Manual therapy includes several different hands-on techniques that are used to treat soft tissue problems. Manual therapy can be defined as “the examination and treatment of musculoskeletal conditions in which the clinician uses his or her hands, fingers, forearms, elbows, knees, feet, or a device to apply forces to the patient for the purpose of modifying movement, reducing pain or muscle tension, and inducing neuromuscular relaxation.”
Manual therapy techniques used by physical therapists at Dripsy Health include:
Dry Needling / Trigger Point Therapy
Trigger points are knotted areas within the muscle that cause tenderness and referred pain. Dry needling is a form of trigger point therapy that uses thin, solid needles to stimulate the tissue. By inserting a needle into the trigger point, dry needling helps to increase blood flow and relax the muscle.
Soft Tissue Mobilization / Myofascial Release Therapy
These techniques work by using the hands to push, pull, and knead the soft tissues in order to break adhesions, decrease pain, improve range of motion, reduce swelling, lengthen muscles and tendons, and restore proper function. There are various techniques that can be used for soft tissue mobilization, and your physical therapist will use the ones that work best for your individual case.
Joint Mobilization
Joint mobilization includes the passive movement of a specific joint in order to decrease pain, improve motion, and normalize joint function. This technique is focused specifically on the joint capsule.
Muscle Energy Techniques (METs)
Muscle Energy Techniques (MET) are an active technique that works by using the voluntary contraction of the patient’s muscles against a counter force controlled by the therapist. It is based on the principle of reciprocal inhibition, which theorizes that muscles on one side of the joint will relax when the muscles on the other side contract. MET stretches the muscles and promotes a full range of motion in the nearby joint.
To contact Phyt By Dripsy for physical therapy, drmahawhetsell@gmail.com.
