The doctors at Damrow Chiropractic Office use a combination of techniques taught at Palmer College of Chiropractic, with a special emphasis on soft tissue- the muscles, ligaments, tendons, and fascia. It is our philosophy that my addressing the muscles, ligaments, and tendons that it enhances the adjustments and leads to better outcomes. Our specific techniques include:
Thompson Technique: this is a method of adjusting using the terminal drop table that is based on balancing the lumbopelvic and cervical spine. This is a lower force technique where the drop table absorbs much of the force of the manipulation, minimizing discomfort.
Palmer Diversified: This technique is familiar to many chiropractic patients where a specific segment is adjusted and an audible cavitation or “pop” is heard. The lumbar spine is adjusted while the patient is lying on their side, and the cervical and thoracic spine is adjusted with the patient laying on their back. For those patients who are not comfortable with this type of adjustment, this technique is avoided.
Graston: Currently Dr. Damrow and Dr. Byrnes-Pierce are the only providers in all of Rock County who are certified in the Graston Technique. This is a soft tissue mobilization technique that utilized instruments made of a specific body part. This is highly effective for conditions such as sprains/strains, plantar fasciitis, tendinosis, frozen shoulder, and tennis/golfer’s elbow, to name a few. For more information, please visit www.grastontechnique.com.
Extremities: The doctors at Damrow Chiropractic Office are trained in extremity adjusting- shoulders, wrists, hands, hips, knees, ankles and feet. This can be very effective for many conditions including carpal tunnel syndrome, thoracic outlet syndrome, knee, ankle, and foot pain. This is often done in conjunction with the Graston technique mentioned above.
Nimmo/Receptor Tonus technique: This is the other soft-tissue related technique that has been utilized at our office for over 50 years. Manual pressure is applied to “trigger points” in the muscle- areas of build up of lactic acid and other by-products of muscle contraction that accumulates when a muscle is stressed or over-worked. Almost all patients at Damrow Chiropractic Office receive some form of this technique in the course of their treatment.
Activator: This technique utilizes a hand held adjusting tool that is spring loaded and delivers a precise adjustment. It can be used on both the spine and extremities and is preferred by those patients who do not care to hear a “popping” sound when adjusted.
Traction/Decompression: At Damrow Chiropractic Office we utilize the Triton DTS traction method for decompression of the lumbar spine as well as the cervical spine. This can be effective for some conditions involving the disc where nerve root impingement is causing radiating pain into the legs or arms. This is done in conjunction with adjustments and soft tissue work for maximum results.
Evidence-Based adjusting: Dr. John’s adjusting skills come from a blend of multiple sources of education, however primarily from the Motion Palpation Institute. He uses evidence-backed palpation and adjustments to identify where exactly the joints are restricted and which adjustment to apply to restore proper motion to the joint blockages.
Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA): Dr. John uses a movement assessment tool to help better understand each individual patient’s body and where exactly they may be limited. Because the body is intricately connected head-to-toe, often times a limitation away from the site of pain may be explanation to what caused the onset of your pain.
The McKenzie Method of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy: Another movement assessment, this tool allows Dr. John to identify a potential “directional preference” for your pain and can lead to wildly fast relief of symptoms.
Neurodynamic Solutions: Dr. John has studied and taken coursework to better understand the relationship between the nerves and their surrounding environments throughout the body. By assessing the nerves specifically, Dr. John has another tool to determine exactly what your individual care plan should look like.
Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization: When we free the body of these joint restrictions and movement limitations, our job is now to train the body how to properly stabilize so it can use its new range of motion efficiently and effectively. Without learning how to stabilize, you may be left susceptible for reaggravation of symptoms.