Age related issues are common as people are living longer and desire to remain active and healthy. As diet, exercise and a positive attitude are essential for longevity, there are some cellular changes which affect all older people. Arthritis, inflammation, and cognitive deficits (decreased memory, lack of motivation and lethargy) are some of the challenges we must endure to remain active with our families and within our community. FSM and manual therapy can help reverse many aging cellular deficits by facilitating cellular repair, replication and growth to rebuild aging cells.
Recover from Injuries and Get Back in the Game
Injuries: Sports injuries cover a wide range of conditions from minor Sprains and Strains to Traumatic Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries. These injuries can have life-changing consequences from the ability to have normal physical and cognitive function to an inability to perform in scholastic and professional athletic competition. Most injuries are acute and respond very well to intervention with FSM and manual therapy techniques. Tendon, ligament and cartilage injuries are addressed with frequencies which facilitate tissue growth and respond immediately to the frequency which is specific to the targeted tissue/injury. Acute tendon and ligament strains are often markedly improved or pain free within 1-2 hours.
Performance: FSM can significantly influence mental ability, focus, coordination and agility. Endurance and strength can be influenced with standard FSM protocols developed for Olympic and sports teams across the nation.
Beat Fatigue and Enjoy Increased Energy
Fatigue is a result of a multitude of conditions in the body and has strong emotional components. Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome are the most common conditions diagnosed by physicians. Though these are often treated with pharmaceuticals, we work with your physician to lessen the need to use drugs by addressing the cellular components of fatigue. FSM can increase ATP (the energy producer in the body) by 500% and encourage and increase in Mitochondria – resulting in increased endurance and energy.
Improve Mental Health
Anxiety and depression are conditions which are growing rapidly in American society. Pharmaceuticals are now prescribed for over 70% of the population. Daily stresses are compounded by a variety of stimuli such as commercials from TV, radio, computers, social media, printed materials, email and other sources. Add to this the affects that the environment has on our ability to cope with these situations, and people develop symptoms of chronic pain and an inability to successfully progress with their goals. Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome affects about 15% of the general public and up to 20% of Veterans. PTSD can have a significant affect on a person’s daily activities – and may last a lifetime.
The therapy that SRPC offers can assist you with your emotional stability and assist your brain to create pathways around damaged areas and provide vitality to neurons for rebuilding and repairing cells. This treatment is often done in conjunction with other community healthcare providers.
Find Ease from Chronic Pain
Living with pain is, for many, just as crushing as a life sentence. While it might not have the same dramatic effect as being diagnosed with an incurable disease, pain can affect your life in a devastating way. It’s a constant obstacle to your wellbeing, your happiness, your mobility, or even your ability to socialize and maintain relationships. Pain takes control over your life, and for many, it is a battle of every day to manage it.
Unfortunately, it is often a difficult journey, both emotionally and physically. Strong painkillers are only effective for a short period. When you rely on painkillers for chronic pain treatment, you’re likely to encounter a multitude of health problems. However, finding an alternative solution that can replace painkillers is hard work. Your body might go through withdrawal symptoms if you’ve been taking high doses, which means that while your mind gets used to functioning without medication, you are going to feel even more pain than you usually do. There are effective strategies that you can use to alleviate your painkillers’ consumption before it’s too late.
Your nervous system, on the other hand, can remember physical sensations. As a result, the central nervous system has a memory of physical pain. Consequently, people who deal with chronic pain can often experience pain memory, which is when the brain makes you aware that you are hurting because you did in the past. Physically, your body may not have registered the presence of pain. However, if you can’t erase the stored memory, your mind is going to submit you to the same excruciating experience than if you were in physical pain. Indeed, memories are stored at the level of the neurons, which means that you need to erase them at the core to reduce chronic pain sensations.
Stress related pain for instance, is common in a hectic workplace where it can lead to neck and back complaints. More importantly, stress-induced pain doesn’t react adequately to prolonged exposure to painkillers. In the long term, the body becomes more resilient to painkillers. Additionally, painkillers fail to target stress, which means that your back pain is likely to remain. Painkillers generally fail to target stress, which means that your back pain is likely to remain.
With RA, pain killers affect only the brain’s reaction to pain. FSM, however, stimulates the tissues to de-inflame the tissues and stimulates reproduction and repair of those tissues.
Two basic types of pain
Physicians classify pain in several ways, but the two basic types are Acute and Chronic pain. Acute pain is generally characterized as pain that lasted less than 2-3 months. These are seen in injuries such as a sprained ankle, back pain from yardwork or a small injury from a fall. Chronic pain is categorized as pain which lasts more than 2-3 months and often has a greater intensity, frequency and duration. This is seen in patients with progressive neurological diseases (Multiple Sclerosis and ALS), systemic diseases like Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia and motor vehicle accidents.
Autoimmunity is a condition which often coincides with Chronic Illness. Rheumatoid Arthritis, Diabetes, Hypothyroidism are common examples of Autoimmunity. This condition is growing rapidly in the U.S. It is basically characterized by the body’s own immune system attacking healthy cells. Adjusting the immune system involves a collaboration of healthcare professionals.
Diagnosis and Treatment Matrix
Myofascial Release
Myofascial Release is a passive stretching technique that uses feedback from the patient’s tissues to determine the direction, fullness and length of the stretch. The therapist relies on this feedback to achieve maximum relaxation of the tight or restricted tissues without the discomfort often associated with intense stretching. The purpose is to “unstick” the fibers of the muscles and fascia, releasing deeply held patterns of tension. This relaxes and re-educates the muscle, freeing it to operate within its full capacity.
Fascia is a thin, tough, elastic type of connective tissue that wraps most structures within the human body, including muscle. Fascia supports and protects these structures. Osteopathic theory proposes that this soft tissue can become restricted due to overuse, trauma, infectious agents, or inactivity, often resulting in pain, muscle tension, and corresponding diminished blood flow. Although fascia and its corresponding muscle are the main targets of myofascial release, other tissue may be addressed as well, including other connective tissue.
Fascia is a contractile organ of the skin. This ability is expressed on the on hand in chronic tissue contractures which include tissue remodeling; and on the other hand in smooth muscle-like cellular contractions over a time frame of minutes to hours, which can be strong enough to influence low back stability and other aspects of human biomechanics. The new understanding of fascia offers future implications for the understanding and clinical management of pathologies which go along with increased or decreased myofascial stiffness (such as as low back pain, tension headache, spinal instability, or fibromyalgia).
Strain Counterstrain
Strain Counterstrain is an Osteopathic manual medicine technique. It emphasizes correction of abnormal neuromuscular reflexes through the treatment of tender points. Tender Points are discrete, pea-sized areas of tenderness that are manifestations of specific neuromuscular dysfunctions. The tender point is found in the shortened muscle group, which is not necessarily in the muscle groups that have pain.
Counterstrain technique is a passive manipulation of the body’s deep fascia. The clinical effects include decreased inflammation, improved flexibility, normalization of muscle tone and improved functional performance.
Craniosacral Therapy
Craniosacral therapy is a technique that is not aggressive. Eight cranial bones and 14 facial bones articulate together in harmony. Connective tissue, known as “sutures”, bind the cranial bones together and have specific movement patterns. These movement patterns are evaluated by the clinician who “listens” with their hands. The treatment is then focused on relieving the restriction in movement of the sutures and increasing cerebrospinal fluid, blood, and lymphatic flow.
Visceral (Organ) Manipulation
Physicians and folk healers have manipulated organs since antiquity, but it was not until the last quarter of the 20th century that this art evolved into a science.
Visceral Manipulation is a gentle technique that frees up the fascia and allows the organs to glide against each other more easily. As a result of injury, repetitive stress, surgery, or postural compensations, the fascia around the organs can become restricted and contribute to overall fascial tension and pain patterns. The therapist feels for any patterns of tension. Using a gentle technique with the hands, the therapist can release this tension, often at a very deep level. This can have a profound effect on how easily the body moves, decreasing muscle tension and pain and improving alignment throughout the body.
The organs have significant influence on the functioning of all body systems. With most illnesses, the viscera is often involved and can present with problems with lethargy, overall pain and discomfort and your ability to focus and maintain your attention on your daily responsibilities.
Lymphatic Drainage Therapy
Manual Lymphatic Drainage
Using light, rhythmic strokes, the therapist facilitates improved and increased lymph circulation that in turn can have a myriad of beneficial effects. These include: increased range of motion, decreased scar tissue, decreased localized pain and improved healing. It has also been shown to increase speed and quality of healing post minor surgery and/or injury.
Note: At this time, no clinicians at Spokane Rehab & Pain Clinic are trained to treat patients with severe lymphedema.