In addition to chiropractic adjustments, we have a number of options for treatment. Cold Laser, Active Release Technique, "Graston", Kinesiotaping, Running Analysis, and Rehabilitative Exercises are just a few of the tools in our ever-expanding toolkit.

Chiropractic adjustments

During your visit to our office, Dr. Nolan will use her hands to examine your joints and muscles to ensure that everything is moving smoothly and within it's full range of motion.  No joint is too small; Dr. Nolan has studied all the joints within your body, so whether it's your toe, knee, hip, wrist, elbow, ankle, finger, low back, or neck that's bothering you, she can help. Dr. Nolan has studied several techniques so whether you prefer the classic diversified chiropractic adjustment where a "pop" may be heard, use of a drop-piece which allows for a gravity-assisted adjustment, or a more gentle non-force technique such as SOT or activator, there's more than one way she can help to get motion into a joint. You and Dr. Nolan will discuss your preferences and come to a team decision on what's best for your health and what direction to take your care.

Soft tissue treatment

- Active Release Technique

- Instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization (aka "Graston")

Bones connect to muscles and vice versa, so treating one without the other is only tackling half the problem. In addition to chiropractic adjustments, Dr. Nolan also addresses the surrounding soft tissues, which may include stretching muscles, activating muscles, or breaking up adhesions/scar tissue that may have formed.  Dr. Nolan is a certified provider in Active Release Technique, commonly called ART, which is a targeted soft tissue approach to ensure your tissues are gliding and sliding the way they should during movement as well as instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization, commonly known as "Graston".  Both techniques promote structured healing within muscles, ligaments, tendons, and fascia, which ensures that all levels of tissues are all playing nicely with each other as you move throughout your day.  Generally speaking, good movement = pain-free movement.

Cold Laser (low-level laser Therapy)

Europeans began researching the therapeutic benefits of cold laser, a small range of the light spectrum just under infrared, in the 1970's.  Dr. Nolan uses a class 3B laser, which is a high powered unit within the classification of a cold laser.  Although the light can penetrate up to two inches into tissue, you won't feel anything during a treatment (there is no danger of burns with this range of light, hence the term "cold" laser), as most of the benefits happen at a cellular level.  Research indicates the following are benefits of cold laser therapy:

• Increased energy production. Numerous cells within your body, including the cells which make collagen and repair the skin/damaged muscles, replicate faster with this increase in available energy resulting in improved elasticity and tensile strength of the wounded tissue. In other words, injuries heal faster and stronger with cold laser therapy.

• Increased WBC's and Mac's. White blood cells (WBC's) are the clean-up part of your immune system; they capture, identify, and destroy elements that shouldn't be there. Macrophages (Mac's) are a type of white blood cell. With increased WBC's and Mac's, your body can more quickly get rid of inflammation and swelling. Once the inflammation and swelling are gone, the tissues can heal.

• Increased nerve healing. Nerves regenerate and heal at a slow rate, however, using a cold laser such as the one Dr. Nolan utilizes has shown increased healing capacity.

• Increased circulation. Blood flow is your body's nutrition highway to health, so increasing circulation brings more nutrients into the area to expedite healing.

• Pain relief. Cold laser promotes the release of endorphins, the feel good hormones, and decreased production of bradykinin, an inflammatory hormone. While you won't feel anything during your treatment with cold laser, you might find yourself feeling better a few hours afterwards.

Kinesiotaping

In order to get you feeling your best as quickly as possible, Dr. Nolan may use tape and/or rehabilitative exercises to reinforce our work in the office, in between visits. 

Tape has come a long way since the days of classic, white athletic tape.  Today tape comes in every color, with various stretch capacities, and in a variety of materials. Tape has several functions; it can provide structural support, reinforce movement patterns, provide neurological feedback to the brain, expedite the removal of inflammatory chemicals, and decelerate/restrict movement to promote healing.  Dr. Nolan is certified in a number of taping applications, including Functional Movement Taping (FMT) and Functional Taping for Musculoskeletal Injuries (FTMI), enabling her to provide a custom experience with tape, as needed.

Running Analysis

With over 15 years experience as a runner and triathlete, Dr. Nolan has both personal experience and professional education when it comes to the subject of running.  While in chiropractic college, she won third place in a national contest for her presentation on minimalist footwear and it's impact on running biomechanics, movement patterns, and injury.  She stays up to date with the latest research in running via continuing education via The Running Clinic.  Dr. Nolan offers a basic evaluation of your running gait as part of all treatments.  Sometimes there are a few small things we can tweak to make a big impact on the way your body is stressed while running. Posture, cadence, and forefoot vs. heelstrike are a few of the points that we'll look into as we assess what works best for your injury history and your current training goals.

Rehabilitative Exercise

Exercise is medicine.  It's becoming a catch phrase because it is true!  Whether you need to stabilize, stretch, or learn a new movement pattern, personally prescribed rehabilitative exercises are likely to be part of your treatment program.  It may be as simple as establishing an exercise routine to increase cardio (walking counts!), or working on a hip-hinge to decrease low back pain. Whatever the recommendation, Dr. Nolan will explain, demonstrate, and guide you as you learn your exercises so you can continue our work in the office at your home.