A Frisco chiropractor may receive hundreds of visits each year from people seeking relief of pain. Because chiropractic manipulations can take several forms choosing the right Frisco chiropractor for your needs can be a challenge.

Step #1: Ask for a referral.
The best place to start your search is with your primary care physician or local spine specialist. Ask them to name a Frisco chiropractor that they recommend for your condition. However, be careful and don’t stop your research here, what they think is a good chiropractor is limited to their experience and the information that they have received from others.

Step #2: Look for education and specialty.
As in all service professions, education is of primary importance. A chiropractic doctorate (D.C.) is a four year degree program after receiving an undergraduate bachelor’s degree in science. You want to find a Doctor of Chiropractic that has continued their education. Many a Frisco chiropractor has pursued specialty degrees in orthopedics, sports medicine, rehabilitation, neurology, nutrition or other areas of specialty.

As in another professions Board Certification is an indication that the chiropractor has continued to stay on top of the information and techniques that are at the cutting edge of the chiropractic profession. You can find a list of those chiropractors that have been Board Certified as well as have been recognized as the best of their profession on several Internet sites. You can also check to see if there has been any disciplinary action taken against a chiropractor at the Texas Board of  Chiropractic Examiners, which can be found at your states website.

Ask your potential chiropractor some questions about their education and training:

• What chiropractic school did you graduate from?
• What is your undergraduate degree in and from what university?
• How many years have you been practicing?
• Have you done any post-graduate work?
• Are you board certified?
• What is your specialty?

Step #3:
Research technique. There are a variety of methods used in the chiropractic profession to achieve pain relief. Some will only use their hands, other use instruments, some use “deep and strong” methods of manipulation, while others use a “soft touch”. These are both doctor and patience preferences, so it is important to ask questions before you making a choice.

• What techniques does you use and why?
• How much experience do they have and where did he or she get their training?
• Is the he or she Board Certified in their area of specialty and your area of need?

Cautions: Watch out for one who claims to be “the only chiropractor to offer this new special technique”, or can cure cancer, diabetes or other long term conditions, or recommends a long-term treatment plan of multiple treatments per week for an extended period of time.

Step #4: Use the Internet.
The Internet is a tremendous resource to get you up to speed on your condition. Find out the latest treatments for your condition, find out the details of what is going on in your body, understand the terminology used so the you can ask pertinent questions as well as understand what you are being told.

Research your potential Frisco chiropractor. Find out what other people are saying about them. Find out if they write papers, articles or books on their area of specialty. Find out if they are sought out by their peers as a speaker or educator. Find out if they have been recognized by the media and their peers as the best in their profession. The Internet gives you the opportunity to make an informed decision; do use it.

With Active Release Techniques® our Frisco chiropractic center can quickly diagnose and treat the result of sports trauma and the underlying causes of pain from repetitive stress injury. Many of our patients have immediate improvement on their first visit and complete recovery within 4-9 visits depending upon the injury and its severity. It is particularly valuable for athletes who can return to top performance quickly.

Different Injuries – Same Cause

These seemingly different types of injury – “sports trauma” and “overuse injury” – are actually quite similar in that the pain, stiffness and lack of flexibility has the same source – our bodies’ healing responses to injury.

Adhesions Are Fibrous Scars

When damaged, tendons, muscles and ligaments are repaired by the body’s adding fibrous tissue to them and around them – scar tissue. Less flexible than the original muscle and more sensitive to pain, the scar tissue is meant to be laid down along the length of muscles to isolate and strengthen them. Sometimes the tissue is laid down irregularly – across the muscle width or even is attached to nearby structures and other muscles. These “adhesions” can result in pain, loss of flexibility and diminished strength.

Active Release Techniques are designed to lengthen muscles, separate them, and eliminate adhesions caused by improper scarring. Range of motion is thereby increased, flexibility and muscle strength improved, and inflammation and pain reduced.

Combining Diagnosis With “Manual” Treatment

Each Active Release session that we provide at our Frisco chiropractic center combines examination of the injury and a treatment specific to that area. ART is a “manual” process; we use our hands to evaluate tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves for tightness and range of movement, even the texture of muscles is noted. Abnormal tissue is treated by applying specific, directed tension to muscles while the patient performs slow, full-range movements – the “active” part of Active Release. In this way adhesions are stretched and broken away from their improper placement, muscles then move smoothly over one another.

Because Active Release Techniques are very focused on individual structures they are similar to aggressive exercise in that the treatment can initially be uncomfortable. After ART sessions we usually provide ultrasound treatment of the affected area to reduce inflammation and promote healing.

Active Release Techniques® Is For Everyone

Active Release Techniques can benefit anyone. From injuries in the heat of competition to slowly accumulating aches, pains and tingling years in the making, Active Release Technique is a fast, non-invasive and effective healing approach for many soft tissue injuries.

- Dr. Grant Stowell, DC
Wellness Care Chiropractic Frisco TX