A new treatment for tendonitis that's been getting a lot of buzz lately is actually thousands of years old.
It's known by many names: "scraping", Graston Technique, ASYM, or Gua Sha. Gua Sha is a Traditional Chinese Medicine massage technique that has been regularly practiced by acupuncturists for thousands of years. This technique has been recently "rediscovered" and championed by the sports community as a valuable pain relief technique. Whatever the name, the technique entails rubbing a metal or plastic tool with a blunt edge over the skin causing some redness and an increase in blood flow to the tissues. The theory behind the treatment is that the scraping breaks up scar tissue, improves blood flow, increases range of motion, and decreases pain. The pain relief can be instantaneous but depending on the severity of the condition and the length of time with the condition you may need a few sessions. Conditions that can be treated with Gua Sha:
Golfers Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis)
Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)
Carpal Tunnel
Runners Knee
Hamstring Tendonitis
Achilles Tendonitis
Plantar Fasciitis
Gua Sha, combined with acupuncture, chiropractic, and rehab exercise has been my go to recipe for success in treating some stubborn conditions in my clinic since 2005. If you know someone suffering from tendonitis have them call me.
Motion is the Lotion!
Dr. Brian Gordon DC LAc
Active Care Spine Center | Encino CA
(818) 386-8835
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