East Bay Chiropractic Wellness P.C.

Dr. Martin Marmorale

Athletes, Elbow Injuries, & The Graston Technique®

by

As we age, we have to put more and more effort into getting in and staying in shape. Being able to maintain a baseline of physical fitness throughout our lives is one of the best ways to keep our independence well into our later years, in addition to being good for our overall health. And one of the best ways to keep in shape is by participating in sports. Some sports that people enjoy playing into their senior years include tennis and golf.

While being athletic has many advantages, it doesn’t come without risk of injury. Some of the more common injuries include tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow. Chiropractic care, including the Graston Technique®, can help you recover from these injuries faster.

How Does Graston Aid in Pain Relief?

When many people think of chiropractic treatments, they’re picturing spinal adjustments. While spinal adjustments are an important tool for chiropractors to utilize, it is far from the only one at their disposal. A misaligned spine can create pain not just in your back, but across your body as it impacts your central nervous system.

Another source of pain is soft tissue damage, which is where the Graston Technique® shines. Graston®, utilizing specialized stainless steel tools, targets adhesions and the hidden scar tissue buildup deep under your skin surrounding the affected soft tissue to help you heal faster and experience pain relief sooner.

Can Graston Help Improve Range of Motion?

Another benefit of breaking up adhesions and the buildup of hidden scar tissue is that it helps improve your range of motion in the affected area. Scar tissue is hard and inflexible. Breaking it up around your affected muscles, tendons, and ligaments allows you to move more naturally sooner.

Can Scraping Help Golfer’s Elbow?

Golfer’s elbow is an inflammation of the tendons around the inner elbow. Tennis elbow is similar, but affects the tendons around the outer elbow.

Because tendons are soft tissue, the Graston Technique® is an excellent method to treat both ailments, with many people experiencing some level of pain relief immediately after the technique is administered, depending on the severity of the injury. People also like the Graston Technique® because it can often resolve issues in about a month, which gets you back to playing the sports you love sooner while being less reliant on pain medication or risking surgery.

East Bay Chiropractic Wellness Can Help You Recover from Sports Injuries

Aches and pains related to sports such as tennis and golf can add stress and discomfort to your day-to-day life in addition to putting you at a higher risk of sustaining an injury. For more than 35 years, East Bay Chiropractic Wellness P.C. has been providing a wide range of chiropractic services to locate the stressors within your body and target those areas to alleviate your pain so you can focus more on enjoying your life, including utilizing the Graston Technique®. It’s a technique that was developed by a former athlete with athletes in mind. Schedule your appointment today and start your journey to a more comfortable tomorrow.

5 Tips for Preventing Pain Caused by Surfing

by

Summer in New York is the perfect time to enjoy the outdoors, and many of us find ourselves more active during this season than any other. Studies show that activity levels peak in spring and summer, from walking in our communities to participating in sports like surfing. And while staying active is key to a long, healthy life, it doesn’t come without risks.

A 2023 study revealed that over 3.7 million people were treated in emergency departments for sports- and recreation-related injuries. Even more experience mild aches and pains that go untreated. Surfing, in particular, uses muscles we often neglect in daily life, making the risk of injury higher than expected.

Common Injuries Caused by Surfing

Surfing doesn’t just pose a risk of injury from wipeouts; the activity itself can strain your body. Some of the most common surfing-related injuries include:

  • Shoulder impingement
  • Lower back pain
  • Knee injuries
  • Hip flexor strain
  • Cuts and abrasions to the feet and toes

5 Tips to Prevent Surfing Injuries

To minimize injury while surfing, incorporate the following practices into your routine:

  1. Warm up with mobility exercises before entering the water.
  2. Use proper surfing technique to reduce joint and muscle strain.
  3. Stretch and cool down after surfing to aid recovery.
  4. Take regular rest days to allow your body to heal.
  5. Consider soft tissue support treatments, like the Graston Technique®, to manage pain and prevent chronic conditions.

Is Surfing Hard on Your Body?

Yes, surfing is a full-body workout that demands strength, flexibility, balance, and endurance. It places stress on multiple muscle groups, especially the shoulders, knees, core, and back. Consistent surfing in challenging conditions requires proper warm-ups and cool-downs to avoid strain and injury.

How Often Do Surfers Get Injured?

Like any high-impact sport, surfing comes with its share of injuries. Rotator cuff tendonitis is common among surfers due to the repetitive paddling motion. Lower back and knee strains are also prevalent, often linked to soft tissue damage.

One proven method for treating these injuries is the Graston Technique®. This treatment utilizes stainless-steel instruments that comb over the affected areas and pinpoint the location of the scar tissue buildup around the damaged soft tissue. The scar tissue deep under the skin can then be broken up, which alleviates the pain and increases mobility. This allows you to heal faster and get back to your favorite activities, including surfing.

East Bay Chiropractic Wellness Can Assist With Your Recovery from Surfing Injuries

If you love summer activities like surfing, don’t let an injury keep you on the sidelines. At East Bay Chiropractic Wellness, we specialize in the Graston Technique® to relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and restore mobility. Our experienced team has nearly 30 years of expertise helping patients recover from sports injuries and chronic conditions.

Contact us today to discover how chiropractic care can support your active lifestyle and help keep doing what you love, pain-free.

Does the Graston Technique® Work on Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome?

by

Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome (TTS) is a condition that affects the tibial nerve, which runs through a narrow passage in your ankle known as the tarsal tunnel. When this nerve becomes compressed or irritated, it can result in symptoms like burning, tingling, and pain on the soles of your feet.

Just as repetitive stress in the hands can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome, repetitive strain in the ankles can cause tarsal tunnel syndrome. Fortunately, both conditions can benefit from treatment using the Graston Technique®.

What Aggravates Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome?

TTS can begin after an injury or develop gradually due to overuse. Activities that irritate or compress the tibial nerve as it passes through the ankle and into the foot can trigger or worsen the condition. Because it’s nearly impossible to completely rest your feet and ankles, tarsal tunnel syndrome may take time to fully heal.

One of the most common setbacks happens when people resume normal activity too soon. Even mild relief can tempt you to jump back into workouts or long walks, which can cause reinjury or aggravate a healing ankle. There are ways to avoid aggravating TTS. To help avoid flare-ups:

Additionally, factors such as long periods of walking or standing, diabetes, and weak calf muscles can contribute to ongoing or worsening symptoms

What Is the Graston Technique® for Feet?

The Graston Technique℗ is a type of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization. It uses a patented stainless-steel tool to gently break up adhesions and scar tissue that restrict mobility and irritate nerves like the tibial nerve.

Clinical research supports its use. According to studies cited by ClinicalTrials.gov,

“Studies have shown that the controlled micro trauma induced through GT increased fibroblasts recruitment and activation in an animal model. Additional studies have shown clinical efficacy using GT for the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome, lumbar compartment syndrome(7) and trigger thumb(8). Graston instrument has been used for relieving pressure of soft tissue mobilization and release very effectively for years”.

The Graston Technique℗ has been used for years as a means to relieve tarsal tunnel syndrome as well.

Like some forms of trigger-point therapy, the Graston Technique℗ can occasionally feel a bit sore afterward, but that doesn’t last long. For most people, using the Graston Technique℗ on the feet can feel slightly ticklish. In many cases, patients report increased ankle flexibility after just one session.

With the Graston Technique, East Bay Chiropractic Wellness Can Get You Back on Your Feet Faster

Whether it’s from an injury or overuse, tarsal tunnel syndrome can cause significant pain if left untreated. At East Bay Chiropractic Wellness, we use the Graston Technique® to target the root cause of your pain and help you heal faster. Don’t let tibial nerve pain keep you off your feet. Contact us today to schedule an appointment and experience the benefits of the Graston Technique® for foot and ankle pain.

Why Baseball and Softball Players Love the Graston Technique®

by

Baseball has remained America’s favorite pastime, going as far back as the 19th century. Many of us spend countless hours playing softball as kids in school or with our friends.

As we get older, a few go on to play baseball in the major or minor leagues, while many others continue to play softball or baseball with our co-workers, neighbors, and friends as a way to stay both active and social. This is very beneficial to both our mental and physical health, but there are always risks, including injury.

Despite our best efforts, doing all the proper stretches, warm-ups, warm-downs, and wearing all the right equipment, we can still find ourselves with an injury. If we have past injuries, sports-related or not, they can also be aggravated. While chiropractic care is an option, what can the Graston Technique® do specifically for those suffering sports-related injuries?

What Is the Graston Technique® for Athletes?

In a way, the Graston Technique® was always for athletes, as it was developed as a result of a sports injury. The technique’s namesake, David Graston, developed the technique out of frustration with his slow recovery from a sports injury. This led to the creation of specialized tools used to perform a specific, specialized, “scraping” type movement over the affected area that improves mobility when performed by a trained practitioner.

What Does Athletic Scraping Do?

For centuries, traditional Chinese medicine incorporated techniques designed to stimulate blood flow to areas of the body that needed healing to expedite the recovery process. This varies from acupuncture, which stimulates the nerve endings.

The tools designed to perform the “scraping” movement with the Graston Technique® not only stimulate blood flow, but they break up the adhesions built up deep under your skin that affect the injured soft tissues, which could be on your muscles, tendons, and ligaments. By doing so, your mobility in the affected area will increase sooner and with less pain as the restrictive adhesions will be broken up and absorbed back into your body.

The Graston Technique® has been considered so effective by sports professionals that MLB, NBA, and NFL teams utilize it with their players to speed up and improve recovery. Baseball pitchers often use the Graston Technique® to help improve the range of motion in their shoulders.

Athletes Make an Appointment Today

The Graston Technique® can be a life-changing experience for athletes, addressing chronic pain due to overuse injuries and other adjacent sports-related injuries. That said, Graston® can help manage pain for a wide range of people regardless of their involvement in athletics.

For more than 35 years, East Bay Chiropractic Wellness P.C. has been providing a wide range of chiropractic services, including the Graston Technique®, to best fit your needs. We can work with you on pain management and restoring the range of motion through massage, stretching exercises, spinal adjustments, and more. Schedule your appointment today and let us help you find the best holistic treatment for your particular needs.

What Is the Difference Between a Sprain and a Strain

by

When it comes to soft tissue injuries, the two most commonly invoked are sprains and strains. However, the vast majority of people are not informed about the difference between these two similar injuries.

  • A sprain injures your ligaments, the bands of tissue that connect one bone to another. Sprains occur when you overextend or tear a ligament while severely stressing a joint.
  • A strain, or pulled muscle, involves an injury to a muscle or tendon (the band of tissue that attaches a muscle to a bone).

How Can I Tell If It’s a Sprain or Strain?

While both can cause swelling and pain, each has its own symptoms. Both sprains and strains often exhibit limited mobility in the affected joint, as well as muscle weakness, tenderness, and swelling.

In addition, hearing or feeling a “pop” in your joint at the time of injury indicates a sprain.

These similarities make them hard to distinguish. One major difference is that sprains often involve bruising, while strains can lead to muscle spasms.

Is a Sprain Worse Than a Strain?

Both can be equally bad, and both affect connective tissue, so it depends on the severity of the particular injury. Of the two, strains generally have the faster recovery time since tendons heal faster than ligaments.

Can Graston Be Applied for Ankle Sprains?

The Graston Technique® is a procedure for treating soft tissue injuries, injuries that affect the fascia, adhesions, knots, muscle spasms, and anything that causes a restricted range of motion that prevents you from doing what you love. It involves the use of a surgical stainless steel instrument with rounded edges (it’s not sharp), allowing the clinician to identify problem areas and provide precision treatment to deep tissue.

When treating ankle sprains, the Graston Technique® is effective in helping to reduce swelling as well as in the later stages of the healing process, it assists in the breakdown of adhesions and dysfunctional scar tissue that occurs as a result of the initial injury.

Can Graston Help with Muscle Strains?

When treating muscle strains or tissue tightness, the Graston Technique® can promote faster rehabilitation and facilitate a return to normal function. The technique can help support your recovery process, allowing it to stay smooth and relatively brief.

East Bay Chiropractic Wellness Is the Expert in Soft Tissue Injuries

At East Bay Chiropractic Wellness, we’ve been at the cutting edge of chiropractic care since the mid-1980s, and have been certified to practice the Graston Technique® for decades. With almost four decades of experience, you know you’ll be in good hands. Our expert team understands that each case is unique and develops individualized treatment plans for each patient. Contact us at East Bay Chiropractic today. You deserve a life free from pain!

Can Graston Treat IT Band Syndrome?

by

The iliotibial (IT) band is a thick band of fibrous tissue that runs along the outside of the thigh, stretching from the hip to the knee. IT Band Syndrome (ITBS) occurs when the IT band causes friction against the lower outer edge of the thighbone, which may cause inflammation in the bone, tendons, or small, fluid-filled sacs in the area.

What Is IT Band Syndrome (ITBS)?

Some researchers believe ITBS stems from the abnormal compression of underlying tissue by the iliotibial band. While the exact cause is still being researched, it’s widely agreed that repetitive knee bending and extension play a major role. As a result, long-distance runners and individuals new to running are most commonly affected.

You’re more likely to develop ITBS if you:

  • Run on uneven or downhill terrain
  • Wear worn-out running shoes
  • Push beyond your physical limits
  • Have a slight inward leg slope (bowlegged)

To reduce your risk, ease into any new running routine gradually. Make sure to stretch properly and increase training intensity over time rather than all at once.

How Do You Treat ITBS?

In many cases, treating a tight IT band will involve:

  • Reducing or modifying activity, such as pausing running
  • Using ice therapy and anti-inflammatory medications
  • Making lifestyle changes
  • Practicing targeted exercises to strengthen and stretch muscles around your hip and knee

If symptoms don’t improve after several weeks of making proper adjustments, consult a healthcare provider. Your knee pain might be due to a different injury or condition.

Your provider will review your medical history, perform a physical examination, and rule out other potential causes. In unclear cases, they may recommend imaging such as an X-ray or MRI. Fortunately, most cases of ITBS respond well to proper treatment and rehabilitation.

How Does the Graston Technique® Help IT Band Syndrome?

The Graston Technique® is a form of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM). A trained provider uses stainless steel tools to gently scrape the skin and underlying tissue to:

  • Promote tissue repair
  • Reduce inflammation
  • Restore mobility
  • Break down adhesions and knots in the fascia

In a study of the Graston Technique® for Iliotibial Band Syndrome, all participants treated with the Graston Technique® reported a reduced level of pain post-treatment.

Talk to East Bay Chiropractic Wellness If You Suspect IT Band Syndrome

If you are experiencing IT band syndrome or a similar condition, the East Bay Chiropractic Wellness team can create a holistic treatment plan to help you return to your normal routine. With more than 35 years of experience, you’ll be in good hands with us. Fill out our contact form or call (516) 679-2225 to learn more about how we can help you.