More than just a Massage
An Essential Part of Your Care
Most people hear the words “physical therapy”, and think of a mixture of ultrasound, heat, ice, and massage, but nothing could be further from the truth at Empire Sports Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation. We believe that every aspect of treatment builds on each other and has a purpose in rehabilitation.
Manual Therapy is part of every treatment plan at Empire Sports Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation. Manual therapy focuses on restoring proper motion and allows you to move appropriately. Proper motion is restored by creating mobility in the joint, releasing the muscles that cross that joint, stretching those muscles that limit the motion, and releasing any scars and fascia around that joint. Moving appropriately is achieved by creating proper motion and re-educating the use of that joint.
While massage is a part of manual therapy, it is but a grain of sand on the shore that is manual therapy. Manual Therapy can be divided into two basic categories: techniques to regain motion and techniques to control that motion.
Techniques to regain motion:
- Joint Mobilizations
- Passive Range of Motion
- Stretching
- Myofascial Release
- Trigger Point Release
- Soft Tissue Mobilization Techniques, such as various types of massage and Active Release Techniques
- Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization including Graston Therapy
- Muscle Energy Techniques
Techniques to control motion:
- Taping
- Rhythmic stabilization
- Manually Resisted Exercise
- Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation techniques
To properly utilize Manual Therapy, each technique must be applied by an expert clinician at the proper time with the proper force in the proper direction with a goal for each and every technique. Manual Therapy is an important portion of physical therapy and when performed correctly, can greatly enhance the outcome and the speed to achieve that outcome.
