In this video Dr. Ted Omura demonstrates five important warm up stretches with Trevor Miller, the Director of Golf at Green Hills Country Club. All total, these five stretches should only take about five minutes to complete and they target the lower back, mid-back & shoulder, hips, rotator cuff, hip flexors, external rotators and hamstrings.

Of course, only you know your own body so if you need to repeat a stretch or need more time to warm up before your golf game, take that extra time to avoid injury. If you feel pain from your golf game or other repetitive movement, ice the area and the pain should be gone within 48 hours. If it lasts longer than that, call your chiropractor or healthcare professional.

Some of the most common conditions that can be healed with ART include back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, headaches, knee problems, plantar fasciitis, sciatica, shin splints, shoulder pain, and tennis elbow.

The Anatomy of a Healthy Muscle

Healthy muscles are long and flexible, providing strength and enabling healthy people to move without pain or stiffness. These are the muscles that have been pushed to their limits and used regularly, usually by exercising. Muscles that are not used or exercised will atrophy, causing a decrease in size and strength.

Muscles and tissues that have been overused, however, can change and cause pain. These changes are:

1. Acute conditions – such as pulls, tears, or collisions
2. Hypoxia – not getting enough oxygen
3. Microtrauma – a collection of small tears

Any of these muscle changes will cause scar tissue to develop on the muscle or tissue, thus making it weaker, less flexible, and possibly trapping nerves. One possible remedy for these types of injuries is ART.

How Does ART Help Overused Muscle Injuries?

Dr. P. Michael Leahy, DC, CCSP, is the creator of ART and he realized that these soft tissue changes can be felt by hand rather than by expensive and inconvenient xrays. By observing how muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments and nerves respond to different types of work, ART practitioners use hand movements to apply direct pressure to the injured muscle, thus softening the scar tissue and alleviating the patient’s pain.

With over 500 manipulative techniques, ART can be easily customized for each individual patient and their needs. Different bodies respond differently, even if the treatment regimine is the same, so customizing the ART treatment improves the success rate.

ART Training for Practitioners

Active Release Technique training is considered continuing education for practitioners, with classes held at multiple locations throughout the world. Each training session focuses on a certain body location, such as lower extremities, upper extremities, spine, and nerve entrapment.   There is also a Master’s Class and Certification Renewal class.

Be Your Own Healthcare Advocate

Knowledge is powerful and a patient’s best interest is well served by asking a lot of questions. Ask for referrals from friends and family rather than just picking a practitioner blindly from the phone book. Interview a practitioner prior to starting treatment to be sure you like his or her bedside manner and communication skills. Ask about his or her credentials and for their opinion about whether ART is an appropriate treatment for your problems.

Work as a partner with your practitioner and you will achieve great results.

The Score Clinic is a San Jose-based alternative health clinic specializing in the art of healing through physiotherapy, chiropractic, rehabilitation, massage therapy and exercise. Our dedicated staff is ready to create your individual treatment plan and to answer your questions.

Chiropractors look at the whole body to see how it functions together. Rather than using pain medications or surgery, chiropractors make manual adjustments to a patient’s body, putting the whole body back into alignment.

Some of the most common sports injuries that can be treated with chiropractic care are sprains, pulled muscles, tendinitis and shoulder pain. Joint problems in the ankle, foot, elbow, hand, hip, knee, and wrist can also be treated successfully with chiropractic care.

A Healthy Nervous System

The nervous system is comprised of the brain, spine, and nerves. When you make a conscious decision to do something – such as swinging a baseball bat or putting a uniform on – the brain sends a signal down your spinal column to the nerves, which in turn send impulses to the appropriate muscles to perform the task.

When your spine is misaligned, there can be a malfunction in how these signals travel. Patients might experience a decrease in muscle strength or chronic pain. In addition to chiropractic adjustments, you can improve your nervous system health by eating a healthy diet and by using your fine motor skills on a regular basis, such as writing or drawing precisely on paper.

Increasing Athletic Efficiency with Chiropractic

The chiropractic premise is key to an athlete’s overall health and performance since most sports require technical precision and use of the entire body. Chiropractic adjustments prior to a big game can put an athlete at his or her peak efficiency. Likewise, adjustments after a game or competition can aid in the recuperation of the athlete’s body.

Traditional medicine and many coaches will give an injured athlete pain medications but these only mask the symptoms and ignore the underlying cause of the pain. This puts an athlete at increased risk for a more serious, debilitating injury, especially if the pain subsides and the athlete decides to continue playing or competing.

Other athletes might not be playing to the best of their ability because their spine is not aligned properly. Anyone can become misaligned just by doing everyday activities but when athletes become misaligned, one wrong move while playing their sport can cause a painful injury.

Many athletes report being able to run faster, having increased range of motion, and better balance after receiving sports chiropractic treatments. In addition to its no-drug philosophy, these are all important benefits that athletes should consider as part of their training.

The Score Clinic is a San Jose-based alternative health clinic specializing in the art of healing through physiotherapy, chiropractic, rehabilitation, massage therapy and exercise. Our dedicated staff is ready to create your individual treatment plan and to answer your questions.

Healthy Tissue vs. Injured Tissue

In a healthy body, soft tissue can have two different looks. Tendons and ligaments, for example, are dense, regular, elongated fibers running in the same direction. Other soft tissue consists of dense, irregular and loose fibers running in multiple directions. When either type of tissue is injured, the tissue heals itself in a hapazard way causing scar tissue, which severly limits range of motion and often causes pain.

Inflammation occurs when the body tries to heal itself and attempts to keep the injured section separate from the rest of the body. Inflammation is a natural part of the healing process but chronic inflammation indicates a more serious problem or injury.

The Graston Technique Protocol

The Graston Technique protocol is the same no matter what type of soft tissue injury is present. Treatment consists of a brief warm-up exercise, the Graston Technique treatment, stretching, strengthening, and ice.

To perform the Graston Technique, clinicians drag specialized instruments over the painful area of the patient’s body and try to “snag” or “catch” the scar tissue. Once the scar tissue has been identified, different tools are used to break up the fibrotic tissue, which is then reabsorbed into the patient’s body.

Treatment generally consists of two visits per week for at least 4-5 weeks. Since every body is different, the length of treatment varies based on the patient and the severity of the problem. The treatment process can be uncomfortable for some patients and may even cause bruising but many patients report feeling better by the 3rd or 4th treatment.

The Graston Technique Training and Certification

Only certified clinicians can purchase the Graston Technique instruments and there are multiple certification classes held throughout the year in various locations. These are hands-on training sessions where the clinicians use these patented instruments on each other and learn how to successfully integrate the Graston Technique into the full spectrum of physical rehabilitation.

Many clinical studies have documented the success of the Graston Technique, especially when compared to traditional therapies. The Graston Technique has also been shown to repair injuries that did not respond to other traditional therapies. Historically, the Graston Technique has shown positive outcomes in 75-90% of all conditions treated.

As always, do some of your own research into different treatments and be proactive with your healthcare by asking questions. No question is stupid when it comes to your health.

The Score Clinic is a San Jose-based alternative health clinic specializing in the art of healing through physiotherapy, chiropractic, rehabilitation, massage therapy and exercise. Our dedicated staff is ready to create your individual treatment plan and to answer your questions.