Soft Tissue Injuries And Treatment

What is soft tissue? 
Soft tissue is anything other than bone.  It includes muscle, tendon, ligaments, nerves, skin and the organs of the body.  Our focus is on the soft tissues other than the organs, that is muscle, tendons, ligaments, and connective tissue.

What is soft tissue mobilization?
Soft tissue mobilization is a manual method of treatment.  The thumbs, fingers, hands and elbows of the provider may be used to apply pressure to the various muscles.  This often occurs with the patient actively involved in some form of motion.  The amount of pressure that is provided varies with the diagnosis, age of the patient, overall health of the patient, and consideration of the patient’s goals and the provider’s goals.  The method of treatment performed at the Soft Tissue Center addresses all the soft tissues surrounding the involved joint or region. 

How soon can soft tissue mobilization be performed after an injury?
Soft tissue mobilization can usually be performed immediately after an injury.  The acute nature of the injury is taken into consideration and the treatment is modified accordingly.  This usually means that very light pressure is used.  By addressing the soft tissues very carefully and with motion, we typically find that patients recover faster than those who delay in seeking care.  There are certain injuries that require an intentional delay in providing treatment and these situations will be assessed on a case-by-base basis.

Can soft tissue mobilization help a chronic injury?
There are many types of chronic injuries.  Many chronic injuries have never had a properly delivered soft tissue mobilization approach or plan.  So, a thorough history and examination will usually reveal these cases and a carefully applied soft tissue mobilization plan is often precisely what the patient requires.  This treatment plan may conclude with instruction in exercises to help the injured area become stronger and perhaps more flexible if need be. 

Can soft tissue mobilization help a pain syndrome?
There are many types of pain syndromes.  Gentle soft tissue mobilization can desensitize the soft tissues surrounding a joint or in a region of the body.  Some types of pain syndromes may require co-management with a chronic pain specialist.  These doctors can communicate and coordinate the patient’s treatment plan.   And of course, there are some types of pain syndrome that are resistant to any and all forms of health care. 

Can soft tissue mobilization help me after surgery?
Patients frequently require soft tissue mobilization after surgery to help regain range of motion, reduce muscle spasms and pain.   Soft tissue mobilization is often forgotten as being a source of conservative pain management.  Surgeons often refer their post-operative spines, shoulders, knees, hips and ankles for post-operative soft tissue mobilization. 

Can soft tissue mobilization help me before surgery?
Patient’s have often lost a certain degree of range of motion of the involved region due to months or years of pain.  For example, the neck may have lost rotation, the shoulder may not be able to be raised all the way from avoiding pain.  If  the patient has surgery with the loss of range of motion, it is more difficult to have a great outcome from surgery.  Surgeons will ask us to restore a normal range of motion before the patient has a surgical procedure.  This pre-operative treatment also reduces soft tissue pain that is not referred pain (pain from another sources such as a nerve). 

Can I have soft tissue mobilization if I am also receiving acupuncture treatment or physical therapy?
Many of our patients are also under the care of a health care professional providing either acupuncture or physical therapy.  These forms of treatment can work together very well for the patient. 

How can soft tissue mobilization help a disc herniation?
Patients often ask “How can soft tissue mobilization push a herniated disc back into the disc?”   The answer is it doesn’t.   However, soft tissue mobilization is often used to treat symptomatic disc injuries.  The thorough approach of mobilizing all the muscles around the low back and hips allows the spine to move in a more normal manner and this can reduce the mechanical stress on the disc and thus reduce the patient’s symptoms. 

How can soft tissue mobilization help a rotator cuff injury?
Soft tissue mobilization is very successful in treating rotator cuff strains, tendonitis, partial tears and impingement.  This is achieved by improving the motion of the shoulder through the soft tissues, especially the muscles that pull the shoulder down and rotate the shoulder.  If this is coupled with specific rotator cuff exercises and exercises for the shoulder blade muscles, it is even more effective.  Doctors at the Soft Tissue Center at D.I.S.C. have published research on rotator cuff function. 

Acupuncture And Oriental Medicine

How does acupuncture work?
According to the 1997 National Institute of Health (NIH) Consensus on Acupuncture, "Many studies in animals and humans have demonstrated that acupuncture can cause multiple biological responses. These responses can occur locally, i.e., at or close to the site of application, or at a distance, mediated mainly by sensory neurons to many structures within the central nervous system. This can lead to activation of pathways affecting various physiological systems in the brain as well as in the periphery ." (http://consensus.nih.gov/1997/1997Acupuncture107PDF.pdf)

Do the acupuncture needles cause pain when inserted?
Acupuncture needles are extremely thin (0.16-0.25 mm diameter, or >= 30 gauge) and cause only a slight sensation, if any, when inserted.  In some situations, the acupuncturist may manipulate the inserted needle to stimulate qi flow.  Patients may experience this as a pressure or mild cramping sensation. 

Why are herbs sometimes recommended as part of the treatment?
Herbal therapy is sometimes recommended in conjunction with acupuncture or as a sole modality in the treatment of certain conditions.  Herbal formulas are all natural compounds, administered in the form of capsules or teas, which can optimize the body's state of health as well as increase and lengthen the effects of acupuncture treatments.

Nutrition Consultation

Can nutrition consultation improve sports performance?
Science has shown that the types, timing and amounts of food and fluid an athlete consumes can either help, hinder or harm performance, training and
recovery. Using an expert in nutrition 'levels the field' if your opponent currently employs one, and gives you an advantage if he/she ignores, or underemphasizes,
this aspect of preparation.

How does nutritional consultation differ from simply following the latest diet book or infomercial?
Nutritional consultation is not a 'one-size-fit's-all' plan. Rather, it is a specific approach based on individuals' unique issues, lifestyle, history, routine and situation. Once this background information is acquired, a program is designed that allows the easiest possible compliance to achieve the desired goals in a reasonable time frame.

How do I lose weight if I lost some weight but stopped losing even though I still follow my diet plan?
If you are no longer losing weight, you have either unknowingly strayed from the program or have already achieved the goals of the plan.  That is, the plan you started was for a person who was bigger and is now ideal to maintain the weight you lost.  In order to continue weight reduction, the plan requires adjustment.

Can nutritional changes help me after surgery?
Your doctor has repaired, removed or replaced the problem and this caused tissues to be disturbed or disrupted.  The surgical procedure has placed your body in a position to require healing of these tissues.  Proper nutrition insures the body has what it needs to perform the task of healing.