East Bay Chiropractic Wellness P.C.

Dr. Martin Marmorale

Benefits of Combining Chiropractic Care and Massage

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Whether you’re suffering from temporary back pain here and there or dealing with chronic back pain that just doesn’t give you a break, you’ve mulled over the various options you’ve heard of how to manage the pain. Perhaps you’ve tried taking ibuprofen when the pain gets distracting, stretches and other exercises at home, getting a chair for your desk that helps properly support your back, and more.

In too many instances, home remedies just aren’t enough, and you’ll need to work with a professional. That said, you may be conflicted on exactly what kind of professional you should seek out. People will often suggest either chiropractic care or massage. For those of us who may not be familiar with the ins and outs of either practice, what exactly is the difference between the two?

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Graston Technique® for Sciatica Relief

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Sciatica refers to pain that is felt along the path of the sciatic nerve, an area that goes from your lower back through your hips down past your buttocks into your leg. It typically affects one side of your body at a time. It can be the result of a herniated disk or bone spur on the spine that’s caused a compression of the nerve.

The Graston Technique® is a soft-tissue instrument-assisted mobilization, a manual therapy technique applied during chiropractic treatment. Instead of only using the hands, this technique uses six instruments in combination with a specialized form of massage to create a therapeutic effect.

The six core tools used in the Graston Technique® are made of stainless steel and are a variety of convex and concave shapes. The tools have blunt, rounded edges and are used to scan and detect areas of injured fibrotic tissue.

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What Is IASTM?

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As we get older, we become more prone to complicated injuries. Some of these more complicated but common injuries come in the form of soft tissue injuries.

Your soft tissue is basically everything that wouldn’t be considered a part of your skeleton or your organs. This includes your skin, muscles, nerves, ligaments, tendons, and so forth. The kind of injuries that you’re looking at that affect soft tissue are sprains, strains, and other similar kinds of injuries that can cause pain, discomfort, and limit mobility.

One approach to managing soft tissue injuries is known as soft tissue mobilization. This form of physical therapy incorporates several techniques to treat the affected area, reduce pain, and increase mobility. Some forms of soft tissue mobilization include the use of specially designed tools. These are known as instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization therapy, or IASTM for short.

Studies have shown that soft tissue mobilization can be more effective in pain reduction than even corticosteroid shots. What else do we know about IASTM?

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Can Playing an Instrument Cause Back and Neck Issues?

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Our bodies are intended to work with gravity, but sometimes we fall into bad habits of poor posture and over-exerting ourselves, especially during music performances. Fortunately, there are simple steps you can take to decrease the chances these minor aches turn into living with chronic pain.

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How To Avoid Shoulder Surgery

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For many of us, whether we’re athletic into our later years or not, shoulder pain is a reality. A bad fall, golfing, tennis, bowling, or a car accident; there are no shortages of instigating factors that can lead to a torn rotator cuff. Because our rotator cuffs are made up of a series of muscles and tendons connecting our arms to our shoulder blades, healing from rotator cuff damage may be problematic.

Complicated injuries like a torn rotator cuff can be difficult to deal with. When it’s a minor injury, a torn rotator cuff can be handled with rest, icing the affected area, and recommended stretches. If your injury is more severe, it will require a more aggressive approach to recovery, and surgery may also be recommended.

We know that surgery always comes with risks; in many instances, those risks are worth it. When it comes to shoulder surgery, however, it may be more intricate. So, is it possible that there may be alternatives to shoulder surgery?

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