Manual therapy can assist you in dealing with chronic pain.
Do you want a highly effective way to relieve pain or improve your range of motion? Manual therapy could be a fantastic solution to your issues.
Physical therapists in Warminster and New Britain, PA use manual therapy to relieve pain, restore range of motion, and aid in the restoration of mobility. To achieve the desired results, physical therapists use skilled hand movements to passively move joints and soft tissues.
Our therapists are highly skilled at identifying the source of your chronic pain and providing safe, highly effective treatments to help you find relief and get back to doing what you love.
Is manual therapy painful?
Manual therapy aims to relieve pain. However, touching injured areas of the body is not always initially comfortable. Despite this, the pain-relieving benefits of manual therapy are well-established and, when performed by our skilled physical therapists, prove to be beneficial.
To mobilize stiff joints and alleviate tight or tense soft tissues, physical therapists employ safe, highly effective manual therapy techniques. These techniques can effectively treat joint swelling, tissue edema, joint restrictions, soft tissue tension, and adhesions.
Manual therapy is intended to reduce pain and improve function. However, some individuals may experience mild discomfort related to a manual therapy session. With open communication between you and your therapist, pressure and techniques can be modified to minimize soreness and ensure overall pain relief.
What types of manual therapy are available at our physical therapy clinics?
McCabe and Brady Physical Therapy will relieve your pain using a variety of therapeutic techniques. Here are a few popular manual therapy treatments:
Soft tissue techniques (also known as therapeutic massage)
Although it is common to refer to manual therapy techniques as “massage,” the distinctions between a therapeutic massage and a relaxing spa-style massage are often quite significant.
Deep pressure techniques and targeted stretching are frequently used in therapeutic massage to help loosen restrictions and mobilize joints and surrounding tissues. Our physical therapists are experts at pinpointing restricted areas that are causing pain and dysfunction. Therapeutic massage works to relax, loosen, and mobilize any problematic areas, lowering your chances of injury.
For your specific needs, your physical therapist may recommend the following types of therapeutic massage:
Myofascial release
This massage frees tissues from constriction caused by distortions or fascial adhesions.
Transverse friction massage
This type of massage is used to free adhesions and improve blood flow to chronic soft tissue disorders like tendinopathy or tendinosis.
Deep tissue massage
This type of massage loosens up your muscles and their connective tissues.
Trigger point release
A trigger point in a muscle can impair the mobility of your soft tissues and joints, leading to pain. This type of massage targets areas of tight muscle fibers that may or may not be sensitive to touch.
Joint mobilization
Joint mobilizations are manual therapy techniques that are used to passively move a joint. Mobilizations are performed at varying speeds and amplitudes to restore optimal joint motion, function, and/or pain relief.
Joint manipulation
Manipulation (also known as an adjustment) is a manual technique for passively moving joints through their normal motion limits. Joint manipulations aid in the relief of joint pressure, the reduction of inflammation, and the improvement of nerve function.
Spinal manipulation
Spinal manipulation, an effective form of back pain treatment, involves bringing spinal joints to their comfortable limits and then applying a high-velocity thrust. A practitioner will use this technique on spinal joints to relieve pressure, relieve pain, and improve spinal mobility.
Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM)
Your physical therapists will use a device, typically made of plastic or metal, to do the work of the hands while performing this type of manual therapy. A skilled therapist will use the tool to scrape the skin in order to break up adhesions and improve circulation (healing) to the area.
An IASTM-trained physical therapist will use specialized devices to break down connective tissue restrictions and scar tissue during this procedure. Your therapists will use different speeds and pressures depending on your needs.
A minor inflammatory response is usually elicited from the specific pressure applied to the affected soft tissues (i.e., muscles, tendons, or ligaments). This inflammatory response promotes the body’s natural healing mechanism, allowing you to recover and get back to living your best life faster.
Manual traction
Manual traction is a popular treatment for all joints in the body, but it is most commonly used on the neck or back. This technique relieves joint pressure (i.e., decompresses the joints). It is a safe and effective method of relieving pain and increasing joint mobility in patients.
Are you ready to learn about the advantages of manual therapy?
With our therapists’ expertise, you can get relief and get back to doing what you love with safe and highly effective treatments. Contact McCabe and Brady Physical Therapy today in Warminster or New Britain, PA.
Your Next Steps…
Request An Appointment
Receive A Custom Treatment Plan
Work Hard and Progress In Your Recovery
Enjoy Life Pain-Free!