Graston Technique

People looking for pain relief, increased range of motion and better mobility are seeking out the Graston Technique. While this treatment has gained popularity for being used by professional athletes looking for faster recovery, it’s available to everyone! This is a treatment that we proudly offer here at Louisville Medical Center in Colorado. While you may have heard about the benefits of the Graston Technique, you probably have lots of questions about how this innovative, noninvasive treatment can help you with restoring function if you’re suffering from pain, stiffness or loss of mobility in an area of your body. When you book an appointment at our Louisville clinic, Dr. Nicholas Hamilton will cover the specifics of this treatment with you. However, it’s helpful to have a general idea of how this treatment works if you’re looking for a chiropractor offering the Graston Technique in Louisville, Colorado.

The Graston Technique uses instrument-assisted soft-tissue mobilization to help break up scar tissue that is causing pain, soreness, inflammation and restriction. This massage-like treatment is commonly used to treat soft-tissue trauma in muscles, ligaments, tendons and fascia. During treatment, the practitioner stretches connective tissue to help arrange it back to its original structure. The benefits of using this technique for tissue injuries and trauma include:

• Accelerating recovery time.
• Reducing the need for pain and anti-inflammatory medications.
• Resolving chronic pain.
• Decreasing the length of time needed for treatment protocols.

The Graston Technique can be used throughout the body. While it is commonly used to treat muscle strain and scarring, it can also be used to target common issues like back pain, tendinosis and plantar fasciitis. Many patients find that it helps to reduce post-fracture pain following serious injuries. People also seek out this technique to help with everyday injuries like carpal tunnel, fibromyalgia, joint pain, IT band syndrome and cervical pain.

The Graston Technique feels a lot like a therapeutic massage when performed on patients. Unlike adjustments and massage treatments that rely strictly on manual movements, this technique uses a variety of stainless-steel instruments that are specially designed to help the practitioner break up muscle adhesions and scar tissue. The practitioner uses special techniques for stretching and relaxation as the instrument is used.

The Graston Technique helps to stimulate healing within soft tissue by using a method called “cross-friction” massage that involves using instruments to brush against the grain of adhesions and scar tissue. This actually acts to create small, managed trauma in the scarred tissue that triggers increased blood flow and oxygen delivery that promotes healing at the cellular level. Many patients feel relief right away as the scarred area begins to “come alive” with a flurry of blood flow. However, a full treatment plan typically requires several visits to carefully break up deeply embedded scar tissue.

Do you suspect that scar tissue is what’s behind pain, inflammation, stiffness or reduced range of motion in a part of your body? The Graston Technique may help you to trigger your body’s own natural regeneration process by stimulating scar tissue. Contact us at Louisville Medical Center today to book a consultation to learn more!