Chiropractic care encompasses many different techniques to help re-stabilize the musculoskeletal system and prompt the body to heal itself. One of these is known as the Graston technique. 

The Graston technique is a form of manual therapy. This means that it is entirely non-invasive and drug-free, which helps to make it particularly popular amongst patients. It is also one of only a few chiropractic techniques to use instruments. In the case of the Graston technique, this refers to six, stainless steel instruments that resemble blades but are actually completely blunt. These tools are passed over the skin, applying gentle but firm pressure whilst scraping it but without causing damage. The purpose of this motion is to help your chiropractor to detect underlying pressure points and knots so that they can then be treated. However, there are also a number of reasons why the Graston technique is particularly beneficial.

• Scraping the muscles with the instruments stimulate the flow of oxygenated blood around the body, ensuring that any areas of damage receive the oxygen and nutrients needed to heal more quickly and effectively. 

• The increased blood flow helps to reduce inflammation to the area, and this, in turn, can ease stiffness and reduce any chronic pain that the patient may have been experiencing. 

• Scraping the skin and stimulating blood flow also increases the rate at which metabolic waste is processed out of the body, ensuring the timely removal of any toxins which could be making the patient unwell. 

In many instances, the Graston technique is combined with therapeutic massage. This helps to relieve tension that the patient may be holding in their body by relaxing the muscles. In addition, any scar tissue that may have formed internally as a result of traumatic injury or surgery may be broken down. This is important as excessive scar formation can actually inhibit movement and cause significant discomfort. 

 

Conditions that the Graston technique can Help with

The Graston Technique has been proven to be effective at helping to treat a range of chronic and acute conditions. These include, but are not limited to the following:

Carpal tunnel syndrome. This is where the main nerve running down the arm into the hands becomes compressed, usually by repetitive movement. 

Achilles tendinitis. This condition is characterized by the overuse of the Achilles tendon that connects the calf muscles at the back of the lower leg to your heel bone.

Rotator cuff tendinitis. In rotator cuff tendinitis, the area that is inflamed is the connective tissues that help the shoulder to move. This can be extremely debilitating and painful. 

Cervical strain. This condition refers to a stretched or torn muscle or tendon in your neck. This often occurs in car accidents, such as when a person suffers from whiplash. 

Plantar fasciitis. If you suffer from this condition, you will experience inflammation of the thick band of tissue that runs across the bottom of your foot and connects your heel bone to your toes. 

Tennis/Golfer’s elbow. Both tennis and golfer’s elbow are forms of epicondylitis which is an inflammation of the tendons that attach to the elbow. The difference between these two conditions lies in where the inflammation of the elbow takes place. In tennis elbow, the outside tendons are affected, whereas, in golfer’s elbow, it is the tendons on the inside of the elbow that is inflamed. 

Shin splints. Shin splints are the name for lower leg pain that occurs below the knee, either in the front outside part of the leg or the inside of the leg. 

Lower back strain. Muscle strains in the lower back are the most common cause of pain in the lumbar. They occur when the muscle fibers are abnormally stretched or torn, such as if the patient is involved in an accident or injury. 

Surgical and trauma scars. As their name suggests, these are soft tissue injuries that cause excess skin production when they heal, causing the development of scarring. 

If you would like to find out if you could benefit from the Graston chiropractic technique, please get in touch with our team in El Paso, TX who will be delighted to discuss this with you in more detail or schedule an appointment for you.