Rarely is a joint out of place. Rather, what often happens is that a joint loses movement. This loss of movement, called a restriction or a fixation, often accelerates degenerative changes in nearby joints that are compensating for the area that is restricted. To find these restrictions, our doctors are trained to utilize the Motion Palpation technique of assessing the joints of the body. Motion Palpation is a dynamic and gentle way of assessing joint dysfunction to determine where (or if) there are movement restrictions in the spine or other joints of the body (ankle, foot, knee etc.). Motion Palpation doctors may examine patients movements as they walk, squat, run or throw to help identify fixations or areas of compensation. Once a restricted joint is identified, the doctor works to mobilize the fixated areas, restoring function to these joints.
For patients, the Motion Palpation technique allows our doctors to effectively determine the source of discomfort and design a treatment protocol that will deliver efficient and lasting results. Motion Palpation also helps Drs. Hawkins and House determine when a patient's irritation stems from too much movement and not a restriction. This is a very important clinical skill to possess because an adjustment in a hyper-mobile joint could not only prove ineffective, but it could also further aggravate the patient's condition.
Chiropractic Manipulative Therapy
To restore proper motion in a joint that is fixated, the doctor utilizes a chiropractic manipulation or an adjustment to help restore the normal function and motion in the joint. Generally, this technique employs gentle pressure or a shallow thrust to restore optimal motion. An adjustment is sometimes accompanied by a pop, which results from the joint's release of nitrogen gas (the same pop heard when one "cracks their knuckles").
To date, many studies of the chiropractic adjustment have proven its effectiveness, safety and high levels of patient satisfaction. In 1994, the U.S. Agency for Health Care Policy deemed this technique as the gold standard for treating low back pain. Since the agency's initial findings, more research has been conducted on neck pain, headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, infantile colic and rehabilitation. Each of the study's findings supports the role of chiropractic care and its manipulative procedures.
Patients benefit from our manipulative therapy techniques, which are based on current medical research and adjusting with the proper joint biomechanics in mind. This involves the seated neck adjustments administered to our patients (no head spinning) and evidence-based spinal manipulations have been clinically proven as the preferred adjusting technique, achieving long-term results with fewer treatments.
Active Release Techniques (ART)
Drs. Hawkins and House employ myofascial release, a manual treatment for musculoskeletal disorders, to remedy injuries such as muscle strains, rotator cuff tendonitis, tennis elbow, Achilles tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome. Our doctors base their muscular therapy on a practice called Active Release Technique (ART), originating from a Colorado-based chiropractor who enjoyed monumental results with this technique on everyone from professional athletes to week-end warriors to the couch-potatoes.
Applied by hand using specific pressure and tension on the muscle, ART is more aggressive than massage therapy. According to the technique’s creator, ART works by trapping the affected tissue with the doctor’s thumb or fingers and then moving the tissue from its shortened position to an elongated point. This method softens and stretches the scar tissue, resulting in increased range of motion, enhanced strength and improved circulation optimizing the healing process.
Currently, medical research refers to ART as the most effective muscle technique for treating soft-tissue conditions. At a recent neurosurgery conference in Boston, a neurosurgeon reported, Now, I refer most of my patients to an ART provider before I'll consider surgery. We credit ART with the rapid success of many of our patients, which range from athletes to office workers.
Functional Rehabilitation
Functional rehabilitation incorporates clinical lifestyle recommendations, manual treatments and functional exercise regimes to help patients regain normal function of their spine and limbs. Therapy begins by identifying faulty patterns of movement often resulting from poor posture, improper lifting mechanics, fitness training errors or injury. These improper movements will, over time, load certain joints in the body more than others. Early on, the subtle changes in movement or muscle activation can go unnoticed by the patient. However over time, the increased stresses placed on the joints and surrounding soft-tissues can produce pain in muscles or joints and/or cause areas of restricted movement and a loss of proper joint function.
To effectively treat these dysfunctions, which often stem from patient's daily activities, doctors may offer joint manipulation in conjunction with specific exercises patients can use as homework. This comprehensive and combined approach works to retrain muscles, restore joint function and prevent recurring injuries and subsequent doctor visits. Additionally, the doctors will equip the patient with “take-home points” for maintaining proper posture, improving lifting mechanics, improving personal exercise programs, and determining Do's and Don'ts related to their jobs or daily activities. The effectiveness of this treatment protocol depends on the patient's commitment to their therapeutic exercises and doctor’s recommendations.
Care for Temporomandibular Joint
The TMJ is the joint between the jaw or mandible and the skull, specifically the temporal bone (hence temporomandibular joint). It is a very mobile joint, not only providing rotation but also gliding motion during mouth opening and closing. It is used every time we chew, talk, or even swallow. Its anatomy as well as movements are very complex and very often become dysfunctional. This dysfunction can cause pain in the jaw or face, popping or clicking during chewing, limitation of jaw movement, or even headaches/migraines.
The doctors of In Motion Spine and Joint Center are highly trained in the evaluation and treatment of this orofacial condition. Some cases of TMJ dysfunction may require consult with a dentist for fitting of an orthopedic appliance, and still some cases may require surgery if joint derangement or pathology is present. The doctors specifically test each patient to rule in or out the need for non-conservative treatment. The current literature suggests that a brief trial of conservative care should be tried before arthroscopic surgery or microsurgery.
Our conservative approach to temporomandibular dysfunction consists of a detailed examination of the joint and its function, as well as function of the upper cervical (neck) spine and head/neck posture. Treatment focuses on first releasing the tension of the proper soft tissues, in some cases mobilizing the jaw or manipulating the neck, and then teaching the patient how to retrain proper jaw motion with rehabilitation exercises. Following treatment, very small lifestyle changes must be implemented to avoid further injury to this joint. The goal of this treatment is to restore proper function of the joint and stabilize its motion. Many times, there is hope for a clicking jaw, painful joint, or headaches even if a patient has been dealing with the problem for years.
To date, many studies of the chiropractic adjustment have proven its effectiveness, safety and high levels of patient satisfaction. In 1994, the U.S. Agency for Health Care Policy deemed this technique as the gold standard for treating low back pain. Since the agency's initial findings, more research has been conducted on neck pain, headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, infantile colic and rehabilitation. Each of the study's findings supports the role of chiropractic care and its manipulative procedures.
Applied by hand using specific pressure and tension on the muscle, ART is more aggressive than massage therapy. According to the technique’s creator, ART works by trapping the affected tissue with the doctor’s thumb or fingers and then moving the tissue from its shortened position to an elongated point. This method softens and stretches the scar tissue, resulting in increased range of motion, enhanced strength and improved circulation optimizing the healing process.
Functional rehabilitation incorporates clinical lifestyle recommendations, manual treatments and functional exercise regimes to help patients regain normal function of their spine and limbs. Therapy begins by identifying faulty patterns of movement often resulting from poor posture, improper lifting mechanics, fitness training errors or injury. These improper movements will, over time, load certain joints in the body more than others. Early on, the subtle changes in movement or muscle activation can go unnoticed by the patient. However over time, the increased stresses placed on the joints and surrounding soft-tissues can produce pain in muscles or joints and/or cause areas of restricted movement and a loss of proper joint function.
To effectively treat these dysfunctions, which often stem from patient's daily activities, doctors may offer joint manipulation in conjunction with specific exercises patients can use as homework. This comprehensive and combined approach works to retrain muscles, restore joint function and prevent recurring injuries and subsequent doctor visits. Additionally, the doctors will equip the patient with “take-home points” for maintaining proper posture, improving lifting mechanics, improving personal exercise programs, and determining Do's and Don'ts related to their jobs or daily activities. The effectiveness of this treatment protocol depends on the patient's commitment to their therapeutic exercises and doctor’s recommendations.
