Our physiotherapists, at “BetterLife Physiotherapy”, use manual therapy/hands-on techniques in certain ways aiming to reach therapeutic goals of treatment.
What is Manual Therapy?
Manual therapy is one of the most effective tools that allow the physiotherapist to mobilize stiff joints and soft tissue. This specialized form of treatment helps in relieving pain, decreasing swelling, decreasing restriction, mobilizing joints, and increasing your range of motion. Our physiotherapists have received extensive training in specialized manual therapy techniques from a wide variety of schools and instructors.
Manual therapy techniques may include, but are not limited to:
A- Manual Traction
Manual traction is one of the methods to release tension from joints through applying manual gentle traction force to a certain area of the body, in order to gently stretch the soft tissues and restore movement. Neck, shoulder joint, lower back are the most common areas for manual traction, it can also be performed on other parts of the body, including the arms, legs, and back.
B- Mobilization
Mobilization is a technique our physiotherapists use to restore the small, involuntary movements that assist joints to perform to their optimum. Joint mobilization involves applying gentle force on joints in certain directions and quantities aiming to restore motion. With restricted range of motion, most of your daily activities that require moving of your joint, may be painful. Our physiotherapists, at “BetterLife Physiotherapy”, are specially trained to mobilize restricted joints by applying pressure at a certain velocity and direction in order to reduce your pain, increase in your range of motion, and the improvement of the restricted joint’s mobility.
C- Stretching and Flexibility
Our physiotherapists, at “ BetterLife Physiotherapy ”, can detect if your muscle/tendon is in well lengthened shape or tight via certain special tests and measurement to address reduced flexibility problems. Your physiotherapist can apply a different variety of manual stretching, flexibility exercises, and certain relevant techniques. The result is a feeling of increased muscle control, flexibility, and range of motion. Stretching is also used therapeutically to alleviate muscle strain and to improve function in daily activities by increasing range of motion.
D- Soft Tissue Release (STR)
Soft tissue release is a way of using certain pressure and stretching across an area of the body that is restricted in motion. Our physiotherapists, at “BetterLife Physiotherapy”, use that technique which is more therapeutic in nature, as a way to release the soft tissues, mobilize scar tissue and reduce adhesions. These techniques also help to improve blood flow/circulation of the affected muscles and soft tissues and to reduce pain.
E- Deep Friction Massage (DFM)
Deep friction massage, also known as cross friction massage or deep tissue massage (DTM) is applying deep transverse massage to ligament, tendon or musculotendinous junction. The purpose of DFM is to improve the mobility within the soft tissue structures, mobilize adherent scars, improve blood supply and enhance recovery. Before DFM can be performed successfully, the dysfunctional structure must be found through proper evaluation procedures which reveal the restricted motion.
F- Mulligan Manual Technique
Mulligan technique is one of manual therapy techniques, post graduate manual courses, designed to reduce pain and improve the patient’s range of motion. Mulligan technique involves Natural Apophyseal Glides (NAGS), unstained Natural Apophyseal Glides (SNAGS) and Mobilization With Movement (MWM) for the treatment of a wide variety of musculoskeletal injuries.
