Manual Therapy and Cupping
Manual therapy includes hands-on techniques performed by a physical therapist. Various techniques are used to decrease pain and improve mobility including spine and joint mobilization and manipulation. Some of the manual techniques we can offer include the following.
Manual Therapy Techniques
- Soft tissue massage is similar to traditional massage and can be done for either superficial or deep tissue. We can target specific areas or muscles to relax them or reduce tightness that is limiting your range of motion. Deep friction techniques can be utilized to help free up chronically tight or scarred tissue.
- Myofascial release is a technique used to loosen the fascia. The fascia is a thin layer of connective tissue that covers your muscles and other tissues. Fascia stretches and moves as you do, however, it is very sensitive to becoming tight or “stuck” in one direction when it is supposed to move freely. Poor posture, repetitive movements and/or trauma to the muscle or area will cause the fascia to tighten up and cause painful “knots” in the muscles. Even though gentle pressure is generally used for this technique, it can still cause some soreness.
- Cupping is different from manual therapy and massage in that it provides negative pressure. Suction is used with the cups to lift the skin and underlying tissues to improve circulation and loosen adhesions. Cupping can be used with or without movement to aid in tissue mobility and free up scar tissue. Cupping therapy may also be used in conjunction with Dry Needling or instrument assisted mobilization for a more aggressive management of scar tissue.
Joint and Extremity Mobilization
Joint and extremity mobilization and manipulations are aimed at getting the bone(s) of the joint to move better. Joint mobilization is a gentle way of improving joint mobility by stretching the connective tissue surrounding the joint to improve mobility. Joint or spinal manipulation is a thrust technique that usually involves a “crack” sound.
Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization
Instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization is a massage technique using a metal tool or tools. This technique has been shown to assist in realigning muscle and tissue fiber to improve pain free mobility. Scar tissue or “knots” in the muscle are fibers that are aligned in a haphazard way that decreases the efficiency of the muscular contraction and causes pain. The metal tools help to break them up and realign the fibers in a more efficient manner. Specific exercise or stretching can be done after this to get the maximum benefit. This is often used after dry needling.
Visceral Manipulation
Viscera refers to the organs of the body. Organs need to be able to move well and move consistently. For example, as the diaphragm pushes down to create space for the lungs to expand, abdominal organs underneath it such as the liver, gallbladder, stomach and intestines need to move as well. The organs are attached to the abdominal wall via connective tissue. When one or more of these organs becomes tight or inflamed, it can cause pain by tugging on the attachment sites. Organs can become tight or inflamed for many reasons; trauma from an injury or surgery, excess tissue due to endometriosis, constipation, chemical irritation from diet and medication and/or emotional distress are just a few. Visceral manipulation is a form of gentle massage to help restore normal motion to the organs so they can once again move in harmony. Some of the most common sites for referred pain from the organs are the neck, upper and lower back. If you have ever had nagging neck, back or abdominal pain that just wouldn’t go away, it may be that one or more of the organs is not moving well. Call us to discuss how this could help you.
A combination of these techniques are typically used depending on your specific needs. We take the time to look at the body as a whole and not just at your injury. How much manual therapy you will need will depend on your injury and areas that are contributing to the injury, your age and other health conditions. Exactly what type of manual therapy you need will be determined after an evaluation with a physical therapist. Manual therapy may be used in conjunction with Dry Needling, exercise or other techniques to improve range of motion and reduce pain. Manual therapy can cause some temporary soreness lasting a few hours to a few days. Please let us know how you respond to our hands on treatment and we will adjust accordingly.
Do you have an injury that has been causing you pain? Please call us at 508-863-4792 to see how manual therapy and cupping can help you and your specific injury. We would be happy to answer any additional questions.