Manual therapy is a category of physical therapy treatment encompassing a variety of hands-on techniques. It can be used to increase range of motion, facilitate movement, reduce inflammation, promote soft tissue repair, increase joint mobility and stability and promoting proper recruitment of muscle groups ( add 2-3 pictures of manual therapy)
What is manual therapy?
A wide variety of treatments fall under the manual therapy umbrella, but the most common thread is that they all involve direct contact from the therapist, with or without the use of a supplemental tool. These techniques can be divided into two categories: soft tissue and joint. During soft tissue work, the therapist applies pressure to specific soft tissue areas to relax muscles, increase circulation and break up scar tissue. When a therapist performs joint techniques, they use measured movements to push, pull or twist joints to loosen, release pressure and improve flexibility and alignment.
What are the benefits?
Virtually all patients can benefit from having some type of manual therapy treatment integrated into their care plan. Manual therapy is most effective when delivered as part of a comprehensive care plan involving prescribed exercise, including a home exercise program. This type of care can effectively reduce pain and improve movement from carpal tunnel syndrome to low back pain. Your physical therapist may use spinal manipulation, joint and soft tissue mobilizations, dry needling, cupping, as well as other therapies in your care.
Conditions treated with Manual Therapy
Neck Pain:
Disc pathology, muscle spasm, rib hypomobility, post-surgical neck pain
Low Back Pain: Disc pathology, facet joint impingement/hypomobility, spinal stenosis, post-surgical back pain
Thoracic spine/Mid-back Pain
Headaches: Tension headaches, migraines
TMJ Dysfunction
Hip Pain:
Hip impingement, myofascial hip pain in the buttock or lateral hip, hip bursitis,post-surgical hip replacements
Knee Pain: Patellofemoral dysfunction, IT band tendonitis, post-surgical knees including total knee replacements
Ankle Pain:
Ankle sprains, chronic ankle pain, ankle arthritis, post-surgical ankle pain
Shoulder Pain:
Impingement syndrome, scapular dyskinesia, frozen shoulder/adhesive capsulitis, post-surgical shoulder
Adhesive Capsulitis
Tennis Elbow
Golfers Elbow
Capsule tightness
Fibromyalgia
