Dr. Matthew Shave of 34th Street Chiropractic and Wellness in the Midtown Manhattan area of New York, New York provides expert soft tissue therapy with his unique focus on applied kinesiology and cranio-sacral therapy.
What Is Soft Tissue Therapy Used for?
Like the name sounds, this therapy is used to relax and treat over-used muscles and other soft tissues. When soft tissue in the body is over-used, changes can occur in three important ways:
- Accumulation of small tears (micro-trauma)
- Acute conditions (pulls, tears, collisions, etc.)
- Lack of enough oxygen (hypoxia)
Any of these factors can cause the body to produce dense, tough scar tissue. Soft tissue scarring binds up and ties down tissue that would otherwise move freely. As scar tissue builds up, muscles become weaker and shorter; tendons become tense, causing tendonitis; and nerves can become pinched or trapped.
Soft tissue therapy works to improve reduced range of motion, pain, and loss of strength caused by soft tissue damage. This therapy also frees pinched nerves and relieves weakness, numbness, and tingling.
What Are Active Release Techniques (ART)?
Active Release Techniques (ART) is a state-of-the-art movement-based massage technique that treats soft tissue problems with the nerves, fascia, muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Some of the conditions resulting from overused soft tissue include:
- Headaches
- Back pain
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Shoulder pain
- Shin splints
- Sciatica
- Plantar fasciitis
- Tennis elbow
- Knee problems
How Does Trigger Point Therapy Work?
A tight area within muscle tissue that creates pain in other portions of the body is called a “trigger point.” For example, a trigger point in the back can produce referred pain at the base of the skull resulting in a tension headache. A trigger point pain can be either a dull ache or intense and sharp.
Trigger point therapy is designed to alleviate the root cause or source of the pain through cycles of pressure and release. This therapy helps to release constricted muscles and alleviate pain. Most patients experience a significant decrease in pain with only one treatment, and trigger point therapy given on a regular basis is very effective in treating chronic injuries.