Ultrasound
This treatment should not be confused with the diagnostic ultrasound, often used in prenatal screening, but is instead a therapeutic procedure that utilizes sound waves to treat injured muscles, joints, and soft tissues. The sound waves vibrate the tissues back and forth, creating a deep, micro-massage effect. In the case of a recent injury, this helps to decrease scar tissue and adhesion formation, which would otherwise interfere with the body’s healing process. The sound waves also decrease inflammation by destroying unwanted inflammatory cells. The sound waves also accelerate healing by stimulating the activity of the cells responsible for cellular and tissue repair.
- What is Ultrasound?
- Ultrasound is the use of high-frequency sound waves and it is administrated in the area of soft tissue injury.
- How does Ultrasound work?
- Sound waves, some moving as fast as a million times per second, penetrate the tissues deep in the body. The vibrations help break down and disperse unhealthy calcium and other hard tissue accumulations.
- What does Ultrasound feel like?
- During the treatment most patients either feel nothing, or a pleasant and relaxing sensation below the skin’s surface. A warm gel is also used to conduct the sound waves and to prevent any skin irritation.
- Why is Ultrasound used?
- Ultrasound treatment can usually be administered directly to the area of complaint, penetrating deep into the body. The rise in temperature, increased blood flow, relaxes muscle spasms, massages damaged tissues, and speeds the healing process.
Electrical Muscle Stimulation
Often referred to as “muscle stim” the therapy involves low levels of electrical impulses delivered to the injured, painful tissues to reduce pain and speed healing. Often descreibed by patients as a pleasant, tingling sensation, or electrical massage,” these impulses stimulate the body to release natural pain relievers, called endorphins. These endorphins reduce pain and inflammation, thereby promoting faster healing of the injured tissues. This therapy is often used to treat acute and chronic pain, as well as strains or sprains of the muscles, joints, and soft tissues of the spine and extremities.
Massage
Massage is a term describing a variety of techniques using the hands to stimulate or soothe soft tissues of the body for therapeutic purposes. Massaging works by kneading and stroking muscles to relax them, and uses friction to stimulate soft tissues. This therapy can increase blood and lymph circulation while breaking up scar tissue between muscle fibers. Massage is useful for many conditions in which body relaxation, the reduction of swelling, and muscle mobilization is desired.
Intersegmental Traction
Intersegmental traction is a way of inducing passive motion into the spine for the purpose of stretching spinal joints and increasing mobility. The patient lies face up on a table which has a roller-type cam beneath its surface. These rollers slowly travel the length of the spine, stretching spinal joints. Most patients find this form of treatment to be very relaxing and very helpful. The gentle rolling action is restful, exercising the spine without any effort.
Since discs have a poor blood supply, they get nutrients from the circulation of fluids surrounding spinal joints. Fixations prevent this natural circulation and can cause disc thinning and degeneration. Intersegmental traction helps increase and restore necessary elasticity and motion to the spine.
Trigger Point Therapy
A trigger point is an area of uncontrolled muscle tightness causing tenderness which interferes with normal muscle function. This restricts normal range of motion, weakens the muscle, and may refer pain to other parts of the body. Using the hands, the skin gently pressed to locate underlying tight bands or nodules of muscle fibers. Then using the hand, fingers, elbow, or small hand instrument, the muscle is compressed with pressure to relax it. As pressure is applied, some patients experience temporary discomfort until the muscle relaxes. Others may feel referred pain to other parts of the body. Trigger Point therapy is highly effective way to reduce muscle spasms and relax hyperactive muscles. This helps restore normal range of motion and promote faster healing. The major benefits of trigger point therapy are reduces chronic muscle spasms, avoids scar tissue formation, improves muscle tone, promotes better circulation and increases range of motion.
SpiderTech Taping
SpiderTech taping is the application of a high grade cotton fabric with a hypo-allergenic, 100% acrylic glue which makes them safe for almost all patients. SpiderTech applications provide the continuous care necessary to reduce discomfort and swelling. They help restore strength to the injured area and can improve the mobility where range of motion has been restricted. Many patients can benefit from SpiderTech. Applications can be used for:
- Improved Athletic Performance
- Muscle, Joint & Ligament Strains
- Swelling and Sprains
- Post-Op Recovery
- Arthritis and Bursitis
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Disc Injuries
- Edema
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Tennis Elbow
- Shin Splints
- Rotator Cuff injuries and more
How it works:
Correcting muscle function. Kinesiology tape supports muscles during movement, and research has shown that it can provide a bit more stamina than the muscle alone.
- Improving circulation of blood and lymph. Studies show that the tape increases the flow of both blood and lymph, which can help in the treatment of lymph edema, mastectomy recovery and swelling, to name a few.
- Correcting joint movement. The tape can be used to keep a joint, such as a knee, gliding and tracking smoothly while in use.
- Relieving pain. The tape has an analgesic effect, similar to what has been described as the “mother’s hand effect.”