than I could help in 100 lifetimes. As such, my goal with every patient is to get their health complaints addressed, at their source, in as few visits as possible. To that end, I am always searching for the most effective techniques to help my patients.

A few years ago my search lead me to a new technique/treatment called Graston Technique®. I have traveled outside the State to take Basic and Advanced training in Graston Technique®. This remarkable technique allows me to detect and treat areas of “scar tissue” or adhesions in muscles, tendons and ligaments that can reduce our range of motion and cause pain. In the healing process, our body attempts to repair those areas by creating “scar tissue,” much like the scar that forms on the skin when you have scraped or banged your knee.

Dysfunction
In time, we can have a build up of this fibrous scar tissue, particularly in the muscles, tendons and ligaments that get a lot of use. This can lead to pain and dysfunction because this replacement tissue lacks the strength and flexibility of healthy tissue (in some areas it may even mat down and entrap a nerve).

Graston Tools
The Graston Technique® allows us to better detect and treat these areas because it uses a stainless steel instrument that glides along a patient’s muscle, tendons or ligaments, with the right amount of pressure to detect just where the scar tissue or restrictions are located.

When these knots or bands of scar tissue are encountered, both the clinician and the patient sense a restriction, almost like a speed bump or a granular feeling. The instrument can then be used to “break up” this restriction or adhesion. Stretching exercises are used to promote re-alignment of the fibers into the normal pattern of healthy tissue.

Benefits
The benefit of the Graston Technique® is not only in detection of restrictions or adhesions, but also in the amount of improvement that takes place in a short amount of time. Remember the song and words “…the knee bone is connected to the thigh bone…”? Well, so they are and so are all of the body parts connected in what is referred to as the kinetic chain. The instruments allow the clinician to follow that kinetic chain, effectively uncovering the cause of the problem, then treating the cause and the area of pain or restriction.

The unaided hand is hard pressed to detect and break up as much scar tissue, or follow the kinetic chain, as effectively or efficiently as stainless steel instruments can. Patients usually receive two treatments per week for 4 to 5 weeks. Most patients have a positive response within 2 to 3 treatments. Some patients note some mild soreness after the treatments and they are able continue to perform their regular functions at home or work during the treatment period. GT decreases overall time of treatment, fosters faster rehabilitation/recovery, reduces need for anti-inflammatory medication and resolves chronic conditions thought to be permanent. If you have not experienced the Graston Technique®, yet you have lingering discomfort or stiffness, please ask us whether you may be helped by this effective treatment.

Graston Technique® has been effective in the treatment of:
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Neck/shoulder pain
• de Quervain’s syndrome
• Tennis elbow
• Fibromyalgia
• IT band syndrome
• Joint sprain
• Lower back pain
• Muscle strain
• Golfer's elbow
• Post-surgical adhesions
• TMJ disorder
• Tension headaches
• Plantar fasciitis
• Painful scars
• Tendonitis
• Post-fracture pain

For more information about Graston Technique®, including an online Slide Show with videos, please visit www.GrastonTechnique.com. To find out if Graston Technique® can help you, please contact our office for a free 15-minute consultation with Dr. Pedersen (DC).

Positive Motion Chiropractic
(408) 358-5086
15466 Los Gatos Blvd, Ste 215
Los Gatos, CA 95032
www.PositiveMotionChiro.com
Get healthy. Feel better.