Do you ever see those shiny, oddly shaped tools at your chiropractors or physical therapists office? Don’t worry, we are far beyond treatment available during medieval times Those shiny, oddly shaped tools are generally used for treatment option known as Graston technique. These tools may also be referred to as Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM). Graston is used to reduce fascial restrictions causing pain that keep you from doing the things you want to do.

What Is Fascia

Fascia is the stiff connective tissue the wraps around your muscles, organs, blood vessels, bones and nerve fibers. Fascia helps to keep all these structures in place.
Fascia helps to reduce friction between muscle groups during movement. When fascia loses stiffness or becomes too stiff, you lose the support for posture and movement that your fascial structure provides.
Problems with fascia can arise from traumatic injury, repetitive stress injuries or post surgery. Graston or IASTM is an effective option to manage fascial problems. In our office, we typically help people suffering from myofascial pain and trigger points.

What is Myofascial Pain

Greek anyone? The word myo means muscle and fascia as described above is stiff connective tissue that wraps around your muscles. So myofascial pain means muscle and fascial pain. Fascia surrounds all your muscles, so myofascial pain can occur just about anywhere in your body. Our office sees many people with myofascial pain located in the neck, shoulders and upper back. This is typically due long periods on personal devices and computers.

Myofascial pain can also occur after surgery due to a chronic injury. Remember that pulled hamstring injury that keeps occurring? That could be due to myofascial pain.

Myofascial pain can be triggered with fairly light touch. Your chiropractor will use their palpation skills to identify sensitive areas along the muscles. It is in these sensitive areas, where at times trigger points are found.

What are Trigger Points?

Trigger points can be described as palpable nodules that are found along the muscles of the body. These palpable nodules or in layman terms “knots”, are extremely tight and sensitive. When these muscle knots are palpated with enough pressure, pain may be referred to other areas of the body. For example, applying pressure on the infraspinatus muscle (one of the four rotator cuff muscles) could cause a sensation that could be felt down the arm to the wrist.

Conditions Treated With Graston?

Graston is used to reduce fascial restrictions. Graston is resource available to practitioners to treat a multitude of musculoskeletal conditions.

Conditions Treated:

• golfer
• tennis elbow
• jumper’s knee
• low back sprain/strains
• neck sprain/strains,
• ankle sprain/strains
• Achilles tendinitis
• Wrist sprains/strains
• Plantar fasciitis
• Myofascial pain
• Trigger points

The goal with Graston/IASTM is to restore range of motion, decrease pain level and pain frequency by decreasing inflammation.

Can I Exercise after Graston?

Yes (in most cases); sometimes you just need to rest and allow time to recover. Generally, physical activity is encouraged after treatment. Movement or physical activity after treatment allows you and your chiropractor to understand improvements and continued limitations. Did you feel more mobile? Are you in less pain when you are physically active?

If significant pain and dysfunction continue, it may be necessary to reduce physical activity during Graston treatments. Depending on the severity of your injury, rest may be necessary along with treatment for best results.

Is Treatment Painful?

Graston technique is generally well tolerated. The treatments should not be painful! Even though at times Graston could cause discomfort, the chiropractor is able to control the amount of pressure being used. For this reason, communication with your chiropractor is key. To further reduce pain and discomfort, Graston instruments should be used with a hypoallergenic emollient.

Can I receive chiropractic care and Graston simultaneously?

Can you receive chiropractic treatment and graston treatment at the same time? This is a common question. There is absolutely nothing wrong with receiving both in the same visit and it is even encouraged.

In our office we utilize multiple treatment options for muscle and joint problems. We do this in order for you to achieve optimal results. The decision on what treatment options are available comes after a complete examination of your condition.

Barring any red flags of course, combining a specific chiropractic adjustment with Graston, corrective exercises and targeted stretches could be a great plan of action to help aid any muscle and joint condition you might be suffering from.

How Do I Get Started With Graston/IASTM?

There are many practitioners providing Graston/IASTM. To get started in our office, your chiropractor will perform a complete examination to fully understand your physical health. Our chiropractors understand that muscle, joints and fascia have need to work for you from head to toe. A full body approach to care allows our patients the opportunity to improve their pain and reduce the chance of re-injury.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK ONLINE or give us a call @ 780-429-3400. To learn more about our office, check out our website @ www.newbalancechiro.ca