When the body suffers a spinal or extremity injury, there are often concurrent structural changes within the muscles as they recover. In a healthy body, examined under microscope, the individual connective tissue fibers in muscle look well organized, intertwining and running side by side in the same direction. Following an injury, the scene looks much different. The individual fibers scatter in random directions, and the rope-like structures look frayed. Structures that should easily glide past each other become stuck, or adhered together, which can affect one's normal movement patterns in the neck, back, and/or extremities.
Muscles that show this kind of change tend to experience more problems than just restriction of motion. These muscles often exhibit painful trigger points along with weakness or inhibition. These issues can then create a situation where surrounding tissue is also damaged while it overcompensates for the already injured tissue. In this way, a small injury can spread and significantly worsen over time.
Luckily, there are several treatment options to help remodel the injured tissue back to its original state. Among these treatments, the Graston technique is one of the most effective. Graston incorporates a set of stainless steel tools to work on these damaged tissues with two goals in mind. From a physiological perspective, the shearing forces generated by the tools help to destroy the fibers that are poorly aligned. The normal, well-aligned fibers remain intact due to their inherent structural strength. Additionally, at the cellular level, laboratory studies have confirmed that this treatment increases the number of fibroblasts in the area for about two days after Graston is administered. The job of the fibroblasts, the repair cells of connective tissue, is to break down damaged fibers and rebuild new ones in their place. In this way, Graston technique can be used to focus the body's normal repair mechanisms to the areas that need it the most.
The best outcomes with Graston technique are produced during a course of 6-12 visits spread out among 3-6 weeks. Treatment can be somewhat uncomfortable and may leave some bruising, but it should always be within the tolerance of the patient. Graston works best when combined with other therapies such as joint manipulation, stretching, and targeted exercise. More information on this treatment can be found on the Graston Technique website: www.grastontechnique.com/
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