Injuries are a part of life, regardless of age, sex, or how active you are. In 2019 alone, the United States saw 48.3 million people get some type of injury from work, home, playing outside, exercising, or other activity.
In many cases, you can handle minor scrapes and bruises on your own, or rest up, take some pain medication, and just go back to normal life. But sometimes you get a pain that doesn’t go away or keeps coming back, and an aspirin and rest just aren’t enough.
Whether you’re dealing with arthritis, musculoskeletal pain, back pain, or other conditions, manual therapy is one of many methods of rehabilitation that can help bring you pain relief with no medications or devices.
If you want help with physical therapy or rehabilitation, Dr. Chris Clark and our experienced team at Premier Spine and Sports Medicine in Hagerstown, Maryland, have a wide variety of treatments that can help you get pain free, including manual therapy.
Let’s find out if manual therapy is the treatment for your pain needs.
Understanding manual therapy
Manual therapy is a specialized form of physical therapy that focuses purely on treatments applied with hands. We apply pressure to soft tissue and joints and manipulate them in an effort to relieve pain, promote wellness, and restore function.
This form of physical therapy can be used to manage problems with your musculoskeletal system, which includes your connective bones, muscles, ligaments, and tissue that support your body’s weight and help with your physical movement. This means it’s perfectly suited to help with conditions like osteoporosis, arthritis, back pain, and injuries that compromise your ability to move normally.
Techniques in manual therapy
Manual therapy employs a number of different techniques, including:
Soft tissue mobilization
Massaging and applying other forms of pressure to soft tissue can help to break up myofascial adhesions (inelastic or fibrous muscle tissue) and relieve muscle tension, which helps restore mobility.
Joint mobilization
Passive movements are applied to joints to loosen them up and increase your range of motion. This treatment is effective for pulled muscles and muscle spasms, and the mobilization itself should be painless.
Joint manipulation
This technique involves passive, low amplitude, high velocity thrusts applied to joints within their natural limits to restore optimal mobility and reduce any chance of joint damage.
Strain counterstrain
This method works to correct postural and structural problems through mild stretching, while maintaining patient comfort. This is a gentle method that is well suited for acute or delicate back issues.
Manual therapy can be used with other forms of physical therapy and exercise and provides a structured, comfortable framework to restore mobility and provide relief from pain.
Dr Clark customizes your treatment to manage your condition, using many of these and other treatments to help you feel better and healthier. If you’re ready to see what manual therapy can do for you, call our office or book an appointment online with Dr. Clark and Premier Spine and Sports Medicine today.