Manual therapy Techniques

Manual therapy techniques are skilled hand movements and skilled passive movements of joints and soft tissue. These may include manual lymphatic drainage, manual traction, massage, mobilization/manipulation, and passive range of motion.  Manual therapy techniques are done by our skilled physical therapists and are intended to:

• Increase range of motion
• Induce relaxation
• Mobilize or manipulate soft tissue and joints
• Modulate pain
• Reduce soft tissue swelling, inflammation, or restriction

• Joint mobilization
• Joint manipulation/thrust
• Muscle energy techniques
• Mulligan techniques
• Traction

• Myofascial cupping
• ASTYM
• Taping 
• Trigger Point Dry Needling
• Compression Flossing
• Manual lymph drainage
• Soft tissue mobilization
• Functional mobilization
• Scar mobilization
• Myofascial release
• Strain counterstrain
• Craniosacral therapy
• Active Release Technique (ART)
• Feldenkrais
• Graston

We use a variety of different types of tape with various applications to decrease pain, swelling, provide support, and improve muscle activation. Taping can help a wide range of issues from pain with minor sports injuries to pain with severe arthritis. We use kinesiotape, dynamic tape, Rocktape, leukotape, and athletic tape depending on the patient's needs. 

Myofascial cupping is a soft tissue therapy that encourages healing by creating a negative pressure or suction on the skin using cups that pull up underlying tissues, blood, and other fluids close to the surface of the skin. This loosens muscles, encourages blood flow, and sedates the nervous system. Cupping can help treat soft tissue conditions and musculoskeletal tension, pain, and common sporting injuries.  Cupping is even used to relieve anxiety, fatigue, migraines, rheumatism, and high blood pressure. 

This increases joint range of motion by applying forces that lengthen the joint capsule. Mobilization with movement can also be used to improve joint mobility using Mulligan principles and moving through end ranges of pain-free motion.  

Compression flossing makes positive subjective changes to our joints and soft tissues through compression + tension + movement. This will often increase joint mobility, decrease pain, and speed up recovery.  

Augmented soft tissue mobilization to decrease muscle, tendon, ligament, and scar tissue restrictions that can cause pain and restrict motion. This process facilitates healing of new healthy tissue to expedite the recovery process.  

Intramuscular Manual Therapy (IMT), otherwise known as Trigger Point Dry Needling, is a treatment for relieving pain caused by muscular tightness and spasms which commonly follow injuries that often accompany the degenerative process.