Manual Therapy for Pain Relief
Isn’t it worse to feel unknown pain without any bodily tissue inflammation and you don’t know how to deal with it. You’re feeling this irritating pain in your body even after taking different medications recommended by doctors. You must be suffering from musculoskeletal or neuropathic pain and disability.
When nerves fail to function normally, then the muscles connected to it undergo translation which causes an alteration in function, posture, and movement. Don’t worry! The medical field has cure to your pain.
If you’re facing joints, ligaments, tendons, or muscle pain caused by any disease then manual therapy is one of the most recommended treatments to your condition.
What is Manual Therapy?
Manual therapy is a physical treatment that involves various kinds of hands-on techniques by adding pressure to the affected area i.e. muscles and joints, to increase range of motion, improve muscle strength, repair soft tissues, decrease swelling and inflammation, and facilitate movement to improve function.
Manual therapy is performed by the professional physiotherapists on the patients suffering from motion impairments facing a lack of mobility in certain musculoskeletal conditions. At different speeds and forces, therapists measure bones and joints move to relieve the patient from discomfort and pain. This health care profession involves different techniques to restore function in the treated area.
Techniques used in Manual Therapy
Depending upon the patient’s conditions, the following are the pain management techniques performed to cure.
- Joint Mobilization involves the pressure applied by the therapist under the various speeds and amplitudes on the spinal and extremity joints. This advanced technology allows the free movement of the joints in a way the patient wants. Smaller grades of pressure help to relax the tissues that allow ease in the movement of joints. Higher grades of pressure improve the pain-free mobility and alignment allowing the joint tissues to stretch.
- Manual traction involves hands-on techniques to perform spinal decompression which include verbal segments of the spinal column. A controlled force is performed to relax the affected verbal discs. This therapy improves joint health and restores pain-free mobility. Mostly, it is used in PNF therapeutic exercises under the joint mobilization and manipulation techniques conjunction.
- Muscle Energy Techniques (MET) – broad class therapy technique that involves the relaxation of muscles using gentle isometric contractions positioned against resistance controlled by the therapist. This technique is effective for hypertonic muscles to lengthen and strengthen them. Indirectly, MET also treats extremity joints by improving functionality, mobility, and alignment.
- Soft Tissue Mobilization is a manual physical therapy performed to treat soft tissue injuries and optimize the muscle function. This technique involves pressurizing the muscles, ligaments, and tendons throughout the body in a specific way to relieve pain, and restores the functionality. Other goals of soft tissue mobilization include improve circulation, strengthen the tendons and ligaments, reduce adhesions, and improve myofascial extensibility and mobility.
- Trigger point release treats and eliminates the neurophysiological mechanism causing the pain in the trigger points. Specific stretching of the muscle and direct manual pressure is the most effective treatment for the trigger points. The pain in the surrounding region of trigger points is resolved by the technique and pain-free movement improves.
- Deep Friction Massage treats and breaks down the scar tissue to improve the mobility within the soft tissue structures of tendons, ligament and muscle by utilizing the transverse deep manual pressure on to the affected area. Moreover, it also prevents adherent scars from forming to stop the process. Deep friction massage is performed on sprained ligaments and injured muscles to reduce scarring and restore pain-free mobility of the targeted tissue.
- Active Release Technique treats the muscles, tendons, and ligaments problems and optimizes the body function. This advanced non-invasive technique corrects soft tissue adhesions and restrictions.
- Instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization is the range of ergonomically designed tools used by the clinicians to diagnose chronic inflamed soft tissue dysfunction that causes pain, stiffness, and restricted movement. ASTYM certified clinicians can undergo this mobilization.
- Visceral Manipulation involves manual techniques to release restrictions of the viscera causing non-optimal alignment, movement, and pain that are followed by intestines and kidneys. Visceral manipulation fixes abnormal points of tension around which the body functions.
- Lymphatic Drainage Massage uses gentle pressures to clear the waste fluid that can be the result of surgical removal of lymph nodes i.e. caused by lymphedema. This manual therapy helps the body to regain the natural movement of smooth muscle tissues.
- Joint Mobilization involves the pressure applied by the therapist under the various speeds and amplitudes on the spinal and extremity joints. This advanced technology allows the free movement of the joints in a way the patient wants. Smaller grades of pressure help to relax the tissues that allow ease in the movement of joints. Higher grades of pressure improve the pain-free mobility and alignment allowing the joint tissues to stretch.
- Manual traction involves hands-on techniques to perform spinal decompression which include verbal segments of the spinal column. A controlled force is performed to relax the affected verbal discs. This therapy improves joint health and restores pain-free mobility. Mostly, it is used in PNF therapeutic exercises under the joint mobilization and manipulation techniques conjunction.
- Muscle Energy Techniques (MET) – broad class therapy technique that involves the relaxation of muscles using gentle isometric contractions positioned against resistance controlled by the therapist. This technique is effective for hypertonic muscles to lengthen and strengthen them. Indirectly, MET also treats extremity joints by improving functionality, mobility, and alignment.
- Soft Tissue Mobilization is a manual physical therapy performed to treat soft tissue injuries and optimize the muscle function. This technique involves pressurizing the muscles, ligaments, and tendons throughout the body in a specific way to relieve pain, and restores the functionality. Other goals of soft tissue mobilization include improve circulation, strengthen the tendons and ligaments, reduce adhesions, and improve myofascial extensibility and mobility.
- Trigger point release treats and eliminates the neurophysiological mechanism causing the pain in the trigger points. Specific stretching of the muscle and direct manual pressure is the most effective treatment for the trigger points. The pain in the surrounding region of trigger points is resolved by the technique and pain-free movement improves.
- Deep Friction Massage treats and breaks down the scar tissue to improve the mobility within the soft tissue structures of tendons, ligament and muscle by utilizing the transverse deep manual pressure on to the affected area. Moreover, it also prevents adherent scars from forming to stop the process. Deep friction massage is performed on sprained ligaments and injured muscles to reduce scarring and restore pain-free mobility of the targeted tissue.
- Active Release Technique treats the muscles, tendons, and ligaments problems and optimizes the body function. This advanced non-invasive technique corrects soft tissue adhesions and restrictions.
- Instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization is the range of ergonomically designed tools used by the clinicians to diagnose chronic inflamed soft tissue dysfunction that causes pain, stiffness, and restricted movement. ASTYM certified clinicians can undergo this mobilization.
- Visceral Manipulation involves manual techniques to release restrictions of the viscera causing non-optimal alignment, movement, and pain that are followed by intestines and kidneys. Visceral manipulation fixes abnormal points of tension around which the body functions.
- Lymphatic Drainage Massage uses gentle pressures to clear the waste fluid that can be the result of surgical removal of lymph nodes i.e. caused by lymphedema. This manual therapy helps the body to regain the natural movement of smooth muscle tissues.
What are the Conditions treated by Manual Therapy?
Manual therapy is rehabilitative health care that treats the motion impairments of the musculoskeletal system. Any injury affecting the soft tissues or bony causing the restricted bodily movement can benefit from this therapy. The medical professionals carry out manual therapy. The following are the conditions that can be treated by manual therapy:
- Lymphedema
- Muscular dystrophy
- Neck Pain
- Lower Back Pain
- Limited range of motion
- Osteoporosis
- Vertigo
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Respiratory issues
- Joint replacements and restrictions
- Hip, knee, and ankle sprain
- Foot fracture
- Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
- Neurological and progressive movement disorder
- Post-operative conditions
- Tendonitis
- Bursitis
- Athletic performance issues
- Shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hand pain
- Headaches
- Lymphedema
- Muscular dystrophy
- Neck Pain
- Lower Back Pain
- Limited range of motion
- Osteoporosis
- Vertigo
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Respiratory issues
- Joint replacements and restrictions
- Hip, knee, and ankle sprain
- Foot fracture
- Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
- Neurological and progressive movement disorder
- Post-operative conditions
- Tendonitis
- Bursitis
- Athletic performance issues
- Shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hand pain
- Headaches
Benefits of Manual Physiotherapy
- Balances the postural and muscle imbalance
- Reduces stiffness
- Decreases pain
- Improves contractile and non-contractile tissue repair
- Facilitates movement with faster recovery
- Eliminates soft tissue inflammation
Take the first step towards a healthier you! Discover Evergreen Rehab and Wellness Physiotherapy. Embrace your journey to recovery .
Frequently Asked Questions with Manual Therapy
Sign-Up Today!
Get the daily thoose of health and wellness tips and the latest offerss across our clinics.