East Bay Chiropractic Wellness P.C.

Dr. Martin Marmorale

Can the Graston Technique® Treat Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

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Carpal tunnel syndrome is one of the most common causes of hand pain, with an estimated 8 million Americans suffering from the condition each year. Overuse of muscles and tendons in the wrist causes swelling or thickening in the narrow passageway on the palm side of the hand, known as the “carpal tunnel.” The tendons of the hand and fingers, as well as the median nerve, pass through this narrow tube composed of bone and ligament. When swelling occurs, it entraps the median nerve, causing weakness, numbness, “pins and needles” sensations, pain, burning, or tingling in the hands and fingers. Carpal tunnel syndrome can be incredibly uncomfortable and often interferes with one’s ability to do daily tasks.

Can You Cure Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

The prognosis for carpal tunnel syndrome varies from patient to patient. It is a highly treatable condition, and many individuals find permanent relief. It can be addressed with various pain management techniques, physical therapy, lifestyle modifications, and, in some cases, surgery.

What Is the Fastest Way to Get Rid of Carpal Tunnel?

Managing carpal tunnel syndrome is rarely a quick fix, but there are actions you can take to reduce immediate discomfort and create the right conditions for optimal healing. Icing your wrist for 10-15 minutes several times per day reduces pain and inflammation. Wearing a wrist splint minimizes pressure on irritated nerves and limits motions that aggravate carpal tunnel pain.

Chiropractic care offers a variety of treatments for carpal tunnel syndrome. The Graston Technique® has proven particularly effective at releasing the median nerve and reducing carpal tunnel pain.

Does Graston® Help Carpal Tunnel?

The Graston Technique® addresses carpal tunnel syndrome without pain medication or surgical intervention. Instead, it uses myofascial release to break up adhesions in the wrist. We use patented, precision instruments to locate injured soft tissue, which we then manipulate to break down knots and adhesions. This decreases inflammation and speeds healing.

Using the Graston Technique® also improves mobility and muscle tone, which reduces the irritation of the tendon and, by extension, the nerve, in the carpal tunnel. We may also recommend exercises and movement modifications to supplement Graston Technique® therapy.

Can Graston Technique® Treat Hand Issues/Injuries?

In addition to carpal tunnel syndrome, the Graston Technique® can treat hand, thumb, and wrist pain unrelated to carpal tunnel syndrome. It may help with tendonitis, arthritis, and nerve pain resulting from anatomical factors, injury, and overuse.

Your Graston Technique® Specialist for Hand and Wrist Issues

If you are experiencing hand or wrist issues like carpal tunnel syndrome, the East Bay Chiropractic Wellness team can create a holistic treatment plan to increase your comfort and help you return to your normal routine. As a certified Graston Technique® Specialist (GST) who was the first Long Island chiropractor to be certified in the use of the technique, and with more than 35 years of experience, you’ll be in good hands with us. Contact us online, or call (516) 679-2225 for an appointment or to learn more about how we can help you.

How Chiropractors Can Help Treat Allergies

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We are now fully immersed in springtime here on Long Island. Weather-wise, it’s one of the best times of year to get out and enjoy all Long Island has to offer. Unfortunately, this can also be one of the hardest times of the year for allergy sufferers.

More people are affected by allergies than you might think. In fact, more than 100 million Americans are affected by allergies each year. Furthermore, allergies are linked to many chronic illnesses, making them the sixth leading cause of chronic illnesses in the country.

Chiropractic care has often been implemented to not only manage chronic pain, but to address some chronic illnesses as well. Could chiropractic care be effective against allergies?

Can Spinal Misalignment Cause Allergies?

When many people think of chiropractic care, the first image that comes into their head is spinal manipulation. Misaligned spines can cause a wide range of issues, such as chronic pain. However, the nervous system is very complicated and affects just about every function in our bodies.

A misalignment of the spine in certain areas has been shown to affect the immune system. Allergic reactions are the result of our immune system reacting disproportionately to certain substances and stimuli. As a result, a misalignment could potentially cause or exacerbate allergic reactions in some instances.

With that said, if you have a long history of being allergic to certain substances from a very young age, a misaligned spine later in life is likely not going to have a connection to that allergy. However, chiropractors do have other tools and techniques at their disposal.

Can Chiropractors Help with Sinus and Allergies?

Spinal manipulation has the potential to help in some instances with certain allergies. Another type of treatment that is a complement to chiropractic care is acupuncture. Those unfamiliar with chiropractic care may not be aware that this is another form of care a chiropractor can provide. By administering these needles of miniscule diameter in a painless way, acupuncture is able to send signals to the brain to release healing chemicals through the body and promote your body’s natural ability to heal itself. This can result in not only treating some allergies, but also treating anxiety, depression, hypertension, and more.

Relieve Your Allergies and Chronic Pain

Chiropractic care isn’t just for chronic pain. Treatments are capable of far more than that. Though not for every instance, the causes of some allergies have been treated through various kinds of chiropractic care, including acupuncture. At East Bay Chiropractic, we specialize in the Graston Technique®; a pain management technique that targets the scars buried deep in your soft tissue that can cause a wide variety of conditions and helps to alleviate your pain and get you back on the right course. And with nearly 30 years of experience, you know you’ll be in good hands. Contact East Bay Chiropractic today and learn more about how we can help you manage your allergies and chronic pain.

Most Common Workplace Injuries That Can Be Treated with Chiropractic

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With the warmer spring weather coming, many of us find ourselves being more physically active than in the winter. While it is great to be active, after prolonged periods of being less active, you run an increased risk of injury, including work-related injuries.

You may understandably assume that the colder months will see an increase in work-related injuries due to slip and falls from water or ice. Although work-related injuries can happen any time of year, they are actually highest in the warmer summer months. Keeping this in mind, what are some of the most common workplace injuries?

What Is an Example of a Workplace Injury?

One workplace injury that transcends many different fields of employment is a strain due to repetitive motion. This could potentially be from lifting heavy objects as part of the job, or it could be a result of a repetitive motion such as pushing, wrapping, or packaging, using the same tool over and over again, and similar motions. Heavy lifting could cause a back injury and repetitive motions with your hands could put strain on your wrists to the point of injury.

What Are the Most Common Workplace Injuries?

Unfortunately, there are several common workplace injuries. In addition to overexertion injuries such as those mentioned above, slip and falls, exposure to harmful substances or environments, and injuries related to contact with equipment or other objects on the job.

Slip and falls could be anything from tripping in the office, slipping on a wet floor, or falling from a ladder or scaffolding. Exposure to substances or the environment could involve working out in extreme temperatures or in environments where you could be exposed to disease, radiation, harmful gasses, electrical currents, and more. Contact with equipment or other objects could be injury related to office supplies like scissors or box cutters, dropping a heavy object, injury related to contact with a forklift or other vehicles on the job, and so forth.

Can A Chiropractor Help You with Work-Related Injuries?

Chiropractors can help you recover from many work-related injuries. While many people associate chiropractors with spinal adjustments, specialized treatments like the Graston Technique® are designed to help people recover from injuries including those related to the hand and wrist due to repetitive movements by breaking up the adhesions that develop over the tendons and ligaments, causing pain, discomfort, and limiting mobility in the affected area. 

East Bay Chiropractic Wellness Can Help You Recover from Your Workplace Injuries

Workplace injuries can be stressful in addition to debilitating and demoralizing while leaving you feeling uncertain of your prospects in the short term. You need the peace of mind that only experienced professionals with a long track record of satisfied clients can provide. For over 35 years, East Bay Chiropractic Wellness P.C. has been providing a wide range of chiropractic services to best fit your needs and cover a wide range of conditions that impact your day-to-day life including your job. We can work with you on pain management and restoring the range of motion through massage, stretching exercises, spinal adjustments, the Graston Technique®, and much more. Schedule your appointment today and take the first step towards a more comfortable life.

The Top Things You Need to Know About the Graston Technique®

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Our backs are easily one of the most important parts of our bodies. The spinal column, along with our brain, houses our central nervous system, controlling our bodies and informing us when we’re in pain. Unfortunately, this also means that abnormalities within our spinal column can lead to chronic pain. This can be due to injury, wear and tear, or simply from getting older. That doesn’t mean you have to live with that pain, though.

Chiropractic care is a go-to option for many people suffering from back pain or other pain and health-related issues that can be traced back to the spine. Many people think that chiropractors simply offer spinal manipulation, but chiropractic care encompasses a great deal more, including the Graston Technique®. So, what is the Graston Technique® and what are the key things you need to know about it?

What Is the Graston Technique®?

Unlike other forms of chiropractic care, the ability to provide the Graston Technique® treatment requires separate training and certification. That is, in part, because this technique requires the use of specialized stainless-steel tools. The certified chiropractor uses these tools to perform specific deep tissue massage-like motions that are designed to break up the excess scar tissue on our muscles, tendons, and ligaments that are causing mobility issues and pain. This Graston Technique® has proven effective in alleviating pain in the neck, back, shoulder, wrists, knees, hips, and ankles caused by soft tissue injuries.

What to Expect After the Graston Technique®?

You can reasonably expect some minor discomfort and bruising in the affected areas after the Graston Technique® has been administered. This is a result of the deep tissue massage aspect of the technique on the affected soft tissue deep below the skin.

Combining this treatment with other recommendations from your chiropractor can result in a faster recovery time. The proper treatment combination, including other chiropractic treatments, can reduce your pain levels overall, meaning a lesser need for pain medication and decreasing the chances of needing surgical intervention.

How Long Does It Take for Graston® to Work?

You can expect to need two treatments a week for about a month to be properly treated. That said, you should start experiencing positive results from the treatment in about two weeks. This treatment doesn’t require additional downtime and shouldn’t get in the way of your day-to-day activities. Even more encouraging is that 75-90% of those treated have had positive outcomes.

Dr. Marmorale Can Treat a Variety of Conditions with The Graston Technique®

For more than 35 years, East Bay Chiropractic Wellness P.C. has provided a wide range of chiropractic services to best fit your needs and cover a wide range of conditions that impact your day-to-day life, with a specialization in the Graston Technique®. We can work with you on pain management through massage, stretching exercises, spinal adjustments, and much more. Schedule your appointment today and take the first step towards a more comfortable life.

Benefits of Massage Therapy After a Car Accident

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Many people underestimate the physical health benefits of massage, focusing instead on the mental health benefits. However, after an accident or injury, especially a car accident, chiropractic massage can be one of the best ways to promote healing and speed up recovery.

The problem might be that some people simply don’t understand the “therapy” part of massage therapy. According to the Mayo Clinic, a massage therapist “rubs and kneads the soft tissues of your body. The soft tissues include muscle, connective tissue, tendons, ligaments, and skin.” This is an integrative part of medicine.

Is Chiropractic Massage Safe After a Car Accident?

Chiropractic massage is used in conjunction with chiropractic care and can be not only safe, but also beneficial after a car accident or work-related injury. In many car accidents, the primary damage is caused by whiplash. This sudden force can move your spine out of alignment, and a chiropractor will assess the safety of adjusting the spine before doing so.

However, once the spine is back in alignment, there may also be damage to the muscles, tendons, and ligaments that help the body stabilize the spine. That’s where the massage therapist enters the picture.

The National Institutes for Health say that the research on the benefits of massage are in the preliminary stages, but “massage therapy may be useful for some pain conditions such as low-back pain and chronic neck pain.”

In general, research indicates massage is useful for many of the issues related to injuries after a car accident, including:

  • Increasing range of motion (ROM)
  • Decreasing pain
  • Assisting in healing a client with low back pain (LBP)
  • Enhancing recovery for sciatica symptoms
  • Speeding up overall recovery

How Long Do You Stay Sore After a Car Accident?

Pain after a car accident is different for everyone, but one of the first things to understand is that your pain may not show up immediately after the event. Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is muscle soreness and aches caused by muscle injury. While frequently discussed in relation to exercise, the same thing occurs when you injure a muscle in an accident.

Most people do not feel the damage done in a less serious accident for 12 to 48 hours after the accident. That’s because the body’s adrenaline response masks pain and muscle injuries are not always immediately apparent to the untrained eye. That’s why it is important to get a medical evaluation after any accident. Your body may be more injured than you realize.

Healthline points out that 6.4 million car accidents happened between 2016 and 2020, and the most common symptom of injury reported was lower back pain. That trauma to your back may cause lingering issues for months, so massage therapy is an important part of addressing the issue and promoting healing.

Massage therapy promotes healing by gently stretching and kneading the muscles, encouraging blood flow to the area. Blood flow is necessary for the muscle to begin to repair itself.

Massage therapy has also proven to be excellent at decreasing pain as it helps force the muscles to relax. After a forceful injury, muscles will often tense up and not relax, causing extreme pain to the body. This can also lead to misalignment in the spine, so working with your chiropractor is an important part of the healing process.

Another valuable treatment for injuries related to a car accident is the Graston Technique®. This chiropractic treatment method uses specialized tools to treat soft tissue injuries, such as muscle adhesions and adhesions that can develop after spinal trauma. By treating the adhesions early, they do not become chronic, proper range of motion is maintained, etc. By combining the Graston Technique® with massage therapy, the healing time after a car accident or other injury can even be shortened.

The East Bay Team Can Provide the Right Treatment for Your Injuries

When you are in a car accident, it’s important to get evaluated by your chiropractor as soon as possible to evaluate the extent of the damage to your body and the best treatment plan. Here at East Bay Chiropractic and Wellness, we can help provide the right care for you. Contact us today to start healing.

What Is Holistic Chiropractic?

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There are many terms that the layman may find confusing when looking into chiropractic care, and chief among them is one that denotes a specific style of care, that of the holistic chiropractor. Chiropractic care is used to restore normal movement and range of motion by reducing pain and inflammation throughout the body. How is holistic care different, if at all?

Holistic medicine takes a comprehensive approach, addressing mind, body, and social factors and often combining traditional medicine with alternative approaches such as acupuncture. It aims to address the fundamental, underlying causes of the problem instead of simply treating the obvious symptoms.

Do Chiropractors Take a Holistic Approach?

Most general chiropractors focus on the problem area generating the pain or discomfort. In general chiropractic practice, spinal health is the primary objective and is prioritized as being fundamental to overall health. A truly holistic approach involves a more extensive array of treatment methodologies and examination of areas outside of the immediately painful ones.

What Do Holistic Chiropractors Do?

A holistic chiropractor does treat the immediate pain symptoms, but they don’t stop there. Sustainable recovery is the goal, which can involve working with multiple areas of the body and multiple treatment modalities.

Among the various treatments that a holistic chiropractor might employ during treatment include:

In addition, self-care and education are also important elements of a holistic approach. Combining appropriate modalities allows a holistic chiropractor to create a refined and individualized treatment plan addressing the root cause of your issue in order to prevent it from arising again.

Do Chiropractors Do the Same Thing Every Time?

In the sense that they find and correct misalignments, yes. However, due to the natural variations from one individual to the next, both of these tasks can require different adjustments or techniques depending on the specifics of the case in question. No two cases are the same, which is precisely why we adopt the holistic approach.

East Bay Chiropractic Care & Wellness – A Holistic Approach

Since 1986, East Bay Chiropractic Wellness has stayed at the cutting edge of chiropractic care, and I was certified in the Graston Technique® in  2008. My expert staff and I tailor our treatment plan to your specific needs, using the most appropriate methodologies for the case in question. Contact us at East Bay Chiropractic today and start your journey to a pain-free life!