Hey Fit Fam,
Went in for an adjustment today. It always feels so good to be back aligned!
During my last visit, my chiro said I could benefit from some Graston work, so we added that into our session today.
I posted a little clip on Instagram .. but it was hard to get a video myself! Next time I'll try to bring my hubs with me so he can play cameraman :)
We mainly worked on my traps as well as my right arm/wrist (may be developing a littel carpal tunnel.)
Let me start off by saying it did not hurt. On a scale of 0-10 .. it was literally a 0-1.
My doctor explained that this SHOULD be the case for most areas of the body (espcially where he was working on me.) Other areas of the body may be more tender and that is normal as well (see update at end of this post for my most recent Graston sessions.)
Many times you see images on Instagram where people are horribly bruised after getting this done.
My doctor explained to me that is NOT the goal.
While you may have some redness, temporary swelling and even some minor bruising .. too much can actually CREATE scar tissue! The idea is to assist soft tissue mobilization .. so you obviously don't want to do that! Another thing to keep in mind when you see these images is that some people have more sensitive skin than others. Bottom line here .... GO TO SOMEONE CERTIFIED TO PRACTICE GRASTON! That way you KNOW that marks or not .. you are getting helped and not hurt.
Here is a little background on Graston Technique. It is a unique, evidence-based form of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization that enables clinicians to effectively address scar tissue, fascial restrictions, and range of motion. It was originally developed by athletes and is currently used by more than 24,500 clinicians worldwide - including physical and occupational therapists, hand therapists, chiropractors, and athletic trainers.Here are just a few benefits as a patient of GT:
Decreases overall time of treatment
Fosters faster rehabilitation/recovery
Reduces need for anti-inflammatory medication
Resolves chronic conditions thought to be permanent
Provides an efficient way to maintain optimal range of motion
GT allows a clinician to get as deep into the tissue as necessary to invoke change, yet again, should be sensitive to patient pain and tolerance. As the instruments are moved over the affected area and come in contact with the adhesions, they help break up scar tissue and fascial restrictions. In time, this process will reduce or eliminate the adhered fibers, restoring range of motion and eliminating the associated pain. It will help transform your soft tissue injury into healthy functioning tissue.
Graston Technique is clinically proven to achieve faster and better patient outcomes in treating the following:
Achilles Tendinosis/itis
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Cervical Sprain/Strain (Neck Pain)
Fibromyalgia
Lateral Epicondylosis/itis (Tennis Elbow)
Lumbar Sprain/Strain (Back Pain)
Medial Epicondylosis/itis (Golfer's Elbow)
Patellofemoral Disorders (Knee Pain)
Plantar Fasciitis (Foot Pain)
Rotator Cuff Tendinosis/itis (Shoulder Pain)
Scar Tissue
Shin Splints
Trigger Finger
Women's Health (Post-Mastectomy and Caesarean Scarring)
Here is a great YouTube video with some more information!
Not ready for Graston? Or want to do some work on yourself at home? Good news for you! There is also a GREAT at home tool that you can use that sort of mimics the results from Graston. While you would NEVER want to do Graston on yourself and ONLY go to someone that is trained/licensed to do so ... this tool is made for self-myofascial release at home! It's called the RAD ROD. I have my husband use it on my traps (I can do it myself but get much better results if he does it for me), as well as my shins, quads, hamstrings, and forearms! It is A M A Z I N G!!Check out THIS blog for more on Rad Roller products and the ones I love the most!
You can use the code StacyM at checkout for $$$$ off!!!
XoXo,
Stacy
UPDATE (1/9/2018)
Since this post, I have started seeing a Chiropractor that SPECIALIZES in ATHLETES!
He, of course, sees ALL kinds of patients, not only athletes, but the fact that he KNOWS an athletes body and works on some of the BEST of the BEST really made me want to see what he could offer that a "regular" chiropractor could not.
While there was nothing wrong with the first chiro I found when I moved to Vegas, he didn't really know an athletes body and didn't provide all the services that I felt like I needed. Which means I wasn't really getting the most "bang for my buck". Essentially I was only really getting an adjustment and some minor Graston on parts of my upper body only (that is all he would do.) As much as I train my lower body I KNEW that I would benefit from this technique on my quads, hamstrings and glutes.
I have since found Halo Chiropractic (Dr. O) -- the difference in my chiropractic sessions are night in day. In fact, I'm not even needing to get any additional body work at THIS time.
Dr. O is a big believer in Graston and I'm doing weekly sessions with him where (in addition to my adjustments) we are working on a different area of the body each week. My first couple of weeks with him we focused on all things neck and back. Today we spent a lot of time on my hamstrings and glutes. My back was a breeze. Like my first sessions, I had with my old chiro .. it as virtually pain-free. That was NOT the case at the base of my neck. It was pretty painful. As for my hamstrings and glutes, it was also pretty painful - but not unbearable. I also train legs A LOT and have lots of scar tissue from a car accident so that should be factored into the pain factor.
Check out the picture I posted on Instagram. I want to point out that it ONLY looked like this for an hour (or less.) The swelling is totally gone and now only slight redness remains (per comments above.)
If you live in Vegas I highly reccomend Dr. O. Not only is he a full service Chiro .. he offers monthly packages so that you can see him every single week at a great price! If you check him out tell him I sent ya and maybe he will hook you up with a little bit of a discount!
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