Dr Aaron Coopersmith Recently Certified In Full Body ART

By John Voket

Newtown chiropractor Aaron Coopersmith saw an increasing need among his fellow Newtown residents and patients who are suffering with new and chronic musculoskeletal injuries.

“These are injuries of the muscles, joints, and their attachments, namely the ligaments and tendons,” Dr Coopersmith told The Newtown Bee during an interview shortly after he received his full body certification in active release technique (ART).

“These complaints are most frequently due to trauma — an overuse or repetitive injury,” he explained. “They can occur in the high school athlete or the weekend warrior. And they can occur as a result of being sedentary or overtraining.”

In an effort to provide the most up-to-date management for these injuries to his patients, Dr Coopersmith continues to participate in education that is specifically geared to their treatment. He recently completed the 100-hour course required to practice ART.

 “Active release technique is a highly focused clinical approach that specifically addresses injuries of the muscles, ligaments, tendons, and nerves,” he said. “Headaches, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, shin splints, shoulder pain, TMJ, sciatica, plantar fasciitis, knee problems, and tennis elbow are just a few of the many conditions that can be resolved with ART.”

These conditions all have one important thing in common; they are often a result of overused muscles.

In the case of one of his patients, however, Dr Coopersmith is seeing great progress using ART after the individual suffered for many years with tightness and chronic lower back pain. And as the co-owner of CrossFit Red Zone training, Kris Kling wants to be as flexible and physically capable as possible, given he suffered an injury during a martial arts tournament when he was in college.

Combined Therapies

Mr Kling is receiving both ART as well as Kinesio Taping, which is another recent certification Dr Coopersmith completed.

“Kinesio Taping has been well visualized in the 2012 Olympic games,” Dr Coopersmith said of the jet black or blue patterns of tape visible on a number of athletes during the international competitions. “Kinesio Taping is a technique based on the body’s own natural healing process.”

He said Kinesio Taping exhibits its efficacy through the activation of neurological and circulatory systems.

“This method basically stems from the science of kinesiology, hence the name. Muscles are not only attributed to the movements of the body, but also control the circulation of venous and lymph flows as well as body temperature,” Dr Coopersmith said. “Therefore, the failure of the muscles to function properly induces various kinds of symptoms.”

Athletic tape and Kinesio tape look similar, but are still very different. While athletic tape is used to hold and support an injured part of the body, Kinesio tape not only support the structure that is being taped, but also holds the muscle in a stretch position, facilitating the body’s ability to bring blood, oxygen, and nutrition to the injured site.”

Mr Kling said as a result of the therapy he is receiving, his injured muscle is returning to function at its normal potential even though it is injured.

“It really makes my lower back tightness more comfortable,” the gym owner said. “I feel like it’s healing all day when I have the tape on.”

“That’s because it’s increasing the circulation in the injured muscle tissue,” Dr Coopersmith added.

He said Kinesio tape is used for anything from headaches to foot problems and everything in between. Dr Coopersmith applies Kinesio tape to treat muscular facilitation or inhibition in pediatric patients, carpal tunnel syndrome, lower back strain/pain, knee conditions, shoulder conditions, hamstring, groin injury, rotator cuff injury, whiplash, tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis, patella tracking, pre- and post-surgical edema, ankle sprains, athletic preventative injury method, and as a support method.

How Muscles Hurt

He said, typically, overused muscles and other soft tissues change in three important ways:

*acute conditions like pulls, tears, collisions, etc

*accumulation of small tears, commonly referred to as microtrauma or

*the muscle is not getting enough oxygen, a condition called hypoxia

“Each of these factors can cause your body to produce tough, dense scar tissue in the affected area,” Dr Coopersmith said. “This scar tissue binds up and ties down tissues that need to move freely.”

He said as scar tissue builds up, muscles become shorter and weaker, tension on tendons causes tendonitis, and nerves can become trapped. This can cause reduced range of motion, loss of strength, and pain. If a nerve is trapped, you may also feel tingling, numbness, and weakness.

Each one of Dr Coopersmith’s ART sessions is actually a combination of examination and treatment, where he uses his hands to evaluate the texture, tightness, and movement of muscles, fascia, tendon ligaments and nerves.

“Abnormal tissues are treated by combining precisely directed tension with very specific patient movements,” Dr Coopersmith said.

This was evident during his examination and application of Kinesio tape during Mr Kling’s visit, where Dr Coopersmith observed various ranges of motion and manipulated several muscle groups to evaluate the healing progress.

Born and raised in Newtown, Dr Coopersmith (Dr “A”) practices alongside his father, Dr Richard Coopersmith as part of the team at Newtown Chiropractic Health Center. He received his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from New York Chiropractic College in Seneca Falls, N.Y., and he holds an advanced certificate in whole food nutrition.

For more information, or to schedule an exam, call 203-426-2490 or visit newtownchiros.com.