Chronic pain is a huge problem in today's society. A fairly new technique can ease the pain without pain drugs or surgery. The Graston technique uses stainless steel tools to loosen soft tissue tightness that can cause severe pain all over the body. The Graston technique can be used for plantar fasciitis, a painful swelling of the tissue under the heel. Jamie Howard of Dresher Physical Therapy is one of the few in this area certified in the treatment. She became a believer after nothing helped a nagging muscle injury."It was the only thing that would work out the tightness in my leg," said Jamie. When muscles, tendons, or ligaments are injured, they can heal haphazardly, with random scar tissue forming. The area can be tight, and painful. This non drug, non surgical technique breaks up those fibers and can smooth the tissue underneath. There are different stainless steel tools for different body parts such as one for the back or neck; one for carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis of the thumb.
The Graston technique has become a staple for pro sports trainers. There doesn't seem to be a downside for this technique except the healthcare professional administering it should be using the right tool and be certified or physical therapists Patients usually receive two treatments per week. On average, improvement is noticed after the third or fourth treatment, but therapists recommend 8-12 treatments for best results.
The cost is a little more expensive than a regular physical therapy session, but the Graston sessions are much shorter; each lasting only about 5-to-8 minutes. This sounds like a much better option than ongoing narcotic pain relievers. Perhaps it all boils down to what your insurance would rather pay for pharmaceutical drugs or physical therapy.
See: http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/health&id=6016526
