Manual therapy is the practice of using hand movements on a person’s body in order to help relieve them of pain, whether that’s from gentle tissue manipulation, increasing joint mobility or reducing swelling or inflammation, among other effects. Manual therapy in Brampton has been shown to be effective in addressing a variety of issues, including sports injuries, tension headaches, joint issues and more.
What is involved in manual therapy?
The different types of manual therapy are useful for treating a variety of different issues. Your physiotherapist will make an evaluation and address your issues with any number of techniques, including:
- Joint manipulation and mobilization: This technique uses pressure, guided movement and high-velocity thrusts to joints in order to restore motion, reduce pain or improve function. If you’re having issues with a limited range of motion or tension headaches stemming from joint issues, this could be a useful technique.
- Massage: Just as you might enjoy a massage for reducing tension, pain and inflammation, physiotherapists can perform targeted massage techniques to reduce pain, swelling and restore a range of movement.
- Traction: Traction is the practice of gently pulling and elongating the neck muscles and joints to restore movement and function to the neck and spine.
- Stretching and strengthening: Because so many muscle and joint pain issues stem from weak or tense muscles, your physiotherapist may have you perform a series of exercises that will build strength and loosen the muscles in your back, neck, shoulders and spine, among other areas.
- Heat therapy: When gentle heat is applied to the muscles, it can have a significant loosening effect, restoring range of motion and helping soothe tension in the body.
Benefits of manual therapy
Manual therapy offers a number of benefits, including:
- Reduce pain and increase movement: With manual therapy, your physiotherapist will pull and stretch the muscles in your neck to reduce pain and increase movement.
- Strengthening: When you consistently perform your assigned exercises under the care and supervision of a physiotherapist, you’ll see an increase in muscle strength. This helps support your head and neck more effectively, improves your posture and makes it easier for you to sit and stand for extended periods of time.
- Improved posture: Bad posture can be a source of tension headaches as well as muscle and back aches, hip and joint pain and more. As you strengthen and stretch your muscles, not only will your pain be soothed, but you’ll address the root of the posture problem. Better posture will make it easier for you to function on a day-to-day basis without experiencing debilitating pain.
Manual therapy in Brampton
When you’re looking for manual therapy as a form of pain relief, turn to Paramount Physiotherapy & Sports Injuries Clinic. We focus on manual therapy, but also offer massage, modalities, acupuncture, exercise and education services to address your pain at the root. Our team has been serving the Brampton area since 2009, and we’re eager to help you put your pain behind you. Call us today to schedule an appointment.