Sometimes the joint is moving well and the pain is still there. Scar tissue, adhesion and thickened fascia change how tissue glides, and no amount of adjusting the joint above it will release something that has become mechanically stuck.
This is clinical soft tissue work, not a massage. Dr. Michael Dziurgot is certified in both Graston Technique and Active Release Technique, and delivers the treatment himself at Momentum Health Center in Arlington Heights. Graston uses stainless steel instruments to find and work restricted tissue; Active Release combines specific tension with movement through the affected range. Neither is relaxing in the way a massage is, and both are aimed at a mechanical problem.
What Is Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Therapy?
Graston Technique uses shaped stainless steel instruments drawn across the tissue. The instrument amplifies what the clinician can feel, so restricted areas are located by touch rather than guessed at, and the treatment stimulates a controlled repair response in tissue that had settled into a stuck pattern. Active Release is hands-on: the clinician holds specific tension on the tissue while you move the limb through its range, which is what releases the adhesion between layers that should slide over each other. Sessions are usually short and targeted, and they combine well with adjustments in the same visit. This is uncomfortable work at times, and it should be productive rather than punishing, so tell us what you are feeling as we go.
Benefits of Soft Tissue Therapy
What soft tissue work adds:
- Releases What Adjustments Cannot: A joint can move correctly while the tissue around it stays restricted.
- Clinician-Delivered: Both techniques are performed by a certified doctor of chiropractic, not a therapist.
- Locates the Restriction: The instrument finds the tissue rather than working an area at random.
- Improves Glide: Restoring how layers move over each other often restores range immediately.
- Speeds Recovery: Frequently used alongside rehab during the corrective phase.
- Targets Old Injuries: Scar tissue from an injury years ago can still be limiting you now.
Common Conditions Soft Tissue Therapy May Help
Soft tissue work is commonly part of care for:
- Neck pain and shoulder restriction
- Back pain with muscular guarding
- Tendinopathy including tennis and golfer's elbow
- Scar tissue from an old injury
- Recovery after car accident and whiplash injury
- Repetitive strain from work or sport
What to Expect at Your Visit
A soft tissue session:
- Consultation and Exam: We identify which tissue is restricted and why.
- Treatment: Graston, Active Release, or both, depending on the tissue and the range involved.
- Comfort-Focused Care: Pressure is adjusted to what you can tolerate, and it should never be unbearable.
- Progress Tracking: Range is reassessed session to session.
Some tenderness for a day afterwards is normal and usually settles quickly. Soft tissue work is usually combined with Physical Rehab and Movement (Link to Physical Rehab and Movement Page) so the released range is then trained.
When the Joint Moves and It Still Hurts
If an adjustment keeps helping and keeps not holding, restricted soft tissue is often the reason. Old scar tissue is a common culprit, and it is often from an injury the patient had stopped thinking about years ago. Dr. Dziurgot holds both certifications and performs the treatment himself.
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