Manual Therapy
Manual therapy involves a variety of soft tissue techniques such as massage, joint mobilisations and stretching used for both evaluating and treating patients.
Specialised manual skills are used to assess soft tissue abnormalities, muscles tightness, joint arthrokinematic restrictions and range of motion.
Therapeutic massage is used to treat muscle tension and tightness which occur secondary to joint and neurological diseases. It includes a variety of techniques:
- Effleurage is a soothing technique for relaxation and to reduce swelling
- Petrissage applies moderate to deep pressure to improve circulation and tissue extensibility
- Tapotement is a stimulatory technique to increase blood flow and oxygen to an area or to stimulate a weak muscle
- Cross-friction is used to break down adhesions to accelerate muscle healing
- Trigger point release or ischemic techniques eliminate tender areas and decrease spasm.
Massage stimulates endorphins which help to manage pain and decrease anxiety. We often use massage along with thermal therapy to relax the patient and warm the muscles to enhance the effect of any stretching, range of motion or exercises and ensure the patients gain the most from other forms of therapy we incorporate.
