Questions
Q: What exactly does your clinic do?
A: We offer Integrative Therapy, Myoskeletal Alignment, Medical Manual Therapy, Therapeutic Massage and Postural Distortion and Pain Analysis for chronic pain and injury. These therapies also help with Sports Injury treatment, post-op and pre-op surgery allowing the fascia and muscles to lengthen and soften so that when incisions are made, scarring is minimal after surgery.
We have Sports Integrative Therapists and Massage Therapists that are licensed and certified in their specialties to accommodate any person’s treatment goals. Please see our Therapy Services page for more information on the types of therapies we offer.
Q: How often should I get an Integrative Therapy session?
A: Once you have come in for your initial evaluation, the Therapist will go over with you the treatment plan. It’s always up to you how often you come in for sessions, but initially it is recommended to come in at least twice per week for 4 weeks. Then we will reevaluate your Postural progress and decide how often treatment should be received thereafter. Depending on your situation it could stay at twice per week for a few more weeks.
Q: How often should I get Therapeutic Massage session?
A: That usually depends on you! However, we recommend a maintenance program of at least once per month after chronic injuries, postural and structural issues and pain has been addressed. Then, we will reevaluate your postural and structural progress and decide then how often treatment should be received.
If you have chronic injuries that have been bugging you for more than 6 months, we recommend once or twice per week, usually for six weeks getting those issues under control. We will always speak with you about your treatment goals and suggest the best plan of action based on your individual needs.
Once that takes place, you can always get them for maintenance once or twice a month, or as needed for pain and rehabilitation. Regular treatment is a preventative measure against injury and has been shown to reduce the risk of injury! Overall, we always recommend what YOU think you need. Only YOU use your body every day. Once you've had two or three, you'll begin to notice the needs of your body more and more, and be able to say, "Yeah, it's time for another treatment...." Always keep in mind that one of the benefits of Therapeutic Massage and Integrative Therapy is stress relief, and stress is the number one cause of illness!
We will always speak with you about your treatment goals and suggest the best plan of action based on your individual needs.
Q: What ages benefit most from the Integrative Therapy, Medical Manual Therapy and Therapeutic Massage?
A: These therapies benefit everyone from infants to the elderly. It provides an organized, logical approach to sensory stimulation, which is important for infants because part of their growth is learning to sort and organize sensory stimulation.
Treatment in children is helpful because as children grow the long bones grow more rapidly than the muscles and connective tissues, causing increased pain in the areas of the joints. It also helps lengthen and stretch the muscles and connective tissue providing relief to these areas. Treatment of the elderly is beneficial for a number of reasons including: increased flexibility and elasticity of the joints and connective tissue, helping regulate circulation and blood pressure, decreasing the feeling of depression, and increasing neurologic function through touch and listening.
Q: What is Integrative Therapy?
A: Our Integrative Therapists are trained and certified in Integrative Therapy, Myoskeletal Alignment, Postural Distortion and Pain Analysis and Medical Manual Therapy for chronic pain and injury due to postural distortion and numerous other joint and soft tissue injuries. The specialist measures various structures of the body to evaluate for postural distortions and biomechanical dysfunction. This analysis points to the cause of pain. Examining the soft tissue helps determine what one (or more) of five factors are responsible for the pain: Ischemia, Trigger Points, Nerve Compression or Entrapment, Postural Distortion, and Biomechanical Dysfunction.
- Ischemia is a lack of blood supply to soft tissues, causing muscle pain and discomfort.
- Trigger Points produce pain/discomfort in areas of the body other from where treatment work is being done. For example, when palpating the shoulder, pain is felt down the arm.
- Nerve Compression or Entrapment is pressure on a nerve by bone, cartilage or soft tissue. As the tightness increases, discomfort, pain, numbness, etc. can be experienced.
- Postural Distortion is an imbalance of the muscular system resulting from movement of the body off the coronal, mid-sagittal and horizontal plane. Trauma, gravitational pressure or psychological patterning causes the soft tissues to assume a weight-bearing function and thus become thicker, denser and harder resulting in muscle contraction, body distortion and pain.
- Biomechanical Dysfunction is an imbalance of the musculoskeletal system resulting in faulty movement patterns. Repetitive strain of certain soft tissues results in adapted movement patterns that become muscular “habits” and must be re-educated to function properly.
Once the evaluation is complete, the specialist will use rehabilitation techniques designed to produce the most efficient and long-lasting results for the problem(s) presented. Some of the goals for this rehabilitation are:
- Locate and eliminate spasms, hyper-contraction and trigger points from the soft tissues;
- Restore postural alignment, proper biomechanics or movement patterns;
- Restore flexibility and increase blood flow to the tissues;
- Rebuild strength of the injured, weak, and/or atrophied tissues;
- Build endurance of the tissues for permanent results.
Q: What will the first Postural Distortion and Pain Analysis be like?
A:Postural Distortion and Pain Analysis session begins with an evaluation of the structure, form and function of the body wherein patients are taught how postural distortion and dysfunctional movement patterns impact the body’s health and vitality. Once the evaluation is complete, the specialist will use rehabilitation techniques designed to produce the most efficient and long-lasting results for the problem(s) presented. Some of the goals for this rehabilitation are:
- Locate and eliminate spasms, hyper-contraction and trigger points from the soft tissues;
- Restore postural alignment, proper biomechanics or movement patterns;
- Restore flexibility and increase blood flow to the tissues;
- Rebuild strength of the injured, weak, and/or atrophied tissues;
- Build endurance of the tissues for permanent results.
Q: What will my first session be like?
A: You always want to be about 10-15 minutes early to your first treatment.
Why? Because you will be asked to fill out some paperwork with some personal information, the type of work you do, a brief health history, and finally a consent form.
Your very first treatment is often a little longer than the ones after that, because your therapist will go over your health history information with you to address trouble spots quickly. Your first treatment will involve more assessment and evaluation than subsequent ones. This allows us to correctly identify your source of pain and develop an individual plan to guide the focus of your therapy.
If you are receiving Integrative Therapy or Medical Manual Therapy, the specialist will instruct you to change into your gym shorts and tank/halter top after they leave the room. If you are receiving a Therapeutic Massage, they will ask you to undress to your level of comfort and get onto the table under the top sheet. You will always be draped by the linens appropriately. Once the time is finished, they will leave the room and allow you to get dressed and come out of the room. They will usually offer you different stretches and other "self-care" ideas that will help you adjust to the effects of the treatment until your next appointment!
Q: Will the treatment hurt?
A: It should first be said that healthy tissue doesn't hurt when touched. Tenderness that is felt when pressure is applied to muscles is an indication that therapeutic attention is needed. We are typically good interpreters of your body language and engage a level of pressure that feels appropriate and affects a response from the tissue. Too much pressure can be counterproductive as your body will resist and elicit a protective response. In all cases, you are in charge of the amount of pressure used. We believe that you are the ultimate sensor as to what feels right for you, and we can easily adjust the pressure per your request. Occasionally after an Integrative Therapy, Medical Manual Therapy or Therapeutic Massage session, people will report feeling some minor soreness or stiffness the next day. They usually describe the sensation as how someone might feel after a good workout. Tenderness can show up 24–48 hours after treatment. It is usually short-lived (48 hours usually) and patients often report significant improvement in their condition shortly thereafter. Drinking plenty of water after the treatment and applying moist heat in a towel, on the area, can help reduce post-therapy soreness.
Q: I got my treatment yesterday, why do I hurt now?
A: When you first shovel snow, begin running for that marathon, rake the yard, paint the house you have pain, right? This pain or 'soreness' comes from muscles being used, perhaps for the first time in a long time, and a buildup of toxins in the belly of the muscles. Integrative Therapy, Medical Manual Therapy and Therapeutic Massage all open up the muscles, releasing the toxins into the circulatory system. In order to reduce this soreness the therapist may show you a number of stretches or other exercises to do to keep those muscles open. Drinking water increases the fluid in your circulatory system, and provides those muscles with the fluid they need to flush out the excess toxins. With regular treatments, drinking water, and stretching, you'll be sure to reduce the effects of "the day after!"
Q: Why do you ask so many health history questions?
A: Because we need to know about your past, present, and even goals for the future. Each patient we have has a special goal in mind; injury rehabilitation, reduce pain, train for the big event, or chronic problems they want to go away. The best way to assess what your needs and goals are is to have a complete picture of your health history. This allows us to inform you of any risks involved in your treatments as well as address specific concerns you may have. If you want to get BETTER, then come to us!
Q: Does my treatment have to be full body?
A: No. In fact, in most cases we deal with specific muscles for a specific outcome. We offer the maintenance programs utilizing Therapeutic Massage, and, in fact, most of our patients begin getting full body sessions usually within three or four sessions. Once chronic issues have been dealt with, it’s best to move on to full body sessions to help maintain postural alignment, proper biomechanics and body movement patterns.
Q: Do you accept / take my medical insurance?
A: We accept auto accident and Personal Injury insurance. We will gather information pertaining to your accident and submit claims to the insurance company. In the future we will have more options for accepting insurance, so please ask us!