East Bay Chiropractic Wellness P.C.

Graston

Muscle Tightness When Returning to Exercise

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You decided to get moving again. Maybe it was a New Year’s resolution, a doctor’s recommendation, or simply the realization that your body felt different after months (or years) away from regular activity. So, you laced up your sneakers, picked up the weights, and pushed through that first workout. Now, two days later, every step feels heavier than the last, your hamstrings refuse to fully lengthen, and even reaching into the cabinet for a coffee mug seems to involve muscles you forgot you had.

Muscle tightness when returning to exercise is one of the most common — and most discouraging — experiences for adults reentering a fitness routine. It is also one of the most misunderstood. The discomfort you feel is not necessarily a punishment for taking time off, but rather your body’s way of recalibrating. Understanding what is happening, how long it should last, and when to seek targeted care can make the difference between sticking with your routine and quitting before you start to see results.

At East Bay Chiropractic Wellness P.C. in Bellmore, NY, we work with patients every week who are navigating exactly this challenge. This guide will walk you through the physiology of post-workout soreness, evidence-based strategies to ease it, and the role chiropractic care — particularly the Graston Technique® — plays in helping you move with less stiffness and more confidence.

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Graston Technique® For Shoulder Injuries

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Our shoulders are the most moveable joints in our body. It is comprised of three bones, with the ball of the upper arm bone keeping it secure by being larger than the shoulder socket and surrounded by muscles, tendons and ligaments. While the shoulder is impressive, it also means that a shoulder injury has the potential to be very complicated to recover from.

Depending on the severity of the injury, shoulder surgery may be suggested to you as an option. Surgical options, however, always come with some level of risk of complications, and can require further surgeries. Below we will discuss how to best recover from a range of shoulder injuries without surgical intervention.

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Treatment Alternatives Before A Cortisone Shot

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You or someone you know have likely had a cortisone shot or had been recommended to have one by a doctor as an option for pain relief. Cortisone is a steroid that when used in this way can combat inflammation in soft tissue temporarily. Although this can be helpful to some, the relief typically lasts for only 3-6 months and doesn’t heal the affected area.

Because cortisone shots have no ability to heal you when they work, many have looked for alternatives to cortisone shots. We’ll discuss more about cortisone shots and their alternatives below.

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Why The Graston Technique® Is Great for Treating Tendinopathies

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As we get older, our bodies become less flexible and require more stretching to help compensate for the increased stiffness. This is not just the case for our muscles, but for other soft tissue, including our tendons. Chronic pain at one or more tendons is referred to as tendinopathy.

Tendinopathies can be quite painful. Fortunately, treatments like the Graston Technique® can help people recover faster.

What Is Tendinopathy?

Tendinopathy refers to chronic or recurring tendon pain and dysfunction. It typically falls into one of two categories:

  • Tendinitis: Inflammation caused by overuse or repetitive strain, leading to swelling and tenderness.
  • Tendinosis: A more degenerative condition where collagen in the tendon breaks down, causing stiffness and reduced elasticity.

In many cases, patients may experience both conditions at once, especially if the issue has developed gradually over time.

How Do You Fix Tendinopathy?

This will depend on multiple factors, including the severity and length of time the individual in question has been experiencing tendinopathy. At first, you will often find rest, icing the affected area, and anti-inflammatory medication are recommended in treating tendinopathy in addition to chiropractic care.

Is Muscle Scraping Good for Tendinitis?

In addition to more commonly administered chiropractic care, the Graston Technique® is highly recommended for treating tendinopathies such as tendinitis. This technique requires specialized training and certification, which means it is not offered through most chiropractic offices.

By utilizing specialized stainless steel tools, the administering chiropractor is able to locate the deeply buried scar tissue and adhesions over your affected tendon that are invisible to the naked eye. After it’s located, the tools are then used to break up the adhesions to relieve your pain and restore your range of motion.

The Graston Technique® to treat tendinitis typically requires twice-weekly sessions over the course of about a month. Many patients begin to experience relief within just three to four treatments, depending on the condition’s severity.

East Bay Chiropractic Wellness Can Expedite Your Recovery from Injuries & Tendinitis

At East Bay Chiropractic Wellness P.C., we take a comprehensive approach to treating tendinopathy and chronic tendon pain. Our team provides chiropractic adjustments, massage therapy, stretching and strengthening exercises, and certified Graston Technique® treatments to target the source of your discomfort. Whether you’re dealing with pain in your elbows, shoulders, knees, hips, neck, or back, we’ll work closely with you to improve mobility, reduce inflammation, and accelerate healing. Schedule your appointment today for a full evaluation and let us help you restore comfort and quality of life.

Can Graston Help with Mobility After Joint Replacement Surgery?

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During joint replacement surgery, damaged or worn-out bone and cartilage are replaced with artificial components made of metal and plastic. The goal is to restore mobility and reduce pain. In many cases, patients return home the same day or within a few days of surgery.

But recovery doesn’t stop there. Physical therapy, scar tissue management, and other supportive treatments can significantly impact your outcome. One such treatment is the Graston Technique®.

Is the Graston Technique® Useful After Total Knee Replacement?

Yes, the Graston Technique® can be beneficial after a total knee replacement, once your incision has healed and your doctor or physical therapist clears you to proceed. This soft tissue therapy uses stainless steel instruments to gently break up fascial restrictions and scar tissue in muscles and connective tissue.

After knee replacement, it’s common to experience lingering tightness, swelling, or restricted mobility due to internal scar formation. Graston therapy may help:

  • Improve range of motion
  • Reduce post-operative discomfort
  • Encourage healthy blood flow to the healing area

While Graston is not recommended immediately after surgery, it can be a valuable addition to your recovery regimen when timed appropriately.

How to Reduce Inflammation After Knee Replacement?

Even though inflammation is a normal part of the healing process after total knee replacement, excessive swelling can slow down recovery and limit mobility. Common methods to reduce inflammation include:

  • Rest and elevation
  • Ice therapy
  • Compression garments
  • Walking and light activity (with crutches or a walker)
  • Blood thinners, if prescribed

How Do You Loosen Stiff Knees After Joint Replacement?

Stiffness after knee replacement is one of the more common challenges post-surgery. The most important thing you can do is work with your healthcare team and stick to their plan of physical therapy. It’s important to focus on exercises that help restore movement through stretching, strengthening, and mobility.

Arthrofibrosis, also called stiff-knee syndrome, is a condition that occurs when there is excessive scarring around the knee. Though it can affect any joint, it is most often linked to knee surgeries, like ACL reconstruction or a repetitive injury that can cause scar tissue to build up over a long period of time.

The Graston Technique® may also play a role in reducing muscle tightness and helping to break down internal scarring, also known as adhesions, in the surrounding tissues. Adhesions can limit movement when they form excessively around a joint. These internal scars can’t be eliminated, but therapy can manage the impact they have on a person’s mobility. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for breaking up internal scar tissue after a knee replacement. Recovery is a unique process for each patient and requires a tailored plan. A proper course of care planned out with a healthcare provider is often a mixed course of therapy exercises and manual therapy.

Boost Your Healing with East Bay Chiropractic Wellness

East Bay Chiropractic Wellness has helped many people recover more effectively for more than 35 years. We offer a wide range of holistic chiropractic services, including adjustments, massage therapy, trigger point therapy, kinesiology techniques, and more. We also specialize in the Graston Technique®, which can improve healing time and increase your range of motion after an injury. Contact us today to learn more or to schedule an appointment.

Athletes, Elbow Injuries, & The Graston Technique®

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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.