Graston Therapy

Why We Use Graston Therapy

One of the most effective methods used in chiropractic care is called Graston Therapy. It is designed to not only relieve the pain you feel but also increase the range of motion in your limbs. At East Bank Wellness we specialize in providing this mode of therapy to our patients. Graston Therapy is especially effective at releasing scar tissue that often results when tissues in your body adhere to one another. This is often a very painful condition suffered by a lot of patients. If you want an effective alternative to side-effect rich prescription medications in order to relieve pain, East Bank Wellness Graston Therapy may be the one for you.

Goals of Treatment in Graston Therapy

The general goals of Graston Therapy include reduction of patient pain and increase function through a combination of the following:

1. Breakdown of scar tissue and fascia restrictions that is usually accompanied by some form of trauma to the soft tissue such as muscle strains, pulled ligaments, tendon and fascia.

2. Reduction of restrictions through stretching of connective tissue in a move to help reorganize the structure of soft tissues.

3. Encourage a better healing environment.

Graston Therapy Benefits

When you avail of our Graston Therapy here at East Bank Wellness you can expect a lot of benefits to your spine and overall health. Most of the back is made up of muscles, tendons, fascia and ligaments. When you suffer from soft tissue injuries in this area it results in significant pain, dysfunction and other back issues. While it may not look serious, a simple back muscle strain or torn ligament can cause severe pain and difficulty in moving around. The Graston Therapy offers many advantages to patients that avail of this technique from their chiropractors such as:

• Quicker overall treatment time to see results

• Faster rehabilitation and recovery process

• No need to use prescription meds

• Healing of chronic problems that were once thought of as permanent

How Does Graston Therapy Work

The Graston Therapy makes use of handheld instruments combined with a specialized massage treatment in order to help the chiropractor determine scar tissue areas and areas where restriction is evident, and then break and reduce them. There are 6 essential tools used in this technique. The tools are made from high quality stainless steel and come in concave and convex shaped versions. They feature rounded edges with no sharp areas that can potentially injure. The East Bank Wellness chiropractor will use the tools to scan and detect areas that contain fibrotic tissue. The entire process is meant to both locate injured areas and provide the much needed treatments for them.

Graston Therapy Massage

The East Bank Wellness chiropractor will administer a cross-friction massage that includes brushing or rubbing against the grain of the scar tissue for the purpose of increasing blood flow in and around it. The rationale behind the effectiveness of the therapy is promotion of the healing process. Graston Therapy is implemented along the kinetic chain and therefore a patient that presents with back pain may also get treatment to the abdomen, hamstrings, shoulders, hip flexors and other pertinent parts of the body that seem to be unconnected to the affected part but is actually connected via the fascial network.

What to Expect

The usual course of treatment that you can expect for lower back pain involves 1 to 10 visits over the course of several weeks. There are no medications needed during the duration of the treatment process.

Before Therapy - Before your appointment with the chiropractor, patients are advised to finish at least 5 minutes of cardio such as walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike. Once at the clinic, ultrasound or heat treatment may be applied to the affected area in order to warm up the tissue.

During Graston Therapy - The East Bank Wellness chiropractor shall use the recommended Graston Therapy instruments to scan and treat the injured area. Treatment normally consists of rubbing the affected areas using the handheld stainless steel Graston Therapy instruments, with very specific and precise massage methods. The entire process usually lasts for about half a minute to a full minute per affected region. It is common to expect some minor discomfort during the procedure.​​​​​​​
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After Therapy​​​​​​​ - Once the treatment is over, you might have some feeling of bruising and soreness. This is normal. For the soreness, it may be relieved with some ice application for 15 to 20 minutes following treatment in order to ease any discomfort. We shall recommend exercising, stretching and strengthening programs that can be used in line with Graston Therapy in order to help rehabilitate your back and heal you quicker.

Graston Therapy Can Treat the Following Conditions:

Tendonitis – This condition happens when there is inflammation of the tendons. The tendons refer to cords that connect the muscles to the bones. Tendonitis may happen because of a series of motions such as repetitive motion over prolonged periods. The condition is most common in athletes that perform repetitive motions such as tennis players and football players. Graston Therapy can help alleviate this condition and quicken the process of recovery.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - This is a common condition that affects the wrists. The carpal tunnel refers to a pathway located on the palms of the hands and is encircled by ligaments and bones. Carpal tunnel puts pressure on the median nerve. Graston Therapy can help reduce or completely treat the numbness and tingling on the wrists due to this condition. You will also notice a marked improvement on your hand and wrist functions.
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Plantar Fasciitis– This is a condition that results in inflammation of the plantar fascia ligament, the biggest ligament in the body. This is due to a strain injury that results in micro lacerations to the ligament. Plantar fasciitis results from excessive strain injury to the plantar fascia as a result of excessive walking, running or an awkward landing after performing a jumping activity. Graston Therapy is effective at treating this condition and can also reduce the chances of recurrence.

To get the best treatment with Graston Therapy, call or visit East Bank Wellness today.

​​​​​​​Areas We Offer Graston Therapy

• Graston Therapy Downtown Chicago

• Graston Therapy The Merchandise Mart

• Graston Therapy Chicago Loop

• Graston Therapy River North

• Graston Therapy Fulton Market

• Graston Therapy River West

• Graston Therapy Gold Coast Chicago

• Graston Therapy Old Town

• Graston Therapy West Town

• Graston Therapy West Loop

• Graston Therapy North Loop

• Graston Therapy Ukrainian Village