Recent estimates suggest only 15 percent of the population has experienced chiropractic care. Who are the 85 percent who haven't? Most likely, they are people suffering from neuromusculoskeletal ailments, disabilities and/or postsurgical pain that have become chronic. They are our men and women in uniform who need chiropractic because of the physical demands of their jobs, or because they have suffered injuries and now have disabilities that limit their lives and livelihoods. They are people of all ages with headaches, sport injuries, car-accident or work injuries. Several years ago, carpal tunnel syndrome and other repetitive-motion injuries replaced back pain as the No. 1 cause of industrial injury - and yet the 85 percent still don't know chiropractors work on more than just the back.
So, what is the common denominator for the 85 percent? These people don't know what we do and don't know how effective we can be at treating their health issues. Instead, they suffer and may fall victim to chronic use of prescription painkillers that damage their organs and joints. In short, they are needlessly suffering from lack of knowledge. All they know are the myths and misconceptions about our profession.
Targeting Tight Tissue
For those of us who have integrated a fair amount of soft-tissue work into our practices and whose main emphasis is injury rehab, there is some good news for you. What if you could treat more patients – the 85 percent – in a way that yielded faster results with less pain; and in some cases, dramatically reduced or eliminated embedded fibrosis and scar tissue that often causes pain and limits patients' ability to move and heal? Do you think the word would spread faster? Do you think you could reach a wider audience in your practice? Do you think chiropractic could start to address the needs of the 85 percent who are suffering? Talk about new patients: the 85 percent are the ultimate new patients – the ones we are attracting to our offices based on our effectiveness.
Imagine a way to treat scar tissue by instantly disrupting its structure and thereby releasing the tissues it encapsulates, whether it be nerves, muscles, ligaments, tendons or circulation; while preserving the integrity of the tissue. That's targeted high-speed vibration therapy or THSV.
THSV therapy relies upon the scientific fact that scar tissue is much more brittle than normal muscle and other soft tissues; and that these brittle fibers break apart when the right frequency hits it. The mechanical wave produced – like the wave formed from a drop of water hitting a still pond – is specifically calibrated to disrupt excess scar tissue or fibrosis.
Need another example? Like the opera singer who can hit the exact sustained note to shatter a wine glass, THSV therapy creates a wave form that propagates through tissues and selectively pulverizes brittle fibrosis or excess scar tissue that forms from repetitive-motion injuries, trauma from auto or work injuries, and even the scar tissue left behind from surgical procedures.
Applying targeted high-speed compression waves directly to muscles and tendons at a frequency that matches or resonates with scar tissue adhesions1 effectively breaks up the scar tissue, without harmful effects to the surrounding tissues. In addition, it stimulates the muscle spindles, causing a reflex release of muscle tension referred to as the tonic vibration reflex or TVR.2
THSV's ability to change the tissues means it can swiftly reduce trigger points in muscles, and leave the muscle more supple and flexible afterward. By decreasing the muscle tension, the circulation is increased in the muscle – meaning increased oxygen delivery, which is required to release muscle contractions. It is biochemically impossible to unlock actin and myosin linkages in a muscle contraction without sufficient oxygen. Increasing the oxygen allows the muscle contractions to unlock and melt away.
What's more, pain is drastically reduced or eliminated. Studies suggest treating the best pain-reducing sites yields the best results for pain relief. These sites are the areas of pain: the affected muscle or tendon, the antagonistic muscle or a trigger point outside the painful area.3 THSV is so effective that another study suggests it can even relive phantom-limb pain by treating the affected area or the antagonist muscle.4
The really fascinating part is that the excess nerve endings which form around and are often trapped inside scar tissue are reduced or eliminated once the scar tissue is released. Using the concept of neuroplasticity to explain this phenomenon, we are demonstrating that chronic pain syndromes which may be recalcitrant to other types of treatments are treatable. And the areas can be pain free in a relatively short time. As a bonus, these types of treatments are much more comfortable for the patients than many other scar-tissue-removal approaches.
I've had patients with painful knees for years after knee replacement surgery experience full range of motion and no pain after only four treatments. I've had a patient with failed back surgery get just two THSV treatments, combined with chiropractic adjustments – and not only were they pain free, but their range of motion, strength and flexibility so vastly improved that they were able to play golf at their highest levels. I've even seen dramatic results with hyperkyphosis and scoliosis, with curves drastically reduced or normalized after completing a specific treatment plan.
In patients with TMJ pain / problems or temporomandibular dysfunction, I've seen dramatic reductions in pain and muscle tension by treating the muscles surrounding the TMJ (masseter, temporalis, other facial muscles) with THSV. This effect is supported by research showing THSV is effective when applied to the skin outside the joint, causing vibratory analgesia; but only if the vibration is high enough frequency.5
How long does it take to remove the scar tissue? In my experience, it truly varies depending on the amount and thickness of the fibrosis. For those superficial areas found just under the skin, it can be very quick – maybe just a few sessions. For areas that are larger, found deep in muscles, involve a nerve entrapment, or where muscles are actually spot welded to other muscles, it takes concerted effort. Even so, it's the easiest way I've found to address those complicated situations – and with less stress to the patient and to the doctor.
What's more, if you have patients with static listings – fixations that are always the same, no matter how many times you adjust them – this may be exactly what you have been looking for to treat them. I have seen and personally experienced that those fixated vertebrae or static listings are the result of complete encapsulation of the area by scar tissue. Removing the scar tissue while preserving all the other structures is what THSV does better than any other method I've witnessed – and I've been focusing on scar-tissue removal for 17 of my 20 years of practice. Most docs can't spend the time it takes to resolve connective-tissue problems because it involves too much labor and isn't cost-effective from a time-management perspective.
Moving Beyond the Single-Modality Mindset
In my opinion, THSV makes your chiropractic adjusting more effective and easier for your patients and for you, the doctor. This is how we, as a profession, can rise way up and help the vast majority of our population with soft-tissue disorders change their mindset to think "chiropractor" when they are in pain. I can only say that if you haven't tried this in your practice, you owe it to yourself and your patients to try it. It's time to move beyond the typical single-modality mindset. It's time to appeal to the 85 percent.
References
Continuing to impress the advertising and marketing world, The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (F4CP) has again been recognized by industry organizations for its excellence in educating consumers on the benefits of chiropractic, this time through social media, newsletters, and demonstrating thought leadership by promoting holistic well-being.
Dr. Louis Sportelli received the Lee-Homewood Chiropractic Heritage Award during the annual conference of the Association for the History of Chiropractic (AHC). During his nearly 60-year career, Dr. Sportelli has embodied the spirit of the award, given to “living individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the chiropractic profession.”
Presently there is no consensus on the best treatment for Achilles tendon rupture; and its management is still controversial. The treatment options are conservative treatment and surgical repair. With either treatment, be it conservative or surgical, Achilles tendon tears necessitate prolonged recovery and rehabilitative management.
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