Manual Therapy
Pain and injury is often accompanied by tight and tender muscles. While chiropractic adjustments help improve and optimize joint mechanics we often find that a little extra soft tissue treatment is needed to help get you the results you’re looking for.
Dr. Henry has studied various soft tissue treatments including Active Release Technique, cupping, Cross Friction technique and Graston to name a few.
Outside of the healthcare world, not many people are familiar with these various techniques and certifications so here is a summary of the various soft tissue treatments performed at Victory Spine and Sport.
Percussion:
Dr. Henry often uses a handheld tool that provides mechanical percussion (at a very fast rate!) over areas where there are tight muscles.
Instrument Assisted
For muscles that are especially sensitive or have been tight for long periods of time, Dr. Henry finds it very effective to use stainless steel tools to provide treatment.
Hands on Treatment
Various techniques of hands-on treatment are commonly used to provide local and effective treatment to tight muscles.
Kinesio Taping
Kinesio taping also known as the stretchy tape with fancy designs seen at the olympics, CrossFit games and on the LPGA tour. This tape is a great tool and can be used for many different reasons. Dr. Henry regularly uses it to decrease swelling, pain and can be a great postural reminder for desk workers.
Cupping
While most therapies applied to muscles are compressive in nature, cupping can be an effective tool to provide more of a “lift” to the skin and fascial layers surrounding the muscle. We can also combine cupping with movement at the same time to help relieve smaller cutaneous nerves that can be pain generators.
There are many options for soft tissue treatment because Dr. Henry realizes certain conditions respond better to certain techniques. Dr. Henry personally gets a lot of relief from utilizing the stainless steel instrument.