The Power of the Graston Technique for Pain Relief

A method of manual therapy born from one man's determination to overcome a knee injury, explore the benefits of the Graston technique to mitigate pain!

In 1994 one man was in a lot of pain. That man's name was David Graston. After years of suffering from chronic knee pain, he invented what is known today as the Graston Technique to treat and eventually cure his pain.

His legacy lives on today in the form of a muscle treatment conveniently titled the Graston Technique. If you suffer from chronic pain and have tried all the classics from physical therapy to massage with little to no success, the Graston Technique could be your saving grace.

Keep reading the guide below to learn more about the Graston Technique and its effectiveness in treating certain conditions. 

What Is the Graston Technique?

The Graston Technique is also known as a soft-tissue instrument-assisted mobilization. It is a tool-assisted form of manual therapy, which means it is done by a human, but using a specially shaped stainless steel tool called a scraper or Graston Tool. 

The Science of the Graston Technique

The Graston Technique uses stainless steel tools to break up scar tissue or knots in your muscles. This can be done on new developments but even on old injuries.

The soft tissue creates a restriction in your muscle that is at the root of your pain. With the Graston Technique, this soft tissue is quickly broken down and massaged away so your body can heal damaged tissue and return it to health. 

The Graston Technique, when combined with proper exercise, recovery, sleep, posture, and nutrition is effective at healing many chronic conditions such as:

• Fibromyalgia
• Tendonitis
• Carpal tunnel
• Back, knee, neck, hip, and shoulder pain
• Shin splints
• Plantar fascitis
• Tennis elbow
• Certain women's health conditions
• 
  

The goal is to break down the fascia restrictions that are the cause of trauma to the soft tissue. This could have resulted from a strained muscle, overuse, overexercise, or a pulled tendon. Tissues are massaged, stretched, realigned, and put in an overall optimal environment for healing. 

History of the Graston Technique

The use of scrapers to heal tissues and increase lymphatic drainage is nothing new though. This idea existed well before 1994 and dates back to over 2,000 years ago in ancient China. Scraping is also known as Guasha in China and today these scraping tools are reinvented in rose quartz, jade, and other stones for the beauty industry. 

Rome is also no stranger to the Graston Technique. Ancient Romans used a very similar tool called a strigil. Romans scraped dirt off the body with olive oil as a cleansing agent and it actually had the same physical benefits as the Graston Technique. 

How to Do the Graston Technique

The Graston Technique, in order to be effective, will need to be applied to the same area over six to ten treatments. Depending on how recent and expansive the trauma is, you might need more or fewer sessions. There are no medicines or side effects associated with this treatment, although sometimes there is mild discomfort in tender areas.

Before your treatment, you might be asked to warm up your body for a few minutes. This makes it easier for the chiropractor to manipulate tissue. Your chiropractor might ask you to perform aerobic exercises for a few minutes or apply an ultrasound on your target area to warm up tissues.

The treatment itself is very short. Your chiropractor uses a stainless steel instrument to rub the affected area. This involves unique techniques and targets the root of the pain. 

The muscles and scar tissue are manipulated for 30 to 60 seconds. After treatment, you will be assigned certain physical therapy exercises to accelerate the healing of the tissue. Most patients require a couple of sessions to cure their pain.

Benefits of the Graston Technique

The Graston Technique isn't too good to be true. It's a technique that works without surgery, medications, and without extensive physical therapy exercises.

You just need to be willing to try it out. Below are five benefits of this technique that prove it is worth a shot.

Faster Recovery and Healing

When Graston scraping is applied correctly, patients can experience results in as little as one treatment. For patients with older injuries, it can happen in as fast as six treatments. After all of your treatments, you should have significantly improved mobility and no pain.

Decreases Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness

Delayed onset muscle soreness, aka DOMS, is that sore feeling you get after the gym. Some people love it, but most people find it slows them down. The Graston Technique encourages the body to learn how to heal itself quickly.

This means the body has a better range of motion and is able to recover from workouts at an accelerated rate.

Activates Mechanoreceptors

Mechanoreceptors are sensory receptors that help us respond to external stimuli such as touch, pressure, stretching, sound waves, and motion. Sometimes injured tissue can dull nerve endings and get in the way of healthy muscle function. The pressure applied from Graston's Technique activates nerve fibers, mechanoreceptors, and proprioceptors.

When functioning in healthy conjunction, your muscle strength and recovery will improve.

Reduces Pain and Improves Performance and Function

Clinically the Graston Technique showed significant improvements in pain reduction for some patients. Overall patients felt less pain and interference with their daily lives. If your quality of life is being controlled by your pain, it is important to consider Graston's Technique for pain management and reduction.

Treats Chronic Pain Conditions

Some people suffer not just from injuries but from chronic pain conditions like "bad shoulder" or "achy knees." Graston's Technique is extremely effective at treating these kinds of chronic conditions such as heel pain, IT band syndrome, and post-operative pain or scarring.

Visit Your Local Graston Technique Specialist Today

The Graston Technique is an effective remedy for chronic pain management. Instead of temporarily resolving pain as is the case with many physical therapy techniques or pain relief bandages, the use of the Graston Technique permanently addresses the root cause of pain using Graston tools and Graston massage.

At Fisher Chiropractic we make it our mission to fulfil your needs and help you live better. So, why keep waiting?

Request an appointment for Graston therapy today and feel renewed after just a few sessions!