The Practice

When there is not direct/acute trauma involved, pain is a result of structural dysfunction, not structural damage (sprain/strain). Pain is the END RESULT of oftentimes years of structural dysfunction.

Excessive or repetitive mechanical force causes tissue damage which leads to pain, swelling, discomfort. This causes fear avoidance behavior (inactivity, immobilization, and disuse), causing a loss of function (muscle weakness and atrophy, loss of coordination). Deceased function introduces joint stiffness/decreased ROM, and a loss of lung and cardiovascular function. This leads to decreased motor skills, balance, stability, proprioception, and increase risk of injury which ultimately lead us to even more fear avoidance behavior. Here is where the cycle begins!

Pain and symptoms should settle over the expected tissue healing time. BUT, if the problem is dysfunction, then symptoms can persist for as long as dysfunction continues.

At AHS, we allow the patient to take a more active role in their rehabilitation. Rather than relying on radiological findings, we perform a functional capacity evaluation to determine your level of dysfunction. Our findings dictate your course of treatment/rehabilitation. We believe that there is always room to improve your function to an optimal state!

Our massage therapists, trainers, and doctors work together as a team for the overall benefit of the patient. Americans need to reorient their selves to think about back and neck pain in a new way. Rather than focusing on discovering the pathological disturbance causing the dysfunction, doctors should strive to restore correct posture and normal function.