Chiropractic Adjustments and Joint Mobilizations
The goal of a chiropractic adjustment
is to identify areas in the spine where range of motion may be limited or
restricted, and restore movement through a gentle manual adjustment. There are
cases where a chiropractic adjustment may be contraindicated due to pain,
inflammation, or a patient's unique history. In such instances, the doctor may
choose to forgo a traditional chiropractic adjustment and instead utilize a
more gentle manual joint mobilization, consisting of slowly and rhythmically
guiding a joint through it's biomechanical movement while attempting to gain
more range of motion.
Adjustments and mobilizations can be
completed using multiple techniques including manual and light force instrument
adjusting. The client's preference and current situation will determine which
technique will be used.
Soft Tissue Mobilizations/Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilizations
Soft tissues are the muscles, fascia, igaments, tendons, bursae, and nerves of the body. Soft tissue mobilization refers to the specific treatment of these structures with manual therapy. When an injury occurs, inflammation causes fibrous tissue to form in and around muscles and the soft tissue structures surrounding the injured area. Inflammation can also cause muscle guarding or muscle spams. Fibrous tissue, or "scar tissue" created by inflammation and muscle spasms can lead to pain, decreased range of motion, decreased biomechanical function, and a predisposition to re-injury. Soft tissue mobilization specifically targets the soft tissues that are involved in an injury, with the goal of decreasing pain, muscle spasm, removing scar tissue, and restoring proper muscle length and function. Soft tissue mobilization consists of manual therapy conducted by the doctor's hands and often times involves joint movement and sports specific movements and positions.Instrumented Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization is completed using a handheld instrument with the FAKTR protocol.
Rehabilitative Exercise
One of the most important parts of rehabilitating and recovering from an injury is the introduction of movement and exercise early on in the healing process. Inflammation can neurologically inhibit muscles from firing, thus creating imbalances and instability surrounding the injury. As inflammation is decreased and range of motion is restored, the retraining of muscular firing patterns and the restoration of muscular strength is essential for full recovery and future injury prevention. Rehabilitative exercises do not have to be overly complicated, nor do they have to consume hours of your day. The key is targeted, simple exercises designed to re-establish strength and function after an injury, followed by sport-specific exercises designed to get you back on the field and prevent re-injury.