Manual therapy offered in Walker, MI

Manual therapy is one of the bedrocks of physical therapy treatment. Any type of hands-on treatment a therapist uses to treat pain, swelling, inflammation or joint immobilization can be considered a type of manual therapy. The Advent Physical Therapy clinic in Walker, Michigan, looks at some common manual therapy techniques and how they can be useful to patients.

Myofascial release

Myofascial release or trigger point therapy is a useful method for reducing tension and pain in muscles. The connective tissue, or fascia, that stabilizes and encloses the muscles can become tight, thus restricting blood flow and causing pain. Myofascial release works by applying pressure directly to the pain point. The goal is to elicit a twitch response from the muscle to ease tension and relieve pain.

Joint mobilization

Another core component of manual therapy is joint mobilization. After an injury, swelling and inflammation can cause a body part to be less mobile. This natural defense mechanism may be good at stopping you from moving the injured body part to prevent further damage, but can be counterproductive when recovering from the injury.

Joint mobilization works to increase range of motion in a joint or body part by slowly stretching the joint to its anatomical limit. While this may be uncomfortable, joint mobilization may help prevent the formation of excess scar tissue and increase blood flow to the injured area to promote the body’s natural healing process.

Soft tissue mobilization

Soft tissue mobilization may be instrument-assisted or performed hands-on by the physical therapist. Adhesions and scar tissue form as a natural part of the healing process when there is damage to the soft tissue. This manual therapy technique works to break up these adhesions by applying pressure and rhythmic stretching to the area. The benefits of soft tissue mobilization include:

• Increase in range of motion
• Decrease in pain
• Stimulation of the body’s inflammatory healing response
• Increase in blood flow and circulation

Advent Physical Therapy wants to help treat patients with effective manual therapy for their condition. If you are in the Walker area, contact us today to set up your free 15-minute screening and discuss your manual therapy treatment options.