The Graston Technique Method

Back pain can become chronic for many individuals and is one of the most common reasons for doctor visits in adults. There are many different ways a person can develop back problems. Three very common ways include participation in sports, lifting weights, and even from sitting down too long. Although back problems are common in adults, there are ways to prevent chronic back pain.
Doctors have long reported that many common, everyday athletes injure their backs due to participation in sports like basketball, football, and golf. The lower back is especially susceptible to lots of strain from repetitive motions, including the impact of jumping, running, and landing. The twisting motions involved in golf can also cause lots of stress and damage to the lower back. The middle area of the spine aligned with the rib cage (the upper back) is less likely to be strained or damaged from sports because it has extra support and moves a lot less compared to the lower back. Many who injure their backs from sports unfortunately do not train properly and their back suffers as a result.
There are a few ways to prevent back problems from the strain of sports. One way is by consistently doing warm-up exercises. Warm-ups are almost universally recommended in every sport before participation. These stretches and exercises help to target muscles in certain areas that can help prevent injuries. They also help in building up the muscles in that area and help prepare it for stress. Another way to help prevent back injuries is by building up core muscles. The oblique muscles are especially important because they help in stability while running, jumping, and landing. These abdominal muscles will help with back stability while participating in sports. Optimizing core strength has long been recognized as a way of lessening the chances of developing chronic back injuries.
There are also many people who have reported developing chronic back pain as a result of weight lifting. When someone engages in improper weight lifting by extending or flexing the muscles in the back against resistance, it can lead to many different injuries, including muscle strains. A muscle strain occurs when the muscle either tears or is over-stretched. It is often referred to as a pulled muscle and can cause damage to muscle fibers. This injury can be extremely painful. Another injury that frequently occurs from lifting weights improperly is a lumbar sprain. It is similar to a muscle strain and occurs when ligaments either tear or are stretched too far. Exercises such as the dead-lift and squats can be stressful to the joints and back, where many injuries occur. Any further aggravation of an injury like this can lead to chronic back pain in the future.
Learning to lift with better form can help prevent unnecessary muscle strains and lumbar sprains from occurring. It is important to utilize the legs and keep the back straight when doing squats and dead-lifts. By not bending at the waist or lifting with your back, one can help prevent strains and back pain. Another tip to prevent back pain is to keep objects closer to the body when lifting them. By keeping them in tighter to the body, it relieves a lot of stress on the back. It is also important to avoid twisting, pivoting, and turning with your back while lifting. If you need to move while lifting, you should change direction with your feet instead of using your waist.
Sitting improperly is also a common reason why people develop back problems. The spine naturally forms an “S” shape from the four curves along its length. This natural figure is considered optimal for the back and is maintained by good posture. When people sit for longer periods of time, slouching often occurs. Through examinations and tests, researchers and doctors have found that when sitting, the upper portion of your body settles into the lower back. This causes lots of stress to the lumbar area of the back, which then cab leads to chronic back pain.
A simple way to address this problem is by finding a chair that is right for you. A good chair will be comfortable and will take a lot of your weight off your back. This helps in alleviating a lot of stress for your back. A good chair is one that lets your feet touch the ground while sitting, has more than 4 chair legs, has your hips leveled with your knees, and allows you to sit completely against the back of the chair.
However, when chronic back pain persists, a chiropractor can help through different forms of treatment. One method is through spinal manipulation, the most frequently used and non-surgical form of treatment that helps to align the spine. It involves using a technique called High-Velocity Low-Amplitude (HVLA) thrust. The manipulation often results in what patients describe as a popping noise and eased pressure in the area. Chiropractors use their hands to apply a controlled sudden force to a joint while the body is positioned in a specific way.
Another way chiropractors treat back pain is by using the Activator Method. Doctors use a small, hand-held tool called the Activator Adjusting Instrument to deliver a small impulse force to the spine to help restore motion to the vertebra or joint. This method is also one of the more common therapeutic interventions used by chiropractors. More than half of chiropractors report using the Activator Method in their practices.
Finally, many chiropractors also use a method known as the Graston Technique. It is a form of manual therapy and a specialized way of massaging and scraping the skin gently. This technique helps identify areas that are restricted in the back and is an attempt to break up scar tissue, which forms when there is trauma to the soft tissue. The goal is to reduce restrictions by stretching connective tissue in the area.