That feeling when you’ve stepped in gum. Ewe. Gum on the shoe. Everyone has had this problem, similar to a problem all of us have with our muscles. One faulty step near any convenience store and bam, gum on the shoe. What’s a person to do? Find the closest stick and pry it off, and scrape your shoe on the curb of course. This of course only takes off part of the gum, while every sticky step afterward it amasses an amount of dirt, thus leaving a brown rubbery mass on the sole of your shoe. Just like the sticky mess that gum can make, adhesions in the body can do the same.

Just like the gum analogy, adhesions in the body can build up to a point where surgical correction is the only option, but there is another way to help prevent the accumulation. Sources of these adhesions come from strains and sprains, repetitive strain injuries, trauma, cumulative micro-trauma, and the natural  aging process. The adhesion site acts just like that gum underneath your shoe. Its conglomerate of chemicals gives it superhuman like stickiness properties that prevents normal motion and normal behavior. This has been seen in surgical cases where cutting of the adhesions is necessary to release sustained contracted muscles (1).

Take care of your adhesions before they take care of you. The trick with theses little nasty bad boys is to get rid of them before they build up and gunk up the whole system. In the body, this is expressed as stiffness, loss of range of motion, and pain. Control/alt/delete doesn’t work to get rid of them. You can’t throw them away, and of course no one ever really wants surgery.

There are several options that our chiropractors in Denver utilize to help sculpt the local tissue architecture. We utilize two techniques to help rid the body of excessive adhesions. One method is called the Graston Technique that utilizes a set of very well crafted stainless steel tools that is specifically contoured to different parts of the body.

Here is a demonstration of Graston technique on our Instagram page:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BdDeg1An3Cd/?taken-by=denver_chiropractor

This technique utilizes the tools, the chiropractor’s skills, and specific patient motions to help reduce the presence of adhesions. The technique is usually performed in about 10 – 15 minutes, and usually requires 6-10 treatments, over the course of 3 – 5 weeks. There are other instrument assisted adhesion removal techniques, but Graston is the most well known and has performed peer reviewed research.

Since you can’t use a stick and curb to help get rid of adhesion, you may want to try the Graston Technique. It is very tolerable and may leave a bruise (petechiae respone). Benefit is usually seen within 1 to visits, with a decrease in pain and improvement in mobility. Most importantly, it will help you return to what you love to do.

Author: Dr. Trent Artichoker – Denver Chiropractor

Denver Chiropractic, LLC
3890 Federal Blvd Unit 1
Denver, CO 80211

303-455-2225