Services & Techniques

SpokaneSportsChiro_ServicesandTechniques

Spokane Chiropractic & Sports Injury Clinic supports patients through a variety of services that work together to target, resolve, and support injured areas. By developing a personalized treatment plan, we can work with you as you continue your daily activities, combining these services to provide relief and promote long-term healing. Both athletes and non-athletes alike find that this multi-faceted approach gets them faster results that inhibit their activities as little as possible.

Chiropractic – The art and science of chiropractic medicine has long been used to treat injuries and promote healthful living. At Spokane Chiropractic and Sports Injury Clinic, we employ both this long-standing tradition with the latest advances in the field. Through the use of multiple techniques, as well as ongoing support and lifestyle changes, patients can find the relief and healing that allows them to get back to the activities that they love.

Services We Offer

While our primary approach to treating your musculoskeletal condition is joint manipulation to restore movement, we take a different approach than many of our colleagues. Our approach to treatment consists of using functional screening tests and  exercises to activate inhibited muscle groups to cause proper stabilization of joint mechanics. This approach will not only help us in determining the cause of your pain, but it will allow us to design functional exercises to treat the cause of your pain and restore normal function. This technique is the key to getting you better and keeping you that way. We are able to give you the tools needed to maintain your level of progress so you are not dependent on our treatment on an ongoing basis.   

Areas of chronic pain and dysfunction often are a result of activity intolerances that were caused by a mechanical sensitivity. An area in your body that has been painful and over time may have caused you to limit your activities or motion due to this pain. These mechanical sensitivities are often not even the cause of your problem. Often there are silent “key links” that are causing a mechanical sensitivity. This functional pathology or what is know as abnormal motor control (AMC) is often the underlying cause of your pain. Our goal is to determine the abnormal motor control patterns and retrain the neuromuscular system to restore normal control. We are really retraining your central nervous system. We are activating muscle firing patterns and creating proper stabilization of joint motion. This functional reactivation has three components – Asses, stabilize and re-train. The stabilization of a joint consists of proper joint motion and muscle function. Joint manipulation, muscle activation, muscle endurance and strength are key components of this functional approach. 

For example, your ongoing back pain may be a result of your gluteus medius muscle not doing its job correctly. Low back pain often causes inhibition of the gluteal muscles. If your gluteal muscles don’t fire and create the proper stability in your pelvis and spine, all the strength training in the world won’t help. A strong muscle is useless if it doesn’t do its job when it is supposed to. By activating the gluteal muscles and creating proper stabilization in your pelvis, your low back pain will now respond much better to manipulation and you will start to see some consistent results with your care.  Without functional reactivation your need for traditional chiropractic treatment will often be ongoing. The joint mechanics can’t fully stabilize and the joint will continue to lock up after a few days to a few weeks of normal activity, causing recurring back pain. 

Most causes of pain can be placed into one of two categories, structural problems or functional problems.  Structural problems are addressed with surgery. Functional problems are addressed with restoring the proper function. When your body is injured, your brain will alter your movement patterns to avoid pain. This repetition of altered movement causes you to learn a new movement pattern. This new altered and often dysfunctional pattern becomes the norm. Once the injury is healed, you have to retrain the movement pattern to correct the dysfunction. Your body will not simply start working the way it once did, prior to the injury. 

With our approach to care you will be on your way to fully recovering and have the tools necessary to continue to manage the rehabilitative process on your own. Depending on the severity of your condition you may find that your condition will respond to care in as few as one visit and may be managed with as few as 10 visits. 

We have proven over time to provide our patients with better treatment approaches than traditional chiropractic. We get our patients better 25% faster than the national average for most musculoskeletal conditions. As we continue to learn new things and refine our technique, we are committed to producing even better results for you, our patients.

When people are thinking of massage, they are generally thinking of relaxation. What you may not know are all the ways massage therapy may help the body. Some general benefits of massage may include:

  • Improves circulation of blood and lymph systems and improves the condition of the body’s larges organ, the skin
  • Relief of tight muscles (knots) and other aches and pains
  • Greater range of motion and flexibility
  • Reduces recovery time, helps prepare for workouts and eliminates aches and pains for athletes
  • Reduces spasms and cramping
  • Helps relieve tension-related headaches
  • Alleviates discomfort during pregnancy
  • Reduces levels of anxiety

Having improved circulation enhances the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to muscle cells and helps remove wast products. These circulatory effects of massage may help with inflammatory conditions, such as arthritis or edema (an excessive accumulation of fluid in body tissues).

Massage Therapy is also thought to induce relaxation response, which will lower heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and then generally decreases the effects of stress.

Here are some to the conditions massage may help:

  • Sciatica
  • Back pain
  • Neck pain
  • Carpal Tunnel
  • Whiplash
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Tendon and muscle tears
  • Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
  • Gout
  • Pregnancy related back pain and other discomfort
  • Shin Splints

Here at Spokane Chiropractic & Sports Injury Clinic our massage therapists lean more toward the style of deep tissue massage. Deep tissue massage is so effective due to its technique; it is a slower, stronger massage that stimulates deep into muscles. It helps to break up and eliminate scar tissue. It is found to especially benefit athletes who expose their muscles to strenuous workouts. However, you do not need to be an athlete to benefit from deep tissue massage. Those suffering from certain conditions find that deep tissue massage is quite therapeutic.

On the other hand just because we normally offer deep tissue massage it doesn’t mean that it is the only technique we suggest. We tend to shape our massage around the patient and we pull in the best style that best suits them.

Our massage therapists are trained in Swedish massage, sports massage, pregnancy massage, cupping, trigger point therapy, deep tissue massage and many more.

Swedish Massage: Refers to a mixture of techniques specifically designed to relax muscles by applying pressure to them against deeper muscles and bones, and rubbing in the same path of the flow of blood returning to the heart.

Sports Massage: Is a form of massage that is used before and after athletic events. The strokes used are basically the same, only the position and the areas emphasized are different. Pre-natal massage decreases tension and helps with relief to low back and all-over pain.

Trigger Point Therapy: A trigger point is a hyper-irritable spot that is painful. Trigger points affect not only the muscle where the trigger point is located but it also is located near a nerve and that is why the pain can refer. Therapists will usually feel with their fingers to locate these spots and use firm pressure to pin the trigger point in one spot.

Cupping Therapy: Cupping therapy is performed with special cups that are put on your skin to create suction and negative pressure. Cupping increases blood circulation to the area where the cups are placed. This may relieve muscle tension, which can improve overall blood flow and promote cell repair. It may also help form new connective tissues and create new blood vessels in the tissue. This is a type of deep tissue massage and it’s very effective with chronic muscle injuries.

Massage Therapy has been and always will be beneficial for the human body. If it is relaxation that one is seeking, then relaxation you will find. Or if an unfortunate accident may occur, massaging the injured area will help the body heal faster. Even everyday stresses of life that we are all faced with, are helped by using these techniques. If you find that we haven’t quite described what you are dealing with, you will find that the massage therapists at Spokane Chiropractic & Sports Injury Clinic will work with you and help find a solution to your needs

ART® is a patented, state of the art soft tissue system/movement based massage technique that treats problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves. Headaches, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, shin splints, shoulder pain, sciatica, plantar fasciitis, knee problems, and tennis elbow are just a few of the many conditions that can be resolved quickly and permanently with ART. These conditions all have one important thing in common: they are often a result of overused muscles.

Over-used muscles (and other soft tissues) change in three important ways:

  • Acute conditions (pulls, tears, collisions, etc)
  • Accumulation of small tears (micro-trauma)
  • Not getting enough oxygen (hypoxia)

Each of these factors can cause your body to produce tough, dense scar tissue in the affected area. This scar tissue binds up and ties down tissues that need to move freely. As scar tissue builds up, muscles become shorter and weaker, tension on tendons causes tendonitis, and nerves can become trapped. This can cause reduced range of motion, loss of strength, and pain. If a nerve is trapped you may also feel tingling, numbness, and weakness. Every ART® session is actually a combination of examination and treatment. The ART® provider uses his or her hands to evaluate the texture, tightness and movement of muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments and nerves.

(activerelease.com)

Rehab exercises are an important component of care. Muscles move and stabilize  joints and need to be rehabilitated to their optimal levels of strength and endurance. Prevention of recurrence of symptoms or injury is the ultimate objective in the care received at Spokane Chiropractic and Sports Injury Clinic, and rehabilitation plays an important role in meeting this goal.

As a part of treatment, many patients benefit from the use of rehab exercises. In addition to treating through adjustments and soft tissue work, we help patients engage in a variety of exercises that support these approaches. By engaging in these exercises, patients are able to lengthen the outcome of their treatment.

At Spokane Chiropractic and Sports Injury Clinic, we educate our patients on how to use a variety of stretches and other exercises to improve the positive effects of their treatment. In addition, learning these skills decreases the likelihood of re-injury.

Soft tissue injuries can be debilitating and frustrating. Graston Technique® (GT) therapy is successful in effectively treating all soft tissue conditions, whether they are chronic, acute or post- surgical. GT therapy can help you enjoy life again.

Our unique technique and instruments enable the treatment of scar tissue and fascial restrictions during rehabilitation that allows for faster rehabilitation and with greater success when the goal is restoring range of motion, eliminating pain, and restoring normal function.

Clinical Applications

Here is list of some of the most common conditions treated with Graston Technique® therapy:

  • Ankle Pain (Achilles Tendinosis/itis)
  • Wrist Pain (Carpal Tunnel Syndrome)
  • Neck Pain (Cervical Sprain/Strain)
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Hamstring Injuries
  • Hip Pain
  • IT Band (Iliotibial Band)
  • Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylosis/itis)
  • Back Pain (Lumbar Sprain/Strain)
  • Golfer’s Elbow (Medial Epicondylosis/itis)
  • Knee Pain (Patellofemoral Disorders)
  • Heel Pain (Plantar Fasciitis)
  • Shoulder Pain (Rotator Cuff Tendinosis/itis)
  • Scar Tissue
  • Trigger Finger
  • Women’s Health (Post-Mastectomy and Caesarean Scarring)

Graston Technique® therapy will not only accelerate your rehabilitation but you’ll be able to continue working, running, lifting, swimming, training….

In addition to accelerated recovery time your treatment time is also minimized. Typical treatment time is over a four-to-five-week period.

Graston Technique® therapy has resolved issues for patients that caused them to live with pain for years, sometimes decades. Say goodbye to costly anti-inflammatory and pain medications.

(grastontechnique.com)

At Spokane Chiropractic & Sports Injury Clinic we have found that Kinesio taping has become an integral part of getting patients better faster and keeping them better longer. The taping allows us to move through the phases of care faster so we can rehab tissue that is healthier and this allows for a better healing process.

Many of our athletes have come to depend on Kinesio Tape to help them work through their injuries and continue to compete. They find that what would normally be an injury that would require rest and time off, they can continue to train and compete while their injury heals.

The Kinesio Tex Gold tape that is designed to work with Kinesio Taping Method®, and the proper application of the tape are critical in achieving the results that our patients have come to expect.

How does it work?

“The Kinesio Taping® Method enhances the body’s natural healing process and provides support through the muscles.

How can something so gentle be so effective to reduce pain?

KTM allows for full range of motion. It does not negatively affect circulation, since there is no wrapping, and therefore no impediment of blood flow. KTM is a “light” modality. In rehabilitative applications it works continuously, so each treatment can continue for 2 to 3 days. KTM is like having healing hands to put on the area 24 – 7.

To illustrate: When you bump your knee, your elbow, your head, (any part of your body) what is your first, unthinking response? You rub on it. That works; it feels better. Why?
What is in effect here is something called Gate Control Theory: The rubbing provides a distraction, impeding the brain’s message of pain, closing the “gate” on pain receptors, at least temporarily. But this sensation effect is only the beginning.

The technique is based on three important concepts. They are Space, Movement and Cooling. Muscles that are painful and/or inflamed lack space. When the KTM technique is applied to create space, it is helpful in and of itself, but also leads to the opportunity for improved movement and circulation. This space and movement then allows for cooling of the affected muscles, often combined with cryotherapy.

By targeting different receptors within the somatosensory system, the KTM alleviates pain and facilitates lymphatic drainage by microscopically lifting the skin. This lifting affect forms convolutions in the skin thus increasing interstitial space and allowing for a decrease in inflammation of the affected areas.”

(kinesiotaping.com)

Techniques We Use

The most commonly performed aspect of chiropractic is the treatment of tissue injury, which can be caused by a single traumatic event—such as improper lifting of a heavy object, or through repetitive stresses—such as sitting in an awkward position with poor spinal posture for an extended period of time. These types of injury cause physical and chemical changes within the tissues that can cause inflammation, pain, and diminished function.

Dr. Brian Mather and his staff often treat these conditions through spinal manipulation, also called “chiropractic adjustment.” By applying a controlled force to joints that have become hypo-mobile (restricted in movement), movement and function can be restored. In addition to increasing mobility and function, spinal manipulation relieves back pain and other health concerns and can reduce muscle spasm.

At Spokane Chiropractic & Sports Injury Clinic, we offer several methods and styles of spinal manipulation to address patients’ differing needs.

Diversified technique is the most commonly used adjustment technique by our doctors. Like many chiropractic manipulative techniques, Diversified is characterized by a high velocity low amplitude thrust. Diversified is differentiated from other techniques in that its objective is to restore proper movement and alignment of spine and joint dysfunction. The diversified technique remains the principal system taught at a majority of chiropractic colleges.

Drop piece technique is a style of manipulation that utilizes a specially designed table to perform the adjustment. A section of the table slightly elevates to hold the area to be adjusted in an elevated position until a light thrust is applied. This often can be an alternative to diversified technique, and can be slightly gentler for the patient.

Instrument adjusting uses an instrument instead of manual adjustments to give consistent mechanical low-force, high speed clicks to the body. This is a good alternative, when gentler adjustments are required or requested.

Cox®Technic Flexion Distraction and Decompression Spinal Manipulation is a patient-focused technique in which the doctor uses specific, hands-on contact while the patient lies prone on the instrument. The chiropractor is able to treat many types of back pain and other issues by focusing on one vertebral motion segment at a time. This reduces pressure in the discs, allowing them to shrink and apply less pressure on the affected nerves. This chiropractic technique is used in the treatment of herniated discs, spinal stenosis, sciatica, arm pain, neck pain, degenerative arthritis, and many other conditions.

The doctors at Spokane Chiropractic & Sports Injury clinic are all trained in extremity adjusting. This is simply manipulating restricted joints in an extremity. Ankles, hips, wrists and shoulders to name a few. Your doctor will determine the best method in treating these areas when indicated.

Posture Stabilization is a series of adjustments, and rehabilitative exercises given to help restore normal postures. This often is a key component to long lasting results.

Motion Palpation is a technique used to determine where the spine needs to be adjusted. The doctor will manually apply motion to the joints to determine what is mobile an what is restricted. This functional approach is critical in assessing where the patients primary joint issues reside. This often gives us the information needed to avoid taking unnecessary x-rays of our patients.

A variety of soft tissue techniques go beyond manipulating the spine in order to provide relief and healing for more than just back pain. Adjustments do their part in restoring function, but soft tissue work is often a vital component in supporting and promoting long-term healing, as well as strength and endurance. By making soft tissue work a part of a patient’s treatment plan, we can speed the healing process and significantly increase the duration of the positive results. At Spokane Chiropractic and Sports Injury Clinic, we combine the methods and techniques that will be most beneficial for each individual patient.

Massage is used in a variety of situations in order to improve mobility, relieve pain, and support rehabilitation. There are a number of techniques that can be used, and the professionals of Spokane Chiropractic and Sports Injury Clinic employ those that are targeted to a patient’s specific needs and treatment plan.

The Kinesio Taping® Method is a technique that we use to help patients facilitate their bodies’ own natural healing processes. Without restricting range of motion, taping provides support and stability to injured muscles and joints. Used for orthopedic, neuromuscular, neurological, and other medical conditions, The Kinesio® Taping Method alleviates pain, reduces inflammation, and extends the benefits of chiropractic and massage.

Professionals at Spokane Chiropractic and Sports Injury Clinic utilize this soft tissue technique for patients who will benefit from its patented treatment method. It can quickly and completely resolve various conditions by using movement and massage to rehabilitate overused muscles and other soft tissues. Some of the conditions ART® is most effective for include headaches, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, shin splints, shoulder pain, sciatica, plantar fasciitis, knee pain, and tennis elbow.

The Graston Technique utilizes a series of stainless steel instruments that are used to detect and treat soft tissue that is inflamed or made up of scar tissue. These specially designed instruments allow the clinician to locate injured tissue, as well as to treat them specifically and effectively.

By introducing sustained pressure to myofasial restrictions, this technique relieves pain and restores a patient’s mobility. Whether from poor posture, injury, or other contributing factors, the fascial system of the body becomes compromised, leading to back pain and a decreased range of motion. Spokane Chiropractic and Sports Injury Clinic uses this technique to restore the system and improve patients’ ability to withstand a variety of stressors and strains.

Irritable points in skeletal muscle can cause a variety of discomforts, but at that point and in other areas of the body. Trigger point therapy allows patients to find relief as doctors locate and treat the irritation, which may present as a module or band in the muscle. Trigger points can cause pain and can even activate other trigger points, called satellites, along neural pathway. Treating the key trigger point can resolve discomfort cause by it and its satellites.

The final phase of care within Spokane Chiropractic and Sports Injury Clinic involves more intensive training. At this point, the muscles and joints are rehabilitated to their optimal levels of strength and endurance. Prevention of recurrence of symptoms or injury is the ultimate objective in the care received at Spokane Chiropractic and Sports Injury Clinic, and rehabilitation plays an important role in meeting this goal.

With years of clinical experience, continuing education, and communication with patients, Dr. Mather has developed a uniquely effective approach to chiropractic. 

Neuromuscular Rehabilitation Training using Functional Activation and Stability Training combines a number of chiropractic and rehabilitation techniques in order to address links within the body that contribute to pain. Functional screening tests allow us to determine which areas of the body are inhibited so that we can retrain them. The result is stabilization of the injured area, which allow for faster healing and longer-lasting results.

As a part of treatment, many patients benefit from the use of spinal stabilization exercises. In addition to treating through adjustments and soft tissue work, we help patients engage in a variety of exercises that support these approaches. By engaging in these exercises, patients are able to lengthen the outcome of their treatment.

At Spokane Chiropractic and Sports Injury Clinic, we educate our patients on how to use a variety of stretches and other exercises to improve the positive effects of their treatment. In addition, learning these skills decreases the likelihood of re-injury.

A thorough understanding of the human body allows our professionals to understand what each patient needs in regards to his or her own treatment and recovery. Certain dietary supplements may be recommended as a method for encouraging successful healing and ongoing health.

At Spokane Chiropractic and Sports Injury Clinic, we believe in giving our patients hope, and one of the biggest hopes is for relief from pain. In addition to possible long-term goals for rehabilitation, we are also able to offer patients pain relief in various forms. We focus on topical and analgesic forms of pain management, rather than medications that affect the entire system.

In an effort to speed healing, lengthen results, and prevent re-injury, Spokane Chiropractic and Sports Injury Clinic goes beyond in-office treatments. Instead, we are prepared to offer advice and suggestions on lifestyle changes that can make an impact in the ongoing physical performance of our patients. One approach to this is to offer ergonomic assessments of a patient’s home or work environment so that he or she can determine what factors can be implemented to support optimal function. 

Because the body is a system, one aspect of its function is dependent upon others. Dr. Brian Mather and the staff at Spokane Chiropractic and Sports Injury Clinic work with patients to implement healthy nutritional choices that can continue to improve overall health and improve physical performance while supporting their chiropractic and soft tissue treatment plans.

We offer many products that help our patients not only get better, but stay better. Prevention of recurrence of symptoms or injury is the ultimate objective in the care received at Spokane Chiropractic & Sports Injury Clinic. Some of the products we sell to help accomplish this goal include:

  1. ALINE Insoles: The World’s Most Advanced foot activation system. The ALINE system is the only insole that lets your body perform at its optimum level, reducing wear and tear on your body for years to come.
  2. Gym Ball: Inflatable balls used to strengthen muscles to improve core strength, posture and help prevent back pain.
  3. Resistance Bands: Bands to help improve flexibility, range of motion and strength through specific exercises given by your doctor.
  4. Chiro-Ice Packs: Our packs can be used for either hot or cold therapy.
  5. Foam Rollers: For all our therapeutic exercises, core strength, stability and postural alignment.
  6. Biofreeze: Provides temporary relief from minor aches and pains of sore muscles and joints associated with simple backache, arthritis, bruises, strains and sprains.
  7. Braces: Back, knee elbow and rib straps and braces can provide temporary stability and pain relief during an acute phase of care.