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Bend chiropractor Bari Liebowitz using the graston technique on a patient for neck pain.
By Bend Total Body Chiropractic General Health ,

How the Graston Technique Benefits Athletes of All Ages

It’s no secret that range of motion is essential to physical activity. If you aren’t able to move well, you simply aren’t able to enjoy the activities you love. Sadly, many runners and triathletes experience a decrease in their performance due to conditions such as knee pain, shoulder pain, scar tissue, and more.

That’s where the Graston Technique becomes an important part of physical recovery. As one of the few centers in Bend that offers this kind of treatment, we’ve put together a short guide to help you understand its overall benefits for athletes of all ages.

Understanding the Graston Technique

It is important to understand what the Graston Technique entails before you can see its benefits for patients who enjoy engaging in an active lifestyle. Essentially, the technique is a special form of chiropractic care that utilizes six different surgical stainless-steel instruments. Each comes with its own unique shape and all are heavy in weight. When used properly, a trained chiropractor can feel vibrations in the tool when he or she comes across a problem area in the muscle, such as scarring or an adhesion. This provides immediate feedback to the practitioner and gives them an opportunity to determine where to work for maximum patient benefit.

The Graston Technique and Restriction in Range of Movement

For athletes, the Graston Technique is a phenomenal way to improve range of motion. It also greatly shortens recovery time. Why? This method is ideal for anything that causes a restriction in movement including scar tissue, adhesions, muscle spasms, and other related issues.

During a session, the process causes an improvement in blood flow and tissue temperature while also stretching connective tissue. It also increases cellular activity and breaks down collagen fibers. The end result is a smoother and stronger muscle better suited to injury recovery and increased movement. For avid athletes, this often means the difference between getting back to the activities they enjoy most or several weeks of recovery downtime.

Common Conditions Treated with the Graston Technique

The Graston Technique is ideal for numerous types of injuries. A few of the most common conditions treated with this method include:

  • Ankle Pain
  • Wrist Pain
  • Neck Pain
  • Fibromyalgia-Related Pain
  • Hamstring Injuries and Pain
  • Hip Pain
  • Tennis Elbow, Golfer’s Elbow, and Related Pain
  • Back Pain
  • Knee Pain
  • Heel Pain
  • Shoulder Pain
  • Scar Tissue

The technique is also ideal for treating women’s health issues including post-mastectomy and cesarean scarring. Other conditions not in this list may also benefit from the Graston method.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Graston Technique is an optimal way for athletes of all ages to enjoy an increased range of motion, better circulation, and a decreased healing time. This non-invasive treatment takes only a few minutes and has the opportunity to help you heal more quickly and enjoy better sports performance in the long run.

Total Body Chiropractic and Massage is here to help you feel your best no matter what stage in life you’re experiencing. Please contact us today to schedule an appointment.

By Bend Total Body Chiropractic Allergies, Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic Care for Spring Allergies

While most relish the warm weather and blooming flowers of spring, it’s a miserable time for allergy sufferers. With pollen from flowers, trees, grasses and weeds rising into the air and allergen-bearing insects such as dust mites and cockroaches becoming more active, allergic reactions can become quite frequent. Many who reach for over-the-counter remedies and prescription drugs to relieve their symptoms may be disappointed by their lack of efficacy and cost. However, there is a drug-free answer to reduce the sneezing, coughing and swelling related to allergic reactions: Chiropractic care. In order to understand how chiropractic care works on allergies, it is necessary to first understand how allergens affect the body.

Why Do People Suffer from Allergies?


Allergic reactions, such as coughing, sneezing and a runny nose are the body’s way of expelling irritants and removing harmful substances. For those who suffer from allergies, these responses are greatly magnified. It doesn’t matter if the allergen was ingested, inhaled or came in contact with the skin. The immune system goes into overdrive, activating mast cells, which are central to the body’s response. These mast cells produce histamine, which the body uses to combat allergens. However, an overabundance of histamines in the body, which is part of the body’s allergic response, can lead to a dilation of blood vessels, drop in blood pressure and swelling as fluids fill the space between cells. As a result, a plethora of symptoms begin to overwhelm the individual, either localized at the point of contact or in severe reactions, the entire body. Itching, sneezing, coughing, hives, vomiting and even death can occur in a major reaction.

At this point, allergy sufferers usually reach for antihistamines and other chemical compositions to alleviate their symptoms. Most over-the-counter medications are not able to relieve the patient’s sufferings and prescription drugs often have dangerous side effects such as sleepiness, contraindications to drive, and can often exacerbate the problems by over-drying the body, leading to bloody noses, dehydration and persistent coughing. 

Chiropractic Care and Allergy Relief


While no scientific research concludes that chiropractic therapies lessen the symptoms or causes of allergies, many patients report that regular chiropractic sessions lead to a reduction in allergic response. There are several reasons why this makes sense.

Chiropractic care takes a holistic approach to the body. The focus of chiropractic procedures isn’t simply to alleviate pain in one part of the body. Adjustments performed on the entire body help improve blood flow, open and improve respiratory performance, quiet nervous system response, regulate the immune system, and yes, eliminate pain where needed. Together, these results allow the body to lessen unnecessary histamine production, open nasal passages and reduce overall swelling. Additionally, stress on the body, while not a result of allergic reactions, can weaken the immune system. Chiropractic care is known to decrease stress, which allows the immune system to function regularly, resulting in a lessening of aggravated allergic response. Discuss how your chiropractor can help treat your allergies holistically this spring and summer, before they make you miserable.

By Bend Total Body Chiropractic Chiropractic Care

Preventing Heel and Foot Pain This Running Season

As winter gives way to spring and the temperatures warm, we find ourselves itching to get outside for a long run. While hitting the pavement or trails might be all we want to do, sometimes the initial push off the couch can have some undesired consequences – in your feet. Plantar Fasciitis is a condition that can affect anyone at any time, and if it has been an especially long winter with less activity, you might be more prone to heel and arch pain.

Plantar Fasciitis is caused by inflammation or tears in the connective tissue that connects the toes to the heel. This tissue is what forms the arch of the foot and is called the plantar fascia. When this tissue becomes inflamed or damaged, it can often make many daily activities painful and can become a more chronic issue if left untreated. Plantar Fasciitis can be caused by a number of factors. Having poorly fitted shoes as well as walking, running and standing for long periods of time can make you more likely to develop the condition. There are also certain muscle groups that if they become too tight are believed to promote the condition, including your calves, Achilles tendons and glutes.

Luckily, there are several ways to prevent this condition from occurring. One of the best ways to prevent or treat Plantar Fasciitis is through chiropractic care.  A chiropractic professional will be able to pinpoint the areas of your body that are creating the problems for certain muscle groups.  With assisted stretching and massage that target the root of the inflammation or pain, you can eliminate certain problem spots that may have been a nuisance for years and treat and prevent Plantar Fasciitis.

Other options for treating Plantar Fasciitis are as simple as the shoes we wear. Having well-fitted shoes can be a great step taken to prevent pain from occurring in our feet from standing, walking or running. Signs that your shoes might not be fitting right could be blisters on your heels, toes or balls of the feet. Those blisters could be telling you your shoes are too large or small depending on their location and they could lead to Plantar Fasciitis if left untreated. Making sure your shoes fit properly if you are going to be running or walking for extended periods is an important way to keep your feet and legs healthy.

Following these and other preventative and treatment options for Plantar Fasciitis can help you to remain active and healthy throughout the spring and summer. If your pain persists, consult a medical professional to discuss additional surgical and non-surgical treatment options that will get you back on your feet again.

By Bend Total Body Chiropractic Chiropractic Care, Sciatica , ,

What Can a Chiropractor Do for My Leg Pain?

Leg pain affects many people on a daily basis. Depending on the cause and everyone’s situation, symptoms of leg pain may present in various ways. For some, the pain begins in the lower back and travels down one or both legs. Some experience pain down the back of the legs (sciatica), some on the front of the thighs, and others down the side of the legs. Then there are others who experience pain only below the knee or solely in the feet or toes.

Pain can be associated with different parts of the body, like the hip, ankle, thigh, knees and feet but they would not be categorized as leg pain, and as such receive specific treatment in these areas. Doctors must perform an in-depth analysis or evaluation to deduce the specific cause of the leg pain. They will want to rule out that it isn’t caused by a fall or some other traumatic injury. It is important they rule out strains, disc issues and/or broken bones that might be creating the leg pain.

One of the more common leg pain issues is sciatica, an irritation of the sciatic nerve, which begins at the base of your spine. It is the largest nerve in the body and is joined to the lower lumbar and sacral regions. Pain associated with this nerve can be felt in regions of the lower leg, thigh, buttocks and calves. This ailment makes performing normal daily functions next to impossible, and relief is difficult when patients try to find a comfortable position. The location of the pain varies depending on the anatomical or neurological structures involved. The pain may be described in a variety of ways, including sharp, dull, heavy, aching, burning, numbness, and/or tingling.

During your initial consultation, the chiropractor will perform an evaluation to determine what abnormalities in your spine may be contributing to chronic pain in the leg. The doctor will utilize a physical exam, as well as X-rays, to assess the problem. Then prescribe a comprehensive, holistic regimen that includes dietary change suggestions, regular exercise and spinal adjustments, to help you get better as quickly as possible.

By Bend Total Body Chiropractic General Health

A Few Questions to Ask a Massage Therapist, Prior to Treatment

If you’ve never had a massage and are considering trying it, you may not know where to start or what questions to ask. Choosing the right massage therapist is much like choosing the right chiropractor, you’ll want to be sure your massage therapist is trustworthy, reputable, knowledgeable, and in line with your plans for fitness and health. Regular massage can improve flexibility, prevent injury, and speed up muscle recovery. Still, you may have questions about how the massage should go and what to expect before and after. There are many massage therapists to choose from, so it can be confusing and challenging to choose the right one. It’s important to have a comfortable relationship with your massage therapist, and we work hard to maintain a comfortable environment for our clients. We suggest you consider asking the following questions before you get a massage with someone new.

What type of massage education does the massage therapist have?

You want to be sure your massage therapist has attended an officially recognized, accredited massage school or massage program. Not all massage therapy education is created equal and this is a good way to determine if your selected therapist has the background needed to help you achieve optimal health.

Are they licensed and/or certified?

It is important to know and understand the licensing and/or certifications your massage therapist may or may not have.  In the state of Oregon, massage therapists are required by law to be licensed. This ensures that the LMT (or Licensed Massage Therapist) you visit has had a basic education in massage techniques, has passed a nationally recognized exam, and complies with standards of sanitation, communicable disease control, and ethics. All of the massage therapists at Total Body Chiropractic & Massage are LMTs. You can read all about their education, licensing, and philosophy here.

How many years have they been professionally practicing massage therapy?

Like any other professional service, it’s good to know how much experience your massage therapist has. While not always a determining factor in your selection process, years of experience can indicate a therapist’s level of intuitiveness. Also, the more bodywork a therapist practices, the better they become at understanding the complex anatomy and physiology of the human body.

Is it normal to have bruising after a massage?

It’s normal to have occasional bruising, but let your massage therapist know if it becomes excessive.

What is your philosophy on total body health as it relates to massage?

This is one of the most important questions to ask. Some therapists prefer deep tissue massage and a no-pain no-gain approach. Some focus on gentle massage. Others look at the goal of total body health and create massage therapy plans based on your specific needs. Before you get on the table, it’s important to understand what types of massage your therapist uses and why they use it.

What’s the difference between a sports massage and a relaxation massage?

A relaxation massage is a soothing experience that aims to relax the body, while a sports massage is more intense. Both of these massages can be tailored to meet your needs and comfort level.

Can I read some patient reviews?

Ask your potential Bend massage therapist or practice for patient testimonials. Another great resource is online reviews, which you can easily find yourself. You can often find a practitioner’s reviews on their Facebook page or Yelp. We encourage you to take a look at some of Total Body Chiropractic & Massage’s Facebook reviews. Also, ask your friends about their experiences and recommendations. Do your homework on the therapist before you book that first appointment.

Finally, if you choose a therapist and don’t feel good about the experience after your first appointment or two, go back to the drawing board and switch to someone new. You know best what your body needs and doesn’t need, so pay attention to what feels right.

Are you looking for a skilled massage therapist who cares about your total body health? Total Body Chiropractic & Massage has three highly trained LMTs on staff. From deep-tissue, pregnancy and sports massage, to fire cupping, acupressure and hot stones, we have a wide variety of massage treatments for everybody.

By Bend Total Body Chiropractic General Health

Gifting a Massage: Best Gift to Give Anyone on Your List!

The holidays can be a stressful time for everyone and figuring out what gifts to give loved ones can add to the already busy time of year. Choosing thoughtful gifts takes time and it’s extra stressful when you are out shopping because you aren’t the only one trying to find the perfect gifts. Gifting a massage could be the solution for everyone on your list this year. Whether your loved one is stressed or just needs a reminder that they deserve some good self-care, massage therapy is a gift everyone will appreciate and it’s an appropriate gift for just about any relationship, whether it’s a boss, a co-worker, a family member, a client, a teacher or friend.

Gifting a massage is a great way to remind someone that they are valued and appreciated. It is a gesture showing you care about that person and it says you want thebest for them, “You deserve a break…You deserve a little pampering…etc”. Most of us don’t take the time to pamper ourselves or give ourselves an indulgentgift, so by gifting a massage, you are giving your loved one permission to takea little break from the usual chaos of life.

There are some major health benefits gained from receiving a massage, and some of those benefits can last for days and even weeks after the actual treatment. One of those benefits are the obvious muscle relaxation and pause your body experiences during the massage. That calm, relaxed state of mind can help jump-start a new perspective and give you a chance to reset your intentions. Massage can also help to loosen up tight muscles and help ease the tension that causes headaches and migraines.

Check out the following list of people in your life that you might consider getting a massage for this holiday season;

ACTIVE PEOPLE/ATHLETES

NEW MOMS

TEACHERS

CO-WORKERS

NEW CLIENTS

Whether you are gifting a massage to a friend or scheduling one for yourself, it’s a perfect time of year to indulge and do it right. Feel free to give us a call at 541.527.7309, or stop by to learn more about the massage options we offer. Happy Holidays!

By Bend Total Body Chiropractic General Health

How Chiropractic Care Can Help Ease Holiday Stress

As the holiday season kicks off this week, and we are all out doing the hustle and bustle, some of us are acutely aware of our daily stress and find ourselves wondering how to manage it while simultaneously preparing for family and friends and a big turkey dinner. Chiropractic care is a great way to help ease holiday stress as well as daily stress in general. Whether it’s work stress, parenting stress, relationship stress or just feeling overwhelmed with the speed at which time seems to fly by these days, we all have our own special kind of stressors that effect our lives. At Total Body Chiropractic & Massage, in Bend, Oregon, we can help get your body feeling relaxed and ready for the busy season ahead!

CONTROLLING STRESS          

One of the biggest lessons we learn in adulthood is what little control we have when it comes to people, places and things. Managing our stress is a daily task that involves identifying the stressors, figuring out how to embrace the stress and doing what we can to control the stress, so it doesn’t cause us to feel suspended in crisis day in and day out. One way to help ease some of the tension is to implement some positive self-care habits that benefit your mind, body and soul. Although we can’t always control the stress, we can control our response to the stress and getting chiropractic care on a routine basis will allow your body to release some of that pressure that our bodies ultimately hold, because of our stress load. Chiropractic care focuses on realigning your spine, which helps ease muscle tension. The adjustment realigns the spine and calms the central nervous system, so you can think clearer, feel less aches and pains and eliminate the distraction of feeling like your body is out of whack. It also keeps the messages transmitting throughout your nervous system, on track so your body and mind are working together to manage the stress.

BENEFITS OF CHIROPRACTIC CARE

Visiting the chiropractor for an adjustment will help your spine restore function to your body. You may find yourself to be sick less, have more energy and feel less stressed overall. The relief for body and mind after an adjustment is a great way to begin good habits as you move into the new year ahead. The following are just some of the positive benefits of chiropractic care;

  • Pain relief in the neck, upper and lower back
  • Helps to lower blood pressure
  • Boost in mental clarity
  • Relaxation of body and mind
  • Migraine and headache relief
  • Asthma relief
  • Aches and pains eased, including during pregnancy

Consider calling to schedule yourself an appointment with some of the best Chiropractic practitioners in Central Oregon. Or visit our website at https://bendtotalbodychiropractic.com/.

 

By Bend Total Body Chiropractic General Health

Consider Chiropractic Care for Your Headaches & Migraines

If you are someone that suffers from headaches and migraines, you know that it can feel like a never-ending cycle of pain and frustration. The debilitating pain can keep you from doing your best at work and from participating in life. Finding a successful treatment for migraines and headaches can be tough, but we’ve got solutions that have given positive results for many of our patients. If you’re suffering from ongoing headaches or migraines with no relief in sight, it’s time to try chiropractic care. We offer non-invasive, total body-based treatments that help identify the root cause of the headache or migraine.

OLD SOLUTIONS, NOT BETTER SOLUTIONS

There are several ways to treat migraines and/or headaches and medication is often the first option for most people. Medication can be an effective band-aid to pain, however, a reliance on drugs alone can quickly become a crutch instead of a long-term solution.  Instead, consider a total body approach to chiropractic treatment. It discovers and treats the underlying issues at work in your complex system, which in turn, allows us to treat the root cause of your pain instead of simply covering up the symptom of pain.

TOTAL BODY APPROACH

A total body approach recognizes that headaches and migraines can be triggered from anything and anywhere in your body. For example, pressure and emotional stress can play a huge role in how your body functions, often creating tight muscles which lead to back and neck issues, along with headaches and migraines. The first step is to discuss your pain, discomforts and overall body functions with your chiropractic physician. They will walk you through the discoveries they make during your initial visit and wrap your historical information into consideration for a treatment plan. After you get through the thorough exam process, your chiropractor will come up with a treatment plan based on your unique situation and needs. Your migraines might be due to posture, poor alignment, referred pain from an injury, stress, lack of sleep or even dietary deficiencies.

MASSAGE

One of the possible treatments you might want to consider is massage. Massage helps by easing muscle spasms and tension, a common source of tension headaches and migraines, along with stress and injuries. Our massage therapists at Total Body Chiropractic & Massage are very experienced with headache sufferers and see great results in their clients with regular massage therapy. Your therapist will make assessments during your initial exam along with your input and come up with the best approach for your massage treatments.

CHIROPRACTIC CARE

Chiropractic care is another therapeutic option for treating migraines and headaches. Your chiropractor, like your massage therapist, will listen to your experience, history and complaints and develop a treatment plan using stretching, manipulation of the spine and exercises to address the tension and discomfort you experience with headaches and migraines. “Adjustments” are done with your spine to better align your body and relieve symptoms that contribute to the headaches and migraines. They will often use heat and/or ice during or after treatments and sometimes they might send you home with at-home exercises for you to do in between appointments. The condition of your joints may be a contributing factor to your headaches and with proper chiropractic care, your chances of finding relief are great!

If you are having to push through your days or nights with unbearable headaches or migraine pain, please know that drugs are not the only answer. A comprehensive, total body chiropractic approach can help you start to feel better and possibly eliminate the use of medication altogether. At Total Body Chiropractic & Massage, we can help you get back to living the life you want, ideally without those long days and nights fighting headache pain!

 

By Bend Total Body Chiropractic Neck Soreness

Here Are the Signs, Symptoms & Solutions for “Text Neck”

Most of us know that looking down at a cell phone or tablet every day takes a toll on your neck and upper back muscles, which can lead to both acute and chronic pain. More and more, people are relying heavily on smart phones for all kinds of communication and often you can see several people with their heads down, looking at a phone, when you are in a public setting. The text neck has become an actual medical condition that affects millions of people each year.

Some studies show that the population between 18-50 years of age have their cell phones with them 100% of the time, and it’s only at night when they are sleeping, that the phone isn’t in-hand.

SIGNS & SYMPTOMS

Text neck typically presents itself as neck pain and soreness, however, pain can often be felt in other areas of the body. Upper back pain, shoulder tightness, or even pinched cervical nerves are all conditions that can point back to bad habits with digital devices. If left untreated, text neck can lead to inflammatory issues in the neck, nerve irritation, and even increased spinal curvature.

  • Pain- can be localized to one spot or may be spread over an area, usually the lower part of the neck. The pain can be described as a dull aching or can also be stabbing or sharp pain
  • Radiating pain- The pain can often radiate down into the shoulders and arms
  • Muscular weakness- shoulders muscles namely, trapezius, rhomboids and shoulder external rotators are often weak
  • Headache- sub-occipital muscle tightness can lead to tension type headaches.
  • Stiff neck- soreness and difficulty in moving the neck is usually present when trying to move the neck after long usages

TREATMENT

Chiropractic care is helpful for text neck and treatment can include manual adjustments and other pain reducing techniques such as acupuncture. Statistically, Chiropractic and neck pain relief work well in unison.

Beyond chiropractic care, neck stretches can be incredibly helpful in reducing the strain from text neck. It’s also important to reevaluate your posture and usage habits.  We can help you make sure you are in a safe position when using your cell phone or tablet. We can also help you plan for better cell phone habits.

If you or someone you love is feeling the effects of text neck, Total Body Chiropractic & Massage treats adults and children for this very condition and would be happy to set up an appointment so you can get some relief. We’ve seen many patients that are damaging their bodies with bad posture and overuse of digital devices. Let us help you manage the pain and find some better solutions for using digital devices, so text neck can be a thing of the past.

 

By Bend Total Body Chiropractic General Health

Is Cupping Therapy Right for You?

Cupping Therapy is an ancient Chinese medicine practice that acts as a myofascial release. It isn’t the same as regular massage because it focuses more on pressing and compression. The skin is essentially lifted by glass cups, which creates space between the skin and the fascia. The fascia is the connective tissue that encases your muscles. By “cupping” the skin, it increases the blood flow and relieves muscle tension in the targeted area. With cupping, it is common for the therapy to leave bruises on the skin or red spots, but it isn’t dangerous or even painful, and the bruising resolves quickly.

Cupping Therapy has been practiced for thousands of years but has only recently become popular in the last decade. Many professional athletes use this therapy for injury recovery and prevention and some even believe it helps improve athletic performance. If you are interested in trying our Cupping Therapy, consider the following information when making your decision. While it’s a wonderful option for many, you may prefer the traditional massage, which is also an ancient practice focusing on muscle tension and release.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF CUPPING THERAPY

There are two common types of cupping, called fixed cupping and moving cupping. Fixed cupping is when the cups are applied to the skin and remain in place for several minutes in the same spot. Moving cupping involves the practitioner using oil on your skin and then putting the cups on your back and sliding them around.

THE PROCESS

Once the treatment area of the body has been identified, the area must be clean, so typically the practitioner will wash the skin with either soap and water or alcohol to make sure the skin is free of any makeup, lotions, etc. Oil is sometimes applied to the treatment spot but this is based on preference rather than being mandatory. You will want the intended treatment cups to be clean and dried thoroughly before use. Next, a cotton ball gets soaked in alcohol and then it gets lit by a lighter or candle. Once the cotton ball is flaming, it gets placed in the cup for a few seconds, long enough to heat the cup up and burn away the oxygen inside the cup. The cotton ball then gets removed from the cup and the practitioner quickly applies the cup to your skin. As the glass cools, the space inside the cup creates a vacuum-like effect that holds the cup in place. The skin gets suctioned up towards the cup and this is what stimulates the blood flow to that targeted area of your body. Generally, the practitioner only works with one cup at a time and the size of the cup depends on the targeting area. The entire process only takes a few minutes per cup.

Cupping Therapy is both an art form as well as an ancient practice that helps loosen tight muscles, increase blood flow and provide an overall sense of relaxation. Call our office today if you’d like more information, our staff at Total Body Chiropractic & Massage would be happy to answer any of your questions or set-up an appointment.