Advice and Information

In the recent years research has revealed that the traditional approach to treating musculoskeletal pain may not be the best, in fact it can often prolong recovery and install fear of activities and disability in the patient. We rely on conveying the most up to date medical literature science has to offer to our patients. Our patients appreciate the explanation of their condition and the steps they can take to manage and take a pro-active stance with their care.

Active Release Techniques® (ART)

Active Release Techniques® is a patented, state-of-the-art soft tissue system that treats problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves. Headaches, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, shin splints, shoulder pain, sciatica, plantar fascitis, knee problems, and tennis elbow are just a few of the many conditions that can be resolved quickly and often permanently with ART. Many cumulative trauma injuries occurring on the athletic field or in the workplace can be resolved using the 500 protocols unique to ART. A typical visit is part diagnosis (identifying where the adhesion or soft-tissue lesion is) and treatment (freeing the adhesion or nerve entrapment). This type of therapy has become the “gold standard” for treating injuries in the athletic community and for workplace injuries.

Dry Needling/ Medical Acupuncture

Dry needling targets anatomical structures that are the underlying cause of musculoskeletal conditions.  The benefits are decreased pain, decreased muscle tension, and improved function.  During a typical dry needling treatment, thin filament needles are inserted into various targets that have been determined to be the underlying cause of the painful condition.  Different strategies are used for acute injuries and chronic pain conditions that make this a highly effective treatment modality for soft tissue injuries.  The insertion of needles into the tissues cause the release of substances that help improve blood flow to areas of tightness, and decreased sensitivity by neuromodulating the nervous system.  These effects help control pain, improve function, and speed up healing.

Manipulation/mobilization

Many chiropractors, osteopaths and physical therapists utilize manipulation and mobilization techniques to improve joint movement, reduce pain and restore muscle tone. Mobilization employs gentle pressure or a shallow thrust to restore optimal motion. Manipulation is sometimes accompanied by a pop or cracking noise, which results from the joint’s release of gases. Following treatment it is common to experience less pain and muscle tension and a greater range of motion. At Indy Spine and Rehab we utilize time-limited mobilization and manipulation procedures only when necessary and in conjunction with the patient’s approval.

McKenzie Method® disc therapy

McKenzie Method® therapy is a musculoskeletal pain classification system of spinal related disorders. It is based on a “cause and effect” relationship between historical pain experience as well as the pain response to repeated loading maneuvers of the spine during the examination.

Disc bulges/herniations with radicular leg pain, degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis are just a few of the conditions that are able to be successfully classified and treated with McKenzie therapy.

Functional Rehabilitation

Functional rehabilitation is based upon the patient’s presenting capabilities (what they can do) and focuses on bridging the gap to the patient’s goals (what they want to do). We understand that patients have specific limitations when they seek treatment:

Common statements made by patients experiencing pain or discomfort include,

• “I can’t put my socks on.”

• “I have pain when I swing a golf club.”

• “My shoulder hurts when I wash my hair.”

• “I can’t pick up my grandchild”

• “I have leg pain when I sit too long”

These are just some of the common complaints we help patients work through everyday. Our care begins with an assessment of what the patient can functionally perform and setting a treatment plan that gets them to their desired goal. Ultimately we want our patients to be able to say;

• “I can now swing a golf club without pain.”

• “I can now work at the computer without getting headaches.”

• “Now I can lift a bag of groceries without my back hurting.”

• “My hands aren’t numb when I work on the computer.”

While exercises are often needed to serve as an entry point to rehabilitation, we always focus on the desires and goals of the patient and strive to reach these goals in the shortest time possible.

Vojta therapy

Dr. Vaclav Vojta, a Czechoslovakian neurologist concerned with the problems of motor rehabilitation, laid the foundations of reflex-locomotive therapy as early in the late 1960’s. He carried on his research in Germany where he emigrated in 1968. Vojta therapy consists of the early diagnosis of developmental disorders in children and early therapeutic intervention to optimize functional development of the motor system. Its origin is rooted in the following principles:

1. Neurological evaluation leading to the development of a methodology of evaluating child development, its dynamics and major disorders.

2. The concept of the nervous system as an open system endowed with a basic, phylogenetic make-up; yet capable of receiving various stimulations that may affect the functioning of the nervous system and have an effect on its anatomical maturation. The reflex locomotion is the physical representation of the meeting of these two complementary aspects. (NIDD.org)

Ryan Van Matre, D.C., M.S. has studied reflex-locomotion under Maria Drewniak, M.D. with certification through the Munich Child Center under Theodore Hellbruegge, M.D.. He has additionally studied under Pavel Kolar, P.T., Ph.D., associate professor and Director of Rehabilitation of Motol Hospital, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.

Though early case-trials of Vojta Therapy prove extremely encouraging for children with developmental delays, therapeutic outcomes research is ongoing.