If you are dealing with pain and stiffness caused by an orthopaedic injury or chronic condition involving bone, muscle, tendons, or ligaments, manual therapy may be a suitable treatment option to reduce pain, increase mobility, and help you return to participating in the sports and activities you love — safely and effectively. Manual therapy encompasses a range of techniques used by physiotherapists to assess and treat injuries and chronic conditions causing pain, stiffness, and reduced range of motion of the arms, legs, and spine. Manual therapy involves hands-on treatments geared towards improving muscle function while minimizing pain. Types of conditions that can be treated by manual therapy include muscle strains, ligament sprains, joint restrictions, post-surgical conditions, tendonitis, and bursitis.

Types of Manual Therapy:

Joint mobilization – the practitioner applies oscillating movements or sustained pressure to the joint in order to improve mobility at that joint

Joint manipulation – the practitioner will apply a small, quick push or pull to a bone or joint to improve mobility and alignment

Soft tissue mobilization - Treatments such as massage therapy and trigger point therapy are applied to muscles, tendons, and ligaments. The goal of soft tissue mobilization is to reduce pain, relax muscles, increase circulation, and break up scar tissue

Myofascial release - light, manual pressure, is used to massage and stretch a trigger point in your fascia (the thin connective tissue that surrounds and supports your bones, organs, nerves, blood vessels, and muscles). This technique is used to release tension, improve circulation, minimize pain, and increase mobility.

Scar tissue mobilization – A method used to remodel scar tissue that has developed following an injury. Scar tissue mobilization stimulates the body’s own healing process resulting in the scar tissue being better aligned with the surrounding tissues

Active release technique – A soft tissue technique that focuses on relieving tension through the removal of adhesions or scar tissue which can develop in tissues as a result of overuse and repetitive load. The clinician applies deep tension at the area of tenderness whilst the patient is instructed to actively move the injury site in a specific way. 

Benefits of Manual Therapy:

Manual therapy has many benefits and will be a core piece of your treatment protocol at Elios Health:

• Manual therapy can support individuals dealing with acute injuries

• Manual therapy can reduce pain in chronic conditions

• Improve posture

• Increase circulation

• Improve range of motion

Our practitioners will combine the best manual therapy techniques for your unique needs with functional strength, mobility, and proprioceptive exercises as well as other modalities such as intramuscular stimulation to provide you with the most well-rounded care possible. Each one of the physiotherapists at Elios Health is extremely skilled and knowledgeable and is excited to help you reach your goals pain and injury-free. Visit our Main Street clinic in Vancouver to meet our team, or send us a message to ask a question.

Original Post by Rachel Rubin-Sarganis
Photo by Jude Beck