Manual Therapy

The goal of manual therapy is to reduce pain and improve physical function. It differs from massage therapy which is aimed toward encouraging physical and mental relaxation.

Have you ever been to physical therapy and your therapist is pressing into your body, moving your joints around, pushing on your muscles? Have you wondered why? Have you asked yourself, how something relatively passive can help reduce your pain, or get you back to an activity you are having difficulty with?

What does Manual Therapy do:

  • Reduces tissue tension
  • Specifically targets trigger points
  • It leads to a chemical reaction within tissue
  • Increases the release of:
  • cannabinoids
  • endorphins
  • serotonin
  • Improves body awareness
  • Improves blood flow encouraging healing

What are some specific manual therapy treatment techniques:

  • Soft tissue mobilization
  • Joint mobilization
  • Strain-counterstrain
  • Myofascial release/Trigger point release
  • Active release
  • Cross friction
  • Instrument assisted release