What is chiropractic?
A system of diagnosis and treatment based on the concept that the Nervous System coordinates all of the body’s functions. When the nervous isn’t able to do it’s job we experience dis-ease (diminished health and loss of proper function) from the lack of normal nerve function.
Chiropractic uses manual manipulation to treat hypomobility (joints that aren’t moving enough/properly) and misalignments in joints. Chiropractors use a hands on drug free approach that removes interference in the body where ever it is located, which unleashes the body’s Innate Intelligence allowing it to heal itself.
What is Active Release Technique (ART)?
ART is a patented Soft Tissue System and Movement Based Manual Therapy that treats problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, and nerves.
How do soft tissue injuries occur?
- acute injury- pull ,tear, collisions, etc.(i.e. acute – “ouch I just pulled a muscle/ didn’t bend down properly to pick something up” )
- accumulation of small tears, chronic repeated injury, aberrant movement pattern, postural overload (i.e. chronic – ongoing/recurring pain/restriction/weakness. “No isolated event caused it.”)
- tissues not getting enough oxygen, hypoxia (i.e. over-training/over-doing it. or poor breathing patterns and/or nutritional stressors)
Each of the above cause your body to produce tough dense scar tissue and adhesions in the affected area.
Scar tissue binds up and ties down tissue that needs to move freely for optimal function. As scar tissue builds the soft tissue becomes shorter and weaker. This can cause reduced range of motion, decreased strength, and pain. If nerve tissue is trapped you may also feel tingling, numbness, and weakness.
Soft tissue problems can directly affect our joints and how we move. A joint complex is composed of 2 bones, the joint capsule, surrounding ligaments, tendons, muscles, and nerves. If a joint does not move correctly there is a domino effect to other areas of the body and the joint is unable to send sufficient signals to the brain.
Remember from last installment: Re-Flex the robot needs to get these signals from the joints back up to the Brain to be able to move properly.
Chiropractic and ART work extremely well together to address these dysfunctions and restore full strength, mobility and the natural pain free state of being.
In future we will explore some specific joints and their problems that chiropractic and ART address.