The phrase manual therapy stems from the Latin word manus, which means hand. So anytime someone uses a hand to do something that reduces pain or increases mobility, it’s technically manual therapy. So yeah, when your partner digs their thumb into that knot in your shoulder to mess with you, it’s manual therapy (technically trigger point release). Often these techniques are also referred to as bodywork.
Manual therapy aims to help increase joint mobility, relax tight muscles/tissues, decrease pain, and help your neuromuscular systems to function better.
At ASR, some of our favorite forms of manual therapy are:
- ART (Active Release Technique)
- Deep Tissue Massage
- Joint mobilizations/adjustments
- Myofascial Release
- Trigger Point release
Each technique influences your body slightly differently, so often, we use all of them in a session to try and achieve the outcome you are looking for.
Some of the outcomes we are trying to achieve are:
- Increased blood flow to tissues and joints
- Improved joint mobility
- Supported muscle flexibility
- Reduced fascial and visceral restrictions
- Modulation of pain
- Improved tissue stability and repair
- Reduced soft-tissue inflammation
- Decreased muscle spasms
When we combine these effects with movement analysis and exercise programming, our team can effectively and efficiently help you recover from injury, increase strength, or optimize your body’s mobility and function.
Our carefully crafted treatment sessions—are composed of manual therapy, movement analysis, and exercise programming tailored to your body’s needs with the goal of helping you decrease pain, improve strength, and, most importantly, STAY IN THE GAME.
If you could use the benefits of manual therapy in your life, hit us up! We’d love to help.
