Commonly Treated Injuries

Is a repetitive strain injury of the muscles of the lower leg, gastroc/soleus, that causes irritation to the Achilles tendon. As the injury develops, painful adhesions (scar tissue) form between the Achilles tendon and the tendon sheath.

This can be treated with Active Release Techniques® and Graston Technique® by breaking down the scar tissue formed and working the tight muscles.

Is an overuse injury of the muscles of the forearm that cause compression and irritation to the median nerve as it passes under the carpal ligament of the hand. This nerve is responsible for sensation and muscle movement of the hand. When the nerve is irritated, there is a resulting weakness and numbness in the hand. This can be treated with Active Release Techniques® and Graston Technique®, as well as by adjustment of the carpal bones that are not moving correctly.

Otherwise known as Adhesive Capsulitis, is caused through repetitive strain, or direct trauma to the capsule of the shoulder. The resulting injury can be severely debilitating as the deposition of scar tissue leads to restricted motion, pain, and discomfort. We work on breaking up the scar tissue and restoring mobility with Active Release Techniques and Graston Technique®.

Is a repetitive strain injury to the muscles and tendons of the forearm that attach to the medial epicondyle and lateral epicondyle, respectively. The muscles become restricted, which then causes the tendons to pull from the attachment point (epicondyle). The result is sharp, pin-point pain at the site of attachment.

There are numerous types of headaches that afflict people, with multiple causes. A common cause is the biomechanical imbalance of the muscles and vertebrae of the upper neck. Imbalance of the neck muscles cause irritation to the nerves that supply sensation to the head, and lead to headaches. It is very important that a thorough examination be completed prior to any treatment so that any issues that are not biomechanical in nature can be addressed and referred to the appropriate health professional.

IT Band syndrome is characterized by a sharp burning pain localized to the outside of the knee. The band becomes irritated when it “flips” over a bony prominence of the femur over and over. This condition is a result of a repetitive strain of the muscles of the hip and leg and the IT Band irritation is simply a product of this. Long distance runners primarily get this condition due to the sheer number of strides, or increase in training distance. At our clinic, we will look at the biomechanics of your stride and treat all the muscles involved.

Plantar fascitis is a condition that is characterized by a burning painful sensation on the bottom of the foot. The muscles, ligament and connective tissue or fascia of the foot become inflamed as a result of long periods of standing, or prolonged running. Symptoms include waking up with stiff painful feet. We can treat this condition with Graston Technique® and Active Release Techniques® to break the adhesions in the fascia.

Piriformis syndrome is characterized by pain of the hip and occasional compression of the sciatic nerve which can create numbness, tingling, or sharp pain down the leg to the foot. It is a condition that is a product of repetitive stress to the hip through running, skating, or sitting for prolonged periods.

The rotator cuff is unique in that it requires the balance and coordination of five primary muscles for rotation and movement of the arm. If any of these muscles do not perform properly there is compensation and other muscles have to “pick up the slack”. This compensation can lead to numerous issues of the shoulder such as tendonitis, and nerve impingements.

With this condition the sciatic nerve is irritated and sharp pain can be created that extends from the hip to the foot. The pain is generated most commonly by two ways. The first is by the disc in the low back bulging and compressing the nerve as it leaves the spinal column. The second is through soft tissue “pinching” of the nerve as it courses through the hip, leg and foot. By freeing up structures such as the piriformis, hamstring, soleus, and dorsal sacral ligament, the sciatic nerve is able to fully function and pain is resolved.

This is a condition that occurs due to overuse of the muscles of the leg that attach to the tibia or “shin” bone. These muscles become so strained that they pull on the attachment site of the bone and create pain with use. In prolonged cases the muscles pull so hard that fractures can start to form, otherwise known as stress fractures, which further complicate recovery. Active Release Techniques® and Graston Technique® can release the tension on these muscles by eliminating scar tissue deposited within. Icing and modification of activities is required for quick recovery.

Tendonitis is common to many biomechanical injuries of the body. It results primarily as a restriction of motion of the muscle which leads to tension, and friction of the tendon. The tendon is a made of strong tissue that runs through a sheath. Due to the friction created between the tendon and sheath, adhesions/scar tissue form and this further restricts motion and creates pain.

This is a result of muscle imbalance of the jaw which creates a binding of the joint of the jaw. This imbalance can be caused by such things as a direct trauma to the jaw, whiplash, and most commonly grinding or clenching of the teeth. Common signs of jaw imbalance are a jerky motion of the jaw when opening the mouth, as well an audible “click” or “pop”.

Acceleration/deceleration syndrome, otherwise known as whiplash, is an injury to the soft tissues when the part of the body undergoes motion in one direction, then immediately undergoes motion in the opposite direction. The structures involved are not able to withstand the amount of force exerted on them and trauma occurs. The neck in an auto accident is primarily injured this way. Scar tissue is deposited in the region and can lead to a long period of time where the neck does not move properly and headaches, nerve irritation, and pain is created. There are varying degrees of whiplash and various means of creating whiplash such as auto accidents, slips, falls etc. Using techniques such as Active Release Techniques® and Graston Technique® it is possible to restore proper motion and function of the soft tissue and heal quickly.