Manual Therapy
Manual therapy is the ‘hands-on’ treatment used in the management of disorders affecting the musculoskeletal and nervous systems.
The Performance Physio clinic has a very hands-on manual therapy approach to treatment.
Manual therapy used at Performance Physio Clinic includes:
- Passive mobilisations and manipulation of spinal and peripheral joints
- Muscle energy techniques
- Passive stretching of contractile tissues
- Manual muscle relaxation techniques
- Mobilisations of the nervous system
The mobilisation treatment may vary from very gentle small amplitude movements, barely perceived by you if the treatment you require is for pain, to large amplitude, through range, or strong, small amplitude, end of range techniques which are aimed at improving your movement.
Research and experience shows that early treatment of your injury with gentle movement in the direction of injury helps with the organisation and alignment of the fibres in the repair process, thereby reducing the production of unwanted adhesions and encouraging an earlier return to normal functions.
In longer term conditions, for example arthritis, we would try and use larger mobilisations to help affect fluid dynamics in the tissue – as the viability, health and repair of tissues are highly dependent on their vascular and lymphatic supply.
