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When Friday night lights become Saturday morning injuries

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What is Graston Technique?
Graston Technique is an innovative and proven approach to the diagnosis and treatment acute and chronic soft-tissue injuries. It is performed with patented stainless-steel instruments designed to detect and treat soft-tissue fibrosis (scar tissue) in order to reduce pain and restore function. Our chiropractors at Mend Health of Maine have been certified in the application of Graston Technique to help correct scar tissue.

How is Scar Tissue Treated?
Just as a stethoscope amplifies what the human ear can hear, the Graston instruments amplify what the human hand can feel. Our Mend Health of Maine certified providers of the Graston Technique are trained in how to scan the tissue for areas of scar tissue build-up, allowing previously undetected areas of fibrosis to be treated effectively. Once the dysfunctional tissue has been identified, the your Portland Maine Chiropractor can use the appropriate tool to focus on the area of adhesion and break down the scar tissue for the body to absorb. The small amount of inflammation created by the treatment process stimulates connective tissue remodeling through resorption of excessive fibrosis, and induces repair and regeneration of collagen secondary to fibroblast recruitment. This will lead to the breakdown, or release of scar tissue, fascial restrictions and adhesions.

How Can I Benefit?
Graston Technique® protocols include a thorough medical history—to include a focused mechanical history and to rule out contraindications, as well as to identify the effects of activity (type, frequency, duration, intensity, range of motion, loaded vs. unloaded)—before treatment starts to determine response to care. A physical examination is performed that may also include active and passive range of motion, orthopedic, neurological and functional tests.

If you are interested in obtaining more information regarding our many soft tissue mobilization techniques near Portland Maine, please contact our Mend Health of Maine team in Scarborough.
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PNF Stretching with Ally Nye
If you have an athletic lifestyle, you know that stretching is the most important part of both a pre and post exercise routine. Often times, we do not spend enough time stretching after a workout or even a long day of sitting in the office.

This leaves us with stiff muscles, low performance, and more likely to have an injury. In the hands of our amazing, experienced, and passionate PNF trainer you will see increased range of motion, a better hold on your stretch, and repeat movement sequences that you cannot achieve on your own.

When your body is not properly stretched and taken care of, being stretched by an experienced trainer allows your body to go beyond the typical stretching routine using different routines to get the ultimate stretch.

A PNF stretching session at Mend Health & Wellness can help you prevent injuries and ease aches and pains. For the best sports stretching to prevent injuries in Southern Maine contact the team at Mend Health & Wellness.

If you are interested in obtaining more information regarding our many stretching techniques in Maine, please contact our Mend Health and Wellness team in Scarborough Maine.
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Lower Back Pain


It’s no coincidence that many people make their first appointment with a chiropractor because of lower back pain. Roughly 31 million Americans experience lower back pain at any given time, and it’s the leading cause of disability worldwide.

Like neck pain, back pain is a musculoskeletal disorder. Your back is a complex structure made up of bones, discs, joints, ligaments, muscles, and other tissues. Strained muscles, stressed joints, ruptured, herniated, or bulging discs, and sprained ligaments are common causes of back pain. Poor posture, chronic anxiety or stress, arthritis, and obesity can also cause — or exacerbate — back pain. Other reasons for back pain may include osteoporosis, kidney stones, and stenosis.

Pills or muscle relaxers can’t correct the nerve compression caused by a bulging disc, but there’s still hope. Improving joint motion in the lower back with a program of chiropractic adjustments and exercise, along with changes in posture, has had positive results for many people. Chiropractic care has been proven to reduce pain and advance physical therapy efforts, and it doesn’t require bed rest or some other form of passive recovery.
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Shoulder Pain
It’s often referred to as “the shoulder joint,” but your shoulder is actually made up of several joints combined with tendons, ligaments, and muscles. A variety of injuries and conditions can impact your shoulder joint, including: Sprains and strains, Dislocation or separation Impingement, Bursitis, Rotator cuff injuries Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or tendinitis.

Most of the problems that cause shoulder pain fit into these 4 categories:

  1. Instability
  2. Inflamed or torn tendons
  3. Arthritis
  4. Broken bones

The glenohumeral (shoulder) joint is the most mobile joint in the body. While it is a ball and socket joint, that comparison can be misleading and make the joint seems more secure than it actually is. The socket of the glenoid fossa is in fact not deep enough to allow for a stable and protected fit for the humeral head.

In reality, the fossa is relatively flat, which means it is imperative that the four key stabilizers (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis, teres minor) and doing their job, and the prime movers, such as the pec major and bicep do not become tight and/or overactive leading to dysfunction and possible pain.

If you are interested in restoring shoulder health from shoulder impingement, SLAP Tears, bicep tendonitis, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and many other afflictions, understanding the shoulders connection the scapular and rib cage is the first task. Let our experienced chiropractors near Portland Maine explain how we can help bullet proof your shoulders, from softball throwing injuries to lacrosse collisions injuries.

Can shoulder pain originate in the neck?

Although shoulder pain is most commonly caused by an injury to the shoulder or a condition that directly affects it, it’s possible for shoulder pain to begin with a problem in your neck.
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Knee Pain


Can occur from the most common daily activities. From bending down to climbing stairs, walking from your vehicle to the office, or simply getting out of bed can become difficult when you’re dealing with knee pain. It certainly has a huge impact on your ability to function optimally.

You don’t have to live with the pain, limit your activities, or take more pain medication. You can give a chiropractor in Portland Maine a try. In most cases, an experienced chiropractor can identify the underlying issues causing the pain and use a combination of techniques that yield knee pain relief.

At Mend Health & Wellness, a patient with knee pain does not just have a knee evaluation; we conduct a thorough movement screen on your initial visit to get an overview of your general mobility. Many runners and athletes often have knee pain due to the excessive shortening of the hip flexor muscles and weakened glutes. Specifically, when dealing with knee pain, if you are lacking mobility in your ankle or hip, those excess forces will be transmitted through your knee joint. So correcting mobility concerns above and below the knee joint often times improves knee pain.

The knee joint is composed of a capsule, various ligaments, bursa, menisci and muscles. Injury to any of these tissues can affect the joint mechanics and cause pain. The complexity of the design of the knee joint and the fact that it is an active weight-bearing joint are factors in making the knee one of the most commonly injured joints in the body.

Common Causes of knee pain:
  • Arthritis
  • IT Band Syndrome
  • Patellofemoral pain syndrom (PFPS)
  • Mechanical Dysfunction at the hip or foot
  • Patellar Tendonitis (Jumpers Knee)
  • Torn Meniscus