If you’ve ever suffered from an injury involving a muscle you know how discouraging it is to be told to rest and wait it out.  While rest and applying ice is an important part of recovery, there may be other options to help quicken the healing process.  Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Therapy is a means of treating chronic soft tissue injuries (muscle, ligament, fascia) using stainless steel tools.  While it may sound scary and even painful, it’s something that can provide relief to people suffering from muscle strains, sprains, tendonitis, shin splints, and carpal tunnel just to name a few.

What does the process entail?
First, the practitioner will apply a cream to the area being treated so that the instrument can be moved easily.  Next, the doctor will glide the stainless steel tool over the injured area and “scan” for scar tissue or any adhesions left from the injury.  Because of the tool, the practitioner can easily feel areas of restriction.  Once these areas are found, the doctor focuses on that spot to break up the adhesions so that it can be absorbed by the body.

Does it hurt?
It is common to experience minor discomfort, but most patients think that it feels good.  Imagine comparing it to a deep tissue massage.

How long does it take and how many treatments do I need?
In general, the first session is shorter because we need to monitor how your body will react to the treatment.  Redness is expected because we want to get the blood flowing, but we try to avoid any bruising.  Overall, the treatments are very short, 5-10 minutes on average.  The amount of treatments depend on the person and how long that pain has been going on.  Those that have had the injury for longer will require more treatments because there are more adhesions.

If you are suffering from pain due to muscle tightness or an overuse injury such as tendonitis call to make an appointment with our chiropractor, Dr. Katie Hicks.  Still nervous?  Dr. Hicks is always happy to discuss any treatment options and answer any questions prior to coming in.