Physiotherapy can incorporate many hands on tools and techniques as well as electronic equipment that can be very effective at relieving inflammation, gaining mobility, increasing flexibility, reducing scar tissue and strengthening the body as a whole. Usually adjunctive to the chiropractic alignment, physiotherapy helps complete a good treatment plan for the best results possible.

Types of Physiotherapy

Flexion Distraction incorporates a very specialized table that isolates low back disc compressions, bulges and basic herniations. Centering of the suffering disc is selectively done by your physician and a gentle but effective decompression is done through the mechanics of the table and skilled hands. This treatment can create a vacuum phenomenon that can re-center or realign the disc nucleus, leading to re-absorption of essential fluids around the disc.

Peripheral Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) Stretching is the safest and most effective way to stretch a tight muscle group. In PNF stretching, the patient and the practitioner work together to applying minimal resistive force for several seconds after the practitioner has taken the muscle to its restricted end point. Each consecutive cycle of resistive pressure, followed by relaxation and a further stretch of the muscle, can be very effective in taking tension away from a stressed joint system and, in turn, reduce abnormal muscle recruiting and pain associated with it.

Interferential Electrical Stimulation is very effective at reducing edema (swelling), muscle spasms and pain. Interferential therapy uses four carbon pads to create a butterfly-type insurgence of electricity that smoothly and comfortably bathes the tissue, breaking up muscles tension, swelling and pain receptor overload. Usually set up to cycle through three different distinctive frequencies, interferential electrical stimulation can be a great post-adjustment modality.

Ultrasound has been used for the last 50 years to decrease scar tissue and stimulate healing. Ultrasound is a pezio-electrical effect that bathes the tissue with sound waves. Tendonitis and rigid tight muscles respond well to ultrasound. The settings for the practitioner are dependent on the tissue thickness and patient feedback. Careful attention is taken to keep the gel/instrument contact and the movement ongoing when applying ultrasound.

Cold Laser The latest scientific FDA-approved cold lasers, five-array 635NM and single 808NM lasers are used to painlessly help tissue regenerate. It directly affects the Adenine Tri-Phosphate (ATP) in each cell to increase the healing process. It is used for pain, inflammation, fibromyalgia, sprain/strains, carpal tunnel as well as some arthritic and scar tissue conditions. Protective eyewear is supplied.

Dry Needling is fairly new as a trend in treating those muscle knots and their hot spots referred to as trigger points. The tension that holds that muscle so tight can be turned off by treating the patients specific trigger point with an acupuncture needle. In this treatment, a needle is only put into the trigger point for a moment and then removed. Usually the physician can palpate the difference in tension immediately and the patient should feel a good change within an hour after the treatment.

TMJ &  Migraine Headaches Many headaches are related to clinching of the jaw and associated muscle spasm deep within the jaw area. Stress can set this off and many times the person is unaware of this bad reflex. By very carefully palpating the internal pterygoid muscle and then breaking the spasm, pressure is taken off the nerve bundle that affects the typical migraine, alleviating  photophobia, ringing in the ears, temporal headache, nausea, nasal congestion and just being miserable. Post-treatment, 8 out of 10 patients comment that one-half of the headache goes away in 10minutes and it’s usually completely gone in 20 minutes.