Manual Chiropractic Manipulation
Joints in the spine and extremities can get restricted in motion for a variety of reasons. Chiropractic manipulation mobilizes these areas restoring movement, function, and reduces nervous system disruption. This promotes healing and allows the body to perform optimally.
Active Release Technique
Active Release Technique (A.R.T.) is a manual therapy technique for treating soft tissue administered by trained professionals. The purpose of this therapy is to relieve the body of adhesions, spasm, and scar tissue which can form when soft tissue structures are exposed to damaging forces. These forces usually come about in one of three ways: An acute (sudden injury), a cumulative (chronic injury), or pressure injuries (poor posture). These injuries cause the restriction of movement, blood, lymph, and nerve flow. The adhesions may develop between fascia (covering of muscle), muscle themselves, muscles on bone, muscles and nerves, tendons, and joints, or a combination of all the above. A.R.T. provides release to these tissues so that they are able to move freely and heal properly.
F.A.S.T: Facilitated Active Stretch Technique
We have modified ideas from a number of muscle therapies to create a new manual technique that you can use to treat yourself. We call our self-treatment technique F.A.S.T. TM for Facilitated Active Stretch Technique. In simplest terms, you are using an external pressure (your finger, a ball, a stick) to pin the muscle near a tight restricted area of tissue. In a conventional stretch, most of the tension builds up at the end of the muscle at its junction with the tendon. When you pin a muscle, you replace the natural endpoint of the stretch with one you define. While maintaining this pin with external pressure, you take the muscle through a range of motion, putting the targeted muscle fibers under tension. This allows you to focus your stretch at the area of tightness or damage. You can effectively control which part of the muscle you stretch, which makes your stretch versatile and therapeutic rather than unspecific.
Massage Therapy
Massage therapy offers a natural conservative treatment approach that relieves musculoskeletal pain for many patients. Our office provides specific massage and muscular therapy that is tailored to meet the patient’s condition and injury. The benefits of massage therapy may include increasing blood circulation, reducing swelling, relaxing muscles, relieving muscle pain and spasms, and aid in recovery and range of motion.
Home Care Exercise and Stretch
Dr. DeStefano has spent over 30 years developing a very specific program of self-treatment, stretch, and strengthening exercises. These revolutionary home care procedures have been compiled and are available in the book Muscle Medicine by Dr. DeStefano. Our office encourages self-care and our doctors are trained in helping you continue to heal after the original acute injury is addressed. When combined properly it will promote the healing process and minimize the likelihood of injuries recurring or exacerbating.
Every patient goes through three stages of care.
- Pain Relief Care
- Corrective Care
- Home Care Instruction and Prevention
These are very specific to each patient’s condition.