Manual Therapy
Manual Therapy is a clinical skill with specific hands-on techniques used by the physical therapist to diagnose and treat injury to the soft tissues and joint structures by reducing pain, increasing range of motion, inducing relaxation, facilitating movement, and restoring and improving normal functioning. At Bull Dawg, we believe that manual physical therapy is the most comprehensive physical therapy technique available to treat your mechanical, neuromuscular, and motor control problems. Manual therapy views the body as an entire system rather than as a set of individual parts. It is successful because of its ability to diagnose problems accurately and more efficiently place patients on the path to recovery.
Manual Therapy Techniques
The type of manual therapy each patient receives differs and depends on their pain levels, the muscle or joint that is affected, and their ability to move. Techniques include:
Soft Tissue Massage or soft tissue mobilization, which focuses on muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Often if a patient hasn’t had a chance to use a set of muscles due to illness or has been injured in that area, the tissues can become scarred and robbed of the precious fluids that promote flexibility. Soft tissue massage focuses on limbering up these damaged areas while promoting overall wellness.
Joint Mobilization - A “restricted joint” issue often occurs after an injury, such as falling and twisting your back or wrenching your shoulder. The injury to the joint leads to muscle spasms and restricted movement. A skilled physical therapist practices joint mobilization movements, such as a “glide and slide” of opposing bones, in order to get the joints working properly again.
Neuromuscular Techniques - At times, muscles work themselves into abnormal states, in which the muscle’s stretch reflex has difficulty relaxing itself. To treat this, physical therapists use a technique known as “strain/counterstain” that guides the problematic muscle into positions that are “opposite” the ones where pain and tenderness starts. Staying in this position of slight tension helps relieve the spasms by gently pulling the muscles into the opposite direction of the reflex spasms.