Why You Need to See a Chiropractor in Gresham, OR Soft Tissue

When diagnosed with any type of soft tissue injury, it’s a good idea to schedule a checkup with a chiropractor in Gresham, OR. It doesn't matter whether you have back pain or not; if your spine is misaligned, the scar tissue from healing can eventually cause problems because soft tissue injuries create scar tissue as they heal. When a person's spine is misaligned, the scar tissue inhibits normal functioning and leads to spinal degeneration in some patients. Scar tissue can also cause these problems if the patient's full range of motion wasn't restored before the soft tissue injury healed.

What Are Soft Tissue Injuries?

A soft tissue injury is damage caused to the muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Soft tissue injuries can result from car accidents, sprains, strains, and overuse of a part of the body. Sudden movements like accidentally stepping awkwardly and rolling your ankle can cause soft tissue injuries. If you have sustained a soft tissue injury to your back, neck, or shoulder, you should see a chiropractor to ensure it heals correctly and that your spine is in alignment.

No More Pain Doesn't Mean You've Healed

A common mistake people make when they have a soft tissue injury is to think they're healed once the pain disappears. You should, however, stay in recovery mode a bit longer even after the pain has disappeared. What the dissipation of pain means in soft tissue injuries is that inflammation has decreased, but the muscles, tendons, or ligaments haven't finished healing. It usually takes a few days up to a week for the pain to disappear. Healing of soft tissue injuries, however, can take four to eight weeks.

How Can a Chiropractor Help Soft Tissue Injuries Heal Correctly?

A chiropractor will guide you through exercises that relax your muscles and increase joint mobility. Your range of motion will be protected, so that the tissues heal correctly. Remember that impaired range of motion interferes with the healing process, so it needs to be addressed during treatment. Chiropractors have insight into improving joint mobility that other health care providers don't have. Because they specialize in chiropractic care, they are better equipped to detect spinal misalignment and improve joint mobility.

Soft tissue injuries can occur when you sprain your back lifting a box the wrong way at work, get into a car accident, or receive any other type of trauma. The ways in which soft tissue injuries occur are endless. Unfortunately, many people don't take soft tissue injuries like sprains and strains seriously unless it's severe. If the body doesn't heal properly as a result of not taking it seriously, you could end up with arthritis, spinal degeneration, or chronic pain months or years later. Therefore, it's important to see a chiropractor when you have a soft tissue injury to ensure it heals correctly.

Sources
How Soft Tissue Injuries Cause Neck Strain, spine-health.com
The Healing of Injured Soft Tissues, chiro-trust.org
Sprains - Strains - Soft Tissue Injuries, spineuniverse.com

Dr. Darren Faherty D.C.

In 2004, Dr. Darren Faherty graduated with a Bachelors of Science degree in Biology from UWEC - University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. Dr. Darren continued education at the highly esteemed University of Western States (formerly Western States Chiropractic College) where he obtained his chiropractic degree in 2007. He has been helping people recover from injuries and return to their normal lifestyles ever since.