Sports Medicine

Our Doctors are certified in Active Release Technique (ART) which is a highly successful hands-on treatment method that addresses problems in the soft tissues of the body including the muscles, ligaments, fascia and nerves.  ART treatment is highly successful in dealing with many types of conditions because it is designed to locate and treat scar tissue adhesions that accumulate from microtrauma, accidents, injuries or chronic pain disorders.  Locating and treating soft tissue adhesions allows your Doctor to:

-break up trigger points and knots from chronic and acute pain

-alleviate pressure on nerves to reduce numbness, tingling and weakness

-restore balance, stability and proprioception of injured areas

ART is extremely effective for any one suffering from chronic pain, acute injury or daily wear and tear from being a working mom, weekend warrior or Olympic athlete. Although each case is unique, a significant improvement can be gained in just 4-6 treatments.  These results are one of the main reasons patients may eliminate surgery as a treatment option and recover from injuries expeditiously. Elite athletes and professional sports teams are required to have ART clinicians on staff, and the exceptional results are also why ART plays an integral part in the Ironman Triathlon series.

Traumatic injuries commonly occur due to a sudden unguarded movement, deconditioning of the body, or an unexpected blow. The most common traumatic injuries are sprain, strain, dislocation, and subluxation.

• A sprain is an injury to a ligament (the connective tissue that joins two bones together in a joint). The injury is the result of the ligament fibers being overstretched or completely torn. Overstretching most often occurs by moving beyond the possible range of joint motion, either through hyperextension (overextension), or by a twisting action. Hyper-extended, twisted knees, and rolled ankles are examples of sprain injuries.

• A strain is commonly known as a pulled muscle or tear. Muscle damage in the form of tearing, whether part or all, can damage small blood vessels, causing local bleeding (bruising) and pain caused by irritation of the nerve endings in the area. Muscle strains often occur because of sudden unguarded movements such as pitching a baseball and suddenly feeling pain in the shoulder. Symptoms of strains include swelling, pain, redness and difficulty with normal range of motion.

• A dislocation occurs when one of two bones that meet at a joint is knocked out of place. A dislocation is usually caused by blunt force trauma or impact to a joint area. Common dislocated areas include shoulders, ribs, hips, and fingers. Symptoms of a dislocation include the inability to move the dislocated joint, as well as severe pain and often bruising.

• A subluxation is when one or more of the bones of your spine (vertebrae) move out of position and put pressure on or irritate spinal nerves and soft tissues. This pressure or irritation causes those nerves and muscles to malfunction and interfere with the signals traveling through the body. Common symptoms are muscle tightness, stiffness, decrease range of motion, and headaches. Some basic mechanisms for which our bodies develop subluxations include postural overload, such as sitting at the computer all day, or poor body biomechanics, such as sleeping on too high of a pillow.

Dr. Adamson became interested in practicing chiropractic medicine when she was severely injured as a competitive gymnast, and fractured her spine. After her orthopedist told her she would never be able to compete in sports again, she decided to try chiropractic care and not only became pain free, but started competing again. Led by her own passion for sports injury healing, Dr. Adamson specializes in sports medicine. Her treatments offer patients an alternative method to costly surgeries which may not even solve the problem, as well as have the potential to keep athletes out of their sport for a number of seasons. Through chiropractic treatments, strength training, and individual exercises, Dr. Adamson works to get athletes back to optimal performance.

Dr. Adamson strives to be the best chiropractor in the Lacey, Dupont, Tumwater, and Olympia area.