graston technique

Exploring Chiropractic Techniques at Bryn Mawr Wellness

April 19, 2026 by Jon Crooker

At Bryn Mawr Wellness, we often compare the human body to a high-performance luxury car—sleek, powerful, and capable of incredible feats when it’s running smoothly. But just like any finely tuned machine, it sometimes needs a “pit stop” to address those nagging issues that keep it from performing at its best. That’s where chiropractic care comes in. As your trusted wellness partner, we’re committed to helping you move freely and pain-free through a variety of techniques tailored to your unique needs.

If you’ve ever wondered how chiropractic medicine works or hesitated because of misconceptions about “cracking” joints, you’re not alone. The truth is, modern chiropractic isn’t one-size-fits-all. We offer a spectrum of approaches, from traditional adjustments to gentle, non-invasive alternatives. In this blog, we’ll dive into some of our key chiropractic techniques, how they work, and why they’re a game-changer for eliminating pain and restoring balance.

Traditional Chiropractic Adjustments

At the heart of chiropractic care is the adjustment—a precise, hands-on technique to realign misaligned joints (often called subluxations). When a joint gets “stuck,” it disrupts the nerve signals flowing through it to your brain. This breakdown in communication can lead to pain, inflammation, and a limited range of motion, essentially drowning out your body’s natural feedback loop.

During an adjustment, Dr. Crooker applies a controlled, targeted force to free the joint, allowing those nerves to fire properly again. The result? Pain diminishes as mobility returns, allowing your body to heal more effectively. Many patients report immediate relief from headaches, back pain, or sciatica after just one session. It’s not about the dramatic “crack” (that’s just gas bubbles releasing from the joint fluid)—it’s about reigniting that essential body-brain dialogue.

We use adjustments when they’re the most effective choice, but they’re always gentle and explained upfront. If you’re comfortable with this technique, it can provide quick, lasting results.

Active Release Techniques (ART)

For those dealing with overuse injuries, repetitive strain, or chronic muscle tension, Active Release Techniques® (ART) is a standout in our toolkit. This patented, movement-based soft tissue system targets problems in muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, and even nerves.

While Dr. Crooker moves the affected area through specific ranges of motion, he applies precise pressure to adhesions (scar tissue or tight spots) that have built up from injury or daily wear-and-tear. This breaks down the buildup, restores blood flow, and promotes faster healing. ART is especially popular among our athlete clients, who need to bounce back quickly without downtime.

Benefits include reduced pain from conditions such as carpal tunnel, plantar fasciitis, and shoulder impingement, as well as improved flexibility and strength.

Graston Technique®

Complementing ART is the Graston Technique®, a form of instrument-assisted soft-tissue mobilization that uses stainless-steel tools to detect and treat fascial restrictions. These specialized instruments help break up scar tissue more efficiently than manual methods alone.

Ideal for chronic injuries or post-surgical recovery, Graston enhances circulation, reduces inflammation, and accelerates tissue repair. We’ve seen it work wonders for tennis elbow, knee pain, and even IT band issues common in runners. It’s non-invasive, minimally discomforting, and pairs beautifully with our personal training services for a comprehensive rehab approach.

Gentle Alternatives: No “Cracks” Required

We hear it all the time: “I’m scared of the pop!” That’s why we’re passionate about debunking the myth that chiropractic always involves forceful manipulation. At Bryn Mawr Wellness, patient preferences guide our care. If adjustments aren’t your thing—or if your condition calls for something softer—we have plenty of gentle options.

Why Choose Bryn Mawr Wellness for Your Chiropractic Journey?

Bryn Mawr Wellness isn’t built on cookie-cutter care. Whether you’re a desk-bound worker nursing a stiff neck or a weekend warrior looking to avoid injuries, we’ll craft a plan using these techniques (and more) to keep you feeling well.

Ready to tune up your body? Book your appointment today

The Philly Half and Full-Marathons: Helping You Stay Race-Ready

November 11, 2017 by Jon Crooker

The Philadelphia Marathon and Half-Marathon are next weekend and if you’re taking part, then you’re on the home-stretch. With that in mind, you’ll want to ensure that you remain injury free between now and then.

At Bryn Mawr Wellness, we offer a range of techniques to help you face race day in top condition. If you do sustain an injury or feel tightness in your muscles and joints this week, we can help keep you going so that all your hard work isn’t for nothing.

Deep tissue massage

Massages are often associated with stress relief but deep tissue massages are excellent for runners both pre- and post-race. Deep tissue massage focuses on not just the superficial layers of muscle, but the deep layers. They can be quite intense but help relief tight spots in muscles, which runners often experience.

Releasing the tightness gives you more flexibility and range of motion, helping you to run better. It also helps to prevent the muscles getting tense when pushed to their limits.

Active Release Techniques to keep in alignment

Active release technique is a soft tissue therapy that focuses on releasing tension in the muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerve points. During training, you can damage muscle tissue and if left untreated it can reduce performance as well as develop into a larger problem.

With active release technique we work on breaking down scar tissue to increase mobility and strength back to the muscle.

Adjustments

One of the most common treatments that we undertake, adjustments are used to re-align movement to a vertebrae that’s lost its ability to move the way in which it was designed. A lack of alignment can affect your whole body and place unnecessary strain on other muscles, resulting in injury. Being in alignment optimizes nerve conduction and flow, which improves the overall performance of your body.

Graston Technique

The Graston Technique® is essentially used to address a body’s limited range of motion caused by scar tissue. Using a specifically designed stainless steel instrument we increase the rate and amount of blood flow to and from an area which helps to reduce inflammation, heal muscles, speed the healing process and lessen one’s recovery time. This is a great technique if you have sustained a minor injury but still want to compete and is excellent for post-race recovery.

Pre-and post-race day

Our aim is to ensure that your muscles and your joints can withstand as much stress as possible. While training, try to listen to your body and don’t leave any discomfort until it’s too late. Coming in for a check up pre-race will help us to identify and eliminate any problems. Undertaking treatment after race-day will help speed your recovery… ready for your next challenge!

Can Chiropractic Really Outperform Prescriptions, Massage and Yoga?

April 14, 2015 by Jon Crooker

Chiropractic is often viewed as a last resort. Many patients don’t find themselves seeking chiropractic care until all other methods have failed. However, chiropractic has been proven to outperform all other back-pain treatments, including prescription medication, yoga, Pilates and over-the-counter medication therapies, according to the Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center.

So what treatments does chiropractic involve, and how can it help you? There are many different techniques and treatments under the chiropractic umbrella. Below are the most common practices.

Adjustments
The most common therapeutic chiropractic procedure, adjustments restore joint mobility by manually applying a controlled force to joints that are suffering from restricted movement. When a vertebrae has lost its ability to move normally, adjustments help to reverse that. Adjustments reduce muscle pain and optimize nerve flow, improving overall body wellness.

Active Release Techniques®
This patented soft tissue system treats muscle, tendon, ligament, fascia and nerve injuries. Active Release Techniques®, or ART stretches, separate and release connective tissue adhesions. This allows for an improved range of motion, flexibility and overall body strength.

Graston Technique®

This technique is used to improve a body’s limited range of motion caused by scar tissue that is preventing a patient from functioning as they did before an injury. The Graston Technique® involves the use of stainless steel instruments combing over fibrotic tissue, identifying the restricted areas on the body. The same instruments break up scar tissue and allow it to be absorbed by the body.

Spinal Rehabilitation
The spine is essential in the movement and health of our bodies. A healthy spine supports body movement, good posture, balance and strength. Spinal rehabilitation involves unlocking the stiffness that inhibits overall body mobility.

Massage Therapy
Massage Therapy can be effective in relieving tension and strain on the joints and surrounding muscles. Medical massage combined with chiropractic treatments results in pain relief, increased range of motion and overall wellbeing.

Chiropractic care treats far more than just simple back pain. It can be essential in the rehabilitation following sports injuries, car accidents and other everyday activities. Chiropractic care has an excellent safety record compared with more common treatments like pain medications and surgery.