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NOT JUST BONES, MUSCLES TOO

Dr. Horwitz is certified in both Active Release Techniques® (ART) and Graston Technique (GT). These techniques are specifically designed to treat muscle injuries. Most of the time when muscles (tendons and ligaments also) are injured they actually tear. Pulls and strains (sprains are ligament tears) are really tears of the muscle. Think of each muscle fiber as a single strand of rope. Did one strand of rope tear or did the entire rope tear? What most people call a pull or strain is a tear of some of the muscle fibers, but not all, that make up the muscle.

When a muscle tears, the first response in the body is an inflammation that may or may not cause significant swelling. The texture of the muscle changes and after the initial inflammation the muscle tissue feels almost like a guitar string. If you have ever kneaded bread dough or pottery clay you can feel lumps. This is like what an injured muscle feels like. This "adhesion" or scar tissue must be broken up or kneaded away, so to speak. This can be accomplished with both ART and GT. This cannot be accomplished with anti-inflammatory medicines like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Nuprin), naproxen (Aleve), Celebrex or Vioxx. These medications can help with the initial inflammation and pain, but they may disrupt and prevent proper healing of the muscle tissue. Also significant are the side effects, especially gastro-intestinal bleeding.

Most problems treated in my office are a combination of muscle injury, joint dysfunction and nerve irritation. That is why it is important to address all the components of the injury during treatment. Loosening the muscle before making the chiropractic adjustment to restore proper function to the joint is critical to allowing the problem to heal quickly and properly. If a nerve is irritated, ART and GT treatments will take the pressure off the nerve and allow it to heal. Then proper stretching and strengthening can be added to the treatment program.

Common musculo-tendon injuries that can be treated effectively include rotator cuff tears and tendonitis, frozen shoulder, tennis/golfer's elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome (nerve irritation), ilio-tibial band syndrome, patellar tendonitis, shin splints, Achilles tendonitis, sprained ankles, plantar fasciitis, and common "pulls" like in the hamstrings.