SPORTS CHIROPRACTIC

Chiropractic is a healthcare profession that focuses on disorders of the musculoskeletal (muscles, bones, joints) system and the nervous system, and the effects of these disorders on general health. Sports Chiropractors are those who focus on injury prevention, injury treatment and rehabilitation, and athletic performance enhancement. Sports Chiropractors treat musculoskeletal injuries throughout the body including the spine and extremities.

ADJUSTMENTS

Chiropractic adjustments, or joint manipulations, are a safe and highly effective therapy for relieving both acute and chronic conditions of the spine and extremities. There is an ever growing body of high quality research supporting its efficacy and cost-effectiveness over other more invasive therapies.

The purpose of manipulation is to restore joint mobility by manually applying a controlled force into joints that have become hypomobile, or restricted, in their movement patterns. These restrictions can be caused by a single traumatic event, such as a fall or the improper lifting of a heavy object, or through repetitive stress, such as running with improper biomechanics. In either situation, injured tissues undergo physical and chemical changes that can cause inflammation, pain, and altered function. Manipulation of the affected joints helps to decrease pain, restore range of motion, and improves overall function.

DYNAMIC MOTION THERAPY|ACTIVE RELEASE (DMT|ART)

Dynamic Motion Therapy / Active Release (DMT/ART)is a form of myofascial release therapy and one of the most effective deep tissue techniques for breaking down scar tissue or adhesions in muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, and connective tissue to restore function and movement. DMT involves the doctor locating adhesions that are causing the problem, applying tension with thumbs or fingers over these lesions in the direction of the fibers, and then having the patient elongate the musculature while the doctor continues to apply tension to the area. By breaking up the adhesions and restoring proper blood flow to the tissues, the patient's' condition will steadily improve. DMT protocols, combined with adjustments, strength training, flexibility training, and other therapies allow predictable treatment success when dealing with musculoskeletal injuries involving the spine or the extremities. When soft tissue is damaged or injured, muscle spasm and scar tissue can develop. DMT utilizes several specific protocols to manually treat the individual muscle, tendon, ligament, joint, and/or entrapped nerves.

GRASTON | ROCKBLADES | IASTM (Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization)

Graston Technique and Rockblades are innovative techniques classified under the category of Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM). Based on myofascial and neurologic principles, these techniques enable clinicians to effectively break down scar tissue and fascial restrictions in both acute and chronic conditions. These techniques utilize specially designed stainless steel instruments and protocols to detect and treat areas exhibiting soft tissue fibrosis or chronic inflammation.

The tools may be hard-edged, but the techniques don’t need to be aggressive to deliver superior patient outcomes.

CORRECTIVE EXERCISES | THERAPEUTIC EXERCISE AND REHABILITATION

Functional rehabilitation is the bridge that returns you to normal function and self sufficiency. When an injury occurs, tissues are not only damaged and weakened, but communication from the nervous system to those areas is also disrupted. At the appropriate time, we prescribe individualized movements and exercises for each patient/athlete designed to restore that connection and enhance the healing process. These exercises help to decrease pain, restore muscular integration, improve proprioception and balance, core strength, and flexibility. This also allows our patients to have an active role in their recovery and performance process while getting at the root of the problem.

KINESIOLOGY TAPING – ROCKTAPE | KINESIOTAPE  

Kinesiology tape is an elastic cotton tape with an acrylic adhesive used for treating athletic injuries and enhancing movement. We use Rocktape due to its stronger adhesive and design. It is the only kinesiology tape engineered to meet the demands of endurance athletes like runners, swimmers, and cyclists; but it works well for all individuals.

ROCKTAPE helps:

• Enhance performance

• Prevent fatigue

• Promote circulation

• Remove lactic acid

Unlike traditional athletic tape, which binds and doesn’t stretch, Rocktape is engineered to replicate movement of the human skin. Of its many uses, Rocktape can be utilized to promote recovery, relieve pain and swelling, and stabilize muscles and joints that have been injured or overused. Rocktape provides support and stability without compressing and reducing blood flow – some of the downsides of utilizing braces and sleeves. Thus, the tape’s capabilities make it well suited to the repair of localized muscle groups.

BIOMECHANICAL MOVEMENT EVALUATION

On your initial appointment, you will be evaluated by specific movements and motions that pertain to your sport and symptoms. This allows us to properly pinpoint areas that may be causing your pain, discomfort, or altered biomechanics leading to injury and/or decreased performance. With this information, we can then address the problem involved with specific treatments to help you return to normal activity or attain the goals you have been striving for.

ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENT EVALUATION

Functional movement is based on real-world movement patterns and is defined by the ability to move the body with proper muscle and joint function for efficient, pain-free movement. Functional movements take place in various movement planes and utilize multiple joints, which places demand on the body’s core musculature and ability to stabilize. These movements require the activation and coordination of many muscle groups in several positions, ranges of motion, and varying intensities to achieve a common goal.

The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) is an innovative system developed to evaluate for movement imbalances in uninjured people. The FMS is comprised of seven movement tests that require the balance between both mobility and stability. These tests can quickly and efficiently demonstrate limitations and asymmetries in basic movement patterns.  We utilize the FMS to both identify and correct functional limitations by improving durability, flexibility, physical capacity, and movement competency.

If an injury or musculoskeletal pain are present, we utilize the Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA) to further identify and assess impairments contributing to the problem. Pain and injury in one area is often the result of movement dysfunction somewhere else in the body. The goal of the SFMA is to identify the most dysfunctional movement pattern to determine the underlying cause of the dysfunction. Based on the findings of the SFMA, treatments are recommended that target abnormal movement patterns. These treatments can reduce pain, enhance athletic performance, and prevent injuries.

FAKTR (pronounced “factor”)

FAKTR is a concept, not a technique. The acronym stands for Functional and Kinetic Treatment with Rehab. This treatment includes function and treatment of the kinetic chain while utilizing various forms of rehabilitation at the same time. Also incorporated is treatment in the position of provocation and during motion. FAKTR can be utilized to treat a multitude of soft tissue or structural conditions that are not easily treated with other modalities.