Hands-On Techniques

Manual therapy can help you deal with chronic pain!

Are you looking for a highly effective way to alleviate pain or improve your range of motion? Manual therapy could be an excellent solution to your problems!

Physical therapists use manual therapy to alleviate pain, restore range of motion and help restore an individual’s mobility. A physical therapist passively moves joints and soft tissue through skilled hand movements to elicit the desired result.

At Elite Physical Therapy in Conway and Perryville, AR, our therapists are highly skilled at getting to the root of your problems and providing safe, highly effective treatments to help you find relief and get back to doing what you love!

Make an appointment with Elite Physical Therapy today to learn more about how manual therapy can help you!

Does manual therapy hurt?

Unfortunately, that is a trick question. Touching injured areas on the body is not always comfortable, and areas that are already painful intensify even with the lightest touch. But the pain-relieving benefits of manual therapy are well proven and, when used by our skilled physical therapists, are particularly beneficial!

Manual therapy aims to alleviate pain, and often people feel immediate relief!

Physical therapists use safe, highly effective manual therapy techniques to mobilize stiff joints and tight or tense soft tissues. Manual techniques are effectively used to treat joint swelling, tissue edema, joint restrictions, and soft tissue tension and restrictions/adhesions.

Our highly skilled therapists will clearly define what you can expect from our manual therapy techniques. Knowing what to expect is an effective way to manage increases in your symptoms and helps reduce or eliminate the fear people have about their condition getting worse.

Some people have soreness after a manual therapy session, but this is temporary and should never last more than 24-48 hours. As your therapist works with you, they can modulate the pressure and techniques to minimize any soreness and ensure overall pain relief.

It is common to experience immediate pain relief and joint or soft tissue mobility improvements from a single session of manual therapy. Remember, the goal is never to cause more pain, so communication with your therapist is imperative for positive results!

Our physical therapists at Elite Physical Therapy in Conway and Perryville, AR are medical professionals who understand how the human body works. You’ll feel better and more optimistic about the future of your treatment after your first appointment with our physical therapist.

In fact, many patients claim to have seen results after just one session.

What manual therapies are available at our Conway and Perryville, AR physical therapy clinics?

Elite Physical Therapy will use a variety of therapeutic techniques to relieve your pain. Here are some examples of popular manual therapy treatments:

Soft tissue techniques (aka therapeutic massage)

Although it is common to describe manual therapy techniques as a “massage” the differences between a therapeutic massage, and a relaxing spa-type massage are often quite vast.

Deep pressure techniques and targeted stretching are commonly used in therapeutic massage to help free up restrictions and mobilize the joints and surrounding tissues.

Our physical therapists are highly skilled at locating restricted areas that are contributing to your pain and dysfunction throughout your body. Therapeutic massage works to relax, loosen and mobilize any problematic areas, reducing your chances of developing an injury that will keep you out of the game for an extended period of time.

Your physical therapist may recommend the following types of therapeutic massage for your specific needs:

Myofascial release. This massage frees tissues from constriction caused by distortions or fascial adhesions.
Deep tissue massage. This type of massage loosens up your muscles and their connective tissues.
Trigger point release. A trigger point in a muscle can impair the mobility of your soft tissue and joints, leading to pain. This type of massage targets areas of tight muscle fibers that may or may not be sensitive to touch

Joint mobilization

Joint mobilizations are manual therapy techniques used to move a joint passively. Mobilizations are applied at varying speeds and amplitudes that restore optimal joint motion, and function and/ or reduce pain.

Joint manipulation

Manipulation (aka adjustment) is a manual technique to move the joints passively through their normal motion limits. Joint manipulations help relieve joint pressure, reduce inflammation, and improve nerve function.

Spinal manipulation is an effective form of treating back pain and is performed by taking spinal joints to their comfortable limits and applying a high-velocity thrust. This technique is often used on spinal joints and focuses on reducing pressure, alleviating pain, and improving spinal mobility. Often the manipulations are accompanied by popping sounds, although they are not always needed for effective results.

Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM)

While performing this type of manual therapy, your physical therapists will use a device, typically made of plastic or metal, to do the work of the hands. A skilled therapist will scrape the tool along the skin to break up adhesions and improve circulation (healing) to the area.

During this procedure, an IASTM-trained physical therapist will use specialized devices to break down connective tissue restrictions and scar tissue. Depending on your needs, your therapists will use different speeds and pressures.

A minor inflammatory response will typically occur due to the specific pressure applied to the afflicted soft tissues (i.e., muscles, tendons, or ligaments). This inflammatory response promotes the body’s natural healing mechanism, allowing you to recover and resume living your best life more quickly!

Manual traction

Manual traction is a common treatment used for all joints in the body but most commonly with the neck or back. This technique reduces pressure in the joints (i.e., decompress the joints). It is a safe, effective way to help provide patients with pain relief and increase their joint mobility.

Are you ready to discover the benefits of manual therapy? Call Elite Physical Therapy right away!

Are you tired of dealing with persistent pain? Is your limited range of motion preventing you from engaging in your favorite activities? If you’re looking for a hands-on approach to physical therapy, contact our Conway and Perryville, AR clinic right away!

Manual therapy is a proven strategy for helping people find lasting pain relief so they can get back to living the life they enjoy!

Make an appointment with Elite Physical Therapy as soon as possible to receive the pain relief you deserve!

Conway Clinic

Perryville Clinic