UB College of Chiropractic Medicine

The life of a chiropractic student is a hectic one. Endless exams, long classroom hours, national board exam preparation; one is often left with the empty feeling that the doctor-patient interaction will never happen. To that end, the responsibility ultimately lies with the individual to provide the necessary resources to maximize the learning experience. The environment the chiropractic student provides for himself is the result of the attitude and effort the student puts forth. Surrounding oneself with quality individuals and immersing oneself in quality extracurricular programs is a proactive method for providing a beneficial learning environment. Graston Technique has made a commitment to improve the art, philosophy and science of soft tissue treatment, not only by providing practitioners with a revolutionary view of the treatment, but also by investing largely in the education of future practitioners.
The University of Bridgeport College of Chiropractic (UBCC) is one of the many institutions where Graston Technique has positively impacted the student community. Under the guidance of professor Stephen M. Perle, D.C., UBCC students Greg Mara and EJ Zebro formed the Graston Technique and Sports Chiropractic Club. The club setting allows the students a relaxed, informal atmosphere to practice and develop their soft tissue diagnostic and treatment skills. Students experiencing Graston Technique for the first time are often able to feel adhesions, which their hands alone failed to identify on initial examination. Apart from the obvious intrinsic satisfaction the students receive from the ability to successfully diagnose and treat a soft tissue restriction, most students also praise the instruments for alleviating many of the physical stresses experienced while performing manual therapies. Like its students, the UBCC administration has also placed its stamp of approval on Graston Technique by making it part of the college’s core curriculum.
The founders of UBCC’s Graston Technique and Sports Chiropractic Club with the aid of Dr. Tom Hyde have developed an integrative relationship between the club members, the university’s athletic teams and the city’s semi-professional baseball team. Utilizing Graston Technique in the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of athletic injuries has yielded encouraging results within the UBCC community. The athletes have been very enthusiastic about receiving dynamic, sports specific treatments. Pain reduction, increased mobility and increased dynamic stability are just a few of the benefits that have been reported by the athletes who have experienced the Graston Technique treatment protocol. Longtime minor league baseball player, and current Bridgeport Bluefish, Gary Burnham, has been receiving scar release treatments on his surgically repaired knees. Gary has reported a “dramatic decrease” in joint discomfort and an increased sense of mobility during his quest for the Independent League Batting Title.
The advancements Graston Technique has made in the diagnosis and treatment of soft tissue injury, along with the technique’s commitments to education and evolution, will be best demonstrated in its future practitioners. Programs such as those developed at UBCC will be vital in the march towards professional excellence. The ability to progress beyond the conventional is a necessary trait every student should develop and maintain throughout their professional careers. “Change your thoughts and change your world.” (Norman Vincent Peale, 1898-1993)