Peripheral Nerve Entrapment
There are many areas in the body where nerves have to pass through or in between adjacent structures. Since muscles are always expanding and contracting to allow movement, the nerves utilize slippery sheaths to guide them though these muscles. When damage occurs to these nerves and protective sheaths, scar tissue is laid down to repair the damage causing the muscles to adhere to the nerve like an area of glue. This area of glue is called an adhesion and often causes numbness, tingling, pain and weakness. This type of restriction can impact the function of many parts of the body, from the muscles that move you, to how your organs and tissues function.
An area of adhesion and nerve entrapment is often exacerbated by certain movements and repetitive motions. Repetitive motion of soft-tissues or chronic contraction of a damaged muscle can lead to a worsening of an injury, thus forming more adhesion (scar tissue). Repetitive motion injuries and cumulative trauma disorders could develop over moths, years or, even, decades before the first symptom is ever experienced! As the condition progresses, the adhesion or “area of glue” between soft tissues can grow in spaces between the tissues forcing them to become “stuck” to one another. When this happens near or around nerves, it can cause a peripheral entrapment and pinch the nerve between or around the soft tissues.
The good news is that with proper diagnosis and treatment from an expert muscular adhesion and soft tissue injuries are reversible.
Adhesion can not be broken down by foam rolling or massage. There are two main methods of achieving this goal:
1. Manually - Dr. uses hands using a manual therapy (myofascial release) technique.
2. Instruments Dr. uses an instrument to assistant manual therapy (myofascial release) technique.
The key to breaking down adhesion in a muscle is finding it. This may seem very obvious but adhesion is very common and finding the relevant adhesion takes years of training. Once the proper diagnosis is made, treatment can begin. The manual therapy techniques we use in our office take advantage of the different attachment points of muscles to achieve maximum tension on the adhesion. These techniques are non-invasive and done exclusively through a skilled doctor’s hands. Once the adhesion is broken down over a series of visits, the muscles can function normally again. They can lengthen and contract with the appropriate force to allow for normal joint motion resulting in less pain for you.
If you have pain or stiffness, get the proper diagnosis first by calling our office for a consultation at 616-956-1112 or request an appointment by pressing here
Peripheral Nerve Entrapment