WHAT IS A CUMULATIVE TRAUMA DISORDER (CTD)?

CTD is an injury that occurs with overuse. When muscles have to do the same job over and over, the area can become irritated and then inflamed. The body's response to this inflammation is to lay down some scar tissue, to try and stabilize the area. Once this begins to happen an ongoing cycle begins that leads to a worsening of the condition. This cycle gets harder to break the longer it continues, because of the changes that have occurred in the tissues.

A doctor using S.T.R. can effectively reverse this cycle by: 1) removing the scar tissue; and 2) prescribing specific stretches for the particular muscle(s) that are involved in your disorder. This combination helps to loosen the muscles and 3) increase the circulation. This results in increase in blood flow, decrease in the hypoxia and swelling; thus, 4) decreasing the internal friction, pressure, and tension in the muscles, which makes them looser, stronger and more flexible. When the muscles are looser, then the doctor can work deeper and get rid of the next layer of scar tissue. This continues until the cycle is completely reversed. 

Chiropractic Care also loosens tissues and can facilitate the reversal of the Cumulative Injury Cycle©. Constant muscle tension causes joints to jam. Then the joint surfaces get "sticky" and the joints have what is called fixations or "subluxations." The subluxation alone can cause irritation to nerves, increased muscle tension, decreased range of motion, and abnormal motion. By adjusting the joints in the shoulders, elbows, wrists, and hands (along with other areas that may be subluxated like the neck, or upper back), the Doctor of Chiropractic releases these "stuck" joints or "subluxations" and the muscles relax. The nerves are relieved of the irritation and start to heal. Each adjustment works to make the joint surfaces normal and eventually they won't be "sticky" or prone to subluxations. This process also increases the range of motion and returns normal motion, making the muscles more balanced. And balanced muscles work better."  ....

Some common examples of CTD's are:

The incidence of CTD's is skyrocketing yearly. Recently, the health care costs in the USA related to CTD's surpassed low back pain as the largest health care expenditure. It was estimated that the cost of CTD's in the USA now exceeds $110 billion yearly. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is one of these CTD's that is rapidly increasing due to changes in the workplace. Dr. Vert Mooney, MD, the most highly published authority on Orthopedic Surgery agrees that, " STR is a rational and effective treatment for repetitive motion disorders." And "No surgery can restore normal anatomy."

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