03/12/2026
Hi all! To continue on last week's post, another technique Dr. Donovan loves to use is cupping!
Have you ever had experiences in the past at other chiropractic offices where you may feel better than when you came in, but there is still something lingering - either some tightness, pulling or pinching? This could be an indication that there is a muscular or fascial (connective tissue) component to your body aches or pains that adjusting alone may not fully resolve. Here at Kinetic Wellness we offer an array of complimentary modalities that can further push your body to shift into a healing response.
This can include cupping decompressive therapy, which includes either glass or polymer based cups that are placed under compression via a pneumatic manual pump. The whole idea behind this therapy is to pull toxic build-up out of muscles that may be trapped from poor function or biomechanics. The cups pull the tissues upward which can help to decompress the area locally and pull toxic chemical by-products out of the region. It also helps draw a focal inflammatory response and pull blood into the region to help the tissue reset and rebuild. Cups can be applied in a stationary manner, without movement patterns, OR, they can be applied and then the patient is asked to go through specific movements to help break up tissue adhesions from poor movement patterns to facilitate improved functional patterns, thus alleviating lingering symptoms.
Subsequently, another soft tissue therapy I personally enjoy doing is instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization, or IASTM for short. Some people recognize the brand name Graston to this method, but despite lacking the credentialing, many different folk have come up with similar techniques and tools. During my time at Northeast College of Health Sciences I enrolled in a technique elective course called Connectx, which is the branded form of IASTM treatment offered from my college. This course met for several hours over the course of a month’s time on weekends; This was on top of my normal course load gave me a deeper incite on how connective tissue layers (fascia) and muscles worked in unison to provide the body with the mechanical power to move freely.
You will often be talked to about one of if not both of these forms or soft tissue treatment from myself when we meet here at Kinetic Wellness. The benefits and contraindications (CONS) for these treatment styles will also be discussed - bigger draw backs would be easy bruising, being on blood thinners, severe and uncontrolled diabetes, a prior history of strokes, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and other coagulative disorders. Reason being - as these therapies can often cause local bruising and soreness. There have been many instances in which I will treat a patient for a multitude of dysfunctions in which adjusting alone does not resolve their symptoms. Pairing manipulative techniques as well as targeted soft tissue techniques can really give many of my patients the relief and resolution they have been searching for. I want to be fully transparent and state that this isn’t a cure all and doesn’t always work for every patient, but ultimately is another tool in my toolbox that can be utilized to get you not only feeling less pain but moving more freely, too.
