From Pain to Power: How Manual Physical Therapy Can Help You Heal

If you’re in pain, you know how frustrating it can be. You may feel like you can’t do anything because even the simplest tasks are too difficult. And when you finally see a doctor, they may prescribe physical therapy. But what is manual physical therapy? How does it work? In this blog post, we will discuss the benefits of manual physical therapy and how it can help you heal!

What Is Manual Physical Therapy?

Manual physical therapy is a type of hands-on care provided by a trained therapist. This therapist will use different techniques to help relieve pain, improve movement, and promote healing. The therapist may also use tools such as massage, heat, or cold to help with these goals.

The therapist will often start by doing an assessment. This will help them understand what is causing your pain or movement issues. Once they know this, they can create a plan to address these problems.

Is Manual Therapy Safe?

Yes, manual therapy is generally safe. However, as with any type of medical treatment, there are potential risks and side effects associated with it.

Manual therapy is a technique that involves moving your tendons, ligaments, and joints in order to facilitate pain relief and healing. Manual therapy is non-invasive and doesn’t involve any harmful drugs or surgical procedures.

What Are The Techniques Used In Manual Physical Therapy?

The techniques used in physical therapy are as follows:

Stroking: This is a technique in which the therapist uses his or her hands to stroke the patient’s skin in order to release muscle tension.

Kneading

This is a technique in which the therapist uses his or her hands to massage the patient’s muscles in order to release tension and knots.

Trigger point release

This is a technique in which the therapist uses his or her fingers to apply pressure to specific points on the patient’s body in order to release tension and knots.

Compression

This is a technique in which the therapist uses his or her hands to apply pressure to the patient’s muscles in order to reduce swelling and inflammation.

What Are The Types Of Manual Therapy

There are various types of manual therapy:

Integrative manual therapy

This is a type of therapy that uses both hands to assess and treat the body. It focuses on treating the whole person, not just the symptoms.

Craniosacral therapy

This therapy uses gentle touch to release restrictions in the cranial bones and sacrum (tailbone). It is often used to treat headaches, neck pain, and back pain.

Myofascial release

This therapy uses gentle sustained pressure to release restrictions in the connective tissue (fascia). It is often used to treat chronic pain and injuries.

Positional release therapy

This therapy uses gentle pressure and releases to relieve pain in specific areas of the body. It is often used to treat chronic pain and injuries.

Manual lymphatic drainage

This therapy uses gentle massage to encourage the natural movement of lymph fluid. It is often used to treat lymphedema (swelling), chronic pain, and injuries.

Neuro tension techniques

Your therapist will use gentle, yet firm pressure to release the tension in your muscles. This will help to improve your range of motion and reduce pain.

Muscle energy technique

When it comes to manual physical therapy, one technique that is often used is muscle energy technique. This is a hands-on approach that uses the patient’s muscles to help improve range of motion and flexibility.

The therapist will work with the patient to apply pressure to specific areas of the body. This pressure can help to stretch out muscles and help the patient to regain range of motion.

Does Manual Physical Therapy Work?

Yes, manual physical therapy works. By using techniques such as massage, stretching, and soft tissue manipulation, manual therapists can help relieve pain and improve range of motion.

Manual physical therapy is a type of physical therapy that involves using the hands to manipulate the muscles and joints. The therapist may also use other tools, such as massage balls or foam rollers.

What Are The Conditions Used To Treat?

Manual therapy can treat various painful conditions, such as Chronic back pain and spasms. Muscle tension in the neck and shoulders. Problems with joint mobility and stiffness., notably without any harsh side effects that are often associated with different types of treatments.

There are a wide variety of conditions that can be treated with manual physical therapy. These include:

• Arthritis
• Bursitis
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Frozen shoulder
• Headaches
• Joint pain
• Lower back pain
• Neck pain
• Plantar fasciitis
• Sciatica
• Tendinitis
• Whiplash

How Long Does Manual Therapy Last?

The number of sessions you’ll need depends on the severity and chronicity of your condition. In general, acute conditions (those that have developed over a few days or weeks) respond more quickly to manual therapy than chronic conditions (those that have been present for months or years).

That said, even chronic conditions can often be resolved with manual therapy, though it may take more sessions. In general, you can expect to need 2-6 manual therapy sessions, spaced 1-2 weeks apart.

What Are the Benefits of Manual Therapy?

Manual therapy can offer a number of benefits, including:

Reduced pain

Manual therapy techniques can help to break up adhesions, loosen muscles, and release trigger points, all of which can lead to reduced pain.

Improved range of motion

By loosening tight muscles and releasing restrictions in the joints, manual therapy can often improve the range of motion.

Improved function

When pain is reduced and the range of motion is improved, it’s often easier to perform activities of daily living and participate in hobbies and other forms of exercise.

Reduced stress

The hands-on nature of manual therapy can be deeply relaxing, which can help to reduce stress levels.

What Are the Risks of Manual Therapy?

Manual therapy is generally a safe treatment option, but there are some risks associated with it. The most common complication is soreness or tenderness at the site of treatment. This is usually mild and goes away quickly. Other rarer complications can include:

• Joint dysfunction
• Muscle strain
• Nerve irritation
• Inflammation
• Hematoma

If you have any concerns about the risks of manual therapy, be sure to discuss them with your physical therapist before beginning treatment.

Conclusion

It may be concluded that manual physical therapy is an effective treatment for various conditions and injuries. The therapist’s years of experience, along with their ability to manually manipulate the tissues and joints, can help speed up the healing process and provide long-term pain relief. If you are considering this type of therapy, be sure to consult with a qualified practitioner to ensure that it is the right fit for your needs.

Manual physical therapy is a type of therapy that uses hands-on techniques to treat various conditions and injuries. The therapist will use their years of experience, along with their ability to manually manipulate the tissues and joints, to help speed up the healing process and provide long-term pain relief.

Physical Therapy help patients recover from pain. If you’re experiencing Back pain, Shoulder pain, Knee pain, Neck pain, Elbow pain, Hip pain, or Arthritis pain, a physical therapist at MantraCare can help: Book a physiotherapy session.