People can suffer from a wide range of musculoskeletal pain. This pain can be either short-term or chronic. There are a wide range of treatment methods or techniques that will help ease the pain. One these techniques is manual therapy. Experts recommend  using a combination of manual techniques and prescribed exercises for a variety of musculoskeletal conditions. This treatment style will not only help you obtain relief from pain, but also regain any lost strength or mobility. Manual treatments can range from treating soft tissues, improving joint function, relieving tension in muscles, and treating pain.

What Is Manual Therapy?

Manual therapy refers to the hands on techniques used to treat musculoskeletal pain. These techniques can be used to treat muscle and soft tissue pain, stiffness in joints, postural problems, and other problems related to musculoskeletal pain. Physiotherapists provide manual therapy and can help in restoring muscle mobility, improving motor control, reducing pain, and improving the efficiency of movement.

A physiotherapist may recommend combining exercises in conjunction with manual therapy for best results. This can help eliminate body pain in an effective way and may also improve your quality of life.

There are Many Types of Manual Therapy

Manipulation or Mobilization :

In this type of manual therapy, chiropractors or physiotherapists make use of their hands to apply pressure on specific areas of the joints to provide relief pain and improve mobility. Manipulation is effective in treating different joints as well as the spine.

Soft Tissue Release:

This technique focuses on providing different forms of massage to the affected tissues in order to stimulate the healing process, increase blood flow, and relax the muscle. In these techniques, medical tools may also be used to enhance the massage technique in an efficient way such as graston tools or cupping.

Benefits of Manual Therapy

Let’s talk about some of the advantages of manual techniques in detail. There are several benefits including:

#1 Increase Muscle Flexibility:

Manual therapy is often used to improve flexibility. The therapist may then prescribe stretching exercises and strengthening to maintain this flexibility. These exercises not only help to reduce musculoskeletal pain but also increase strength and flexibility. Manual therapy is a great option for athletes as it can help improve muscle flexbility and overall performance.

#2 Improve Joint Range of Motion:

If you suffer from chronic joint stiffness, you may get relief with manual therapy. One of the reasons stiffness in the joint can occur is when the supporting muscles become tense. With manual therapy, the supporting tissues and ligaments will become more free to move. This will allow you to experience increased range of motion around the joint, as the muscles become more relaxed and joint restrictions are addressed.

#3 Improved Blood Flow:

When muscles and joints become stiff, they can have a decreased blood flow. This decrease of blood flow can lead to the muscle becoming hypoxic and painful. Manual therapy stimulates the affected areas. This stimulation helps with the delivery of nutrient-rich blood to the injured area, which helps the healing process.

#4 Reduced Pain:

With regular manual therapy, there is a neurophysiological effect that leads to decreased pain.

Summary:

Now you are aware of all the important aspects of manual therapy - the treatment process, the different types, and their benefits. These benefits show how effective this treatment can be in eliminating pain and improving body flexibility. Moreover, with manual treatment, you can reduce the possibility of musculoskeletal pain occurring in the future.