What Is Manual Therapy? Your Complete Guide
Roughly 50 million US adults suffer from chronic pain. That means 50 million people are experiencing poor quality of life because of their bodies.
Are you one of these people? If so, you might be looking for treatment options and resources. The good news is that there is a non-invasive and simple treatment that can manage your pain.
Manual therapy is a type of physical therapy and has been proven effective. Not sure if it’s right for you?
Read on for our complete guide to manual therapy.
What Is Manual Therapy?
Manual therapy is physical therapy that uses a hands-on approach. A trained professional will use their hands to massage your body. They won’t use any machines or devices that can be costly and invasive.
Manual therapy can be different for everyone depending on the pain you have. Your therapist works with you to ensure a proper treatment plan that will take care of your pain.
Manual therapy involves a few different techniques to result in the desired outcome. We have established the Three M’s that we follow for manual therapy.
Massage Therapy
The first step in manual therapy is massage. Applying pressure to the tissue on your body helps circulate blood flow and relieve symptoms of pain. Massage therapy is often used to help injury rehabilitation and pain management.
Manipulation Therapy
Manipulation is a chiropractic treatment where a professional applies force to realign your body. They apply a certain amount of pressure to a body part, and this puts it back into alignment. This is especially helpful for joint pain and mobility.
Mobility Therapy
Similar to manipulation, mobility will include applying force to a part of the body to realign it. Mobility, however, will specialize in the areas of joints. By forcing a joint to move in the proper direction, it increases mobility and joint function.
Benefits of Manual Therapy
There are a multitude of benefits to manual therapy since it is a three-fold treatment. Here are six that can have an immediate impact on you.
Increases Blood Flow
When you are being massaged, your blood flow circulates better throughout your body. This can help with any tingling sensations you may struggle with, or even swelling.
Relaxes Muscle Tension
If you struggle with tight muscles, then manual therapy may be perfect for you. Because your muscles are being massaged, this relieves the built up tension that may cause you pain.
Muscle tension can happen for many reasons, whether it’s stress or an injury. Manual therapy can prove effective in combating it.
Effective Pain Management
Chronic pain can have a gross negative impact on someone’s life. Rather than living with chronic pain, manual therapy can aid in making it better.
By seeing a manual therapist, you’ll be provided effective pain management for the long-term. You may start by having multiple sessions a week, but eventually you may only need a session a few times a month.
Rather than going through lengthy invasive procedures or medications, consider manual therapy.
Positive Psychological Effects
Chiropractic adjustments have proven to have a positive impact on those with depression and anxiety. When being adjusted, positive hormones are released, and this combats the symptoms of depression.
Feeling tension and pain leave your body can also aid in making you feel less stressed and anxious. Sometimes, people feel depressed because of underlying pain in their body. When this pain is relieved, so are the depressive or stressed symptoms.
If you are struggling with mental health, giving manual therapy a try might make a difference.
Improves Range of Motion
When your joints are adjusted, your range of motion improves. This means you will have more energy and mobility to do the things that you want.
Your joints may prevent you from playing with your kids or going hiking with friends. Don’t let it prevent you from enjoying activities anymore.
Quicker Healing
Athletes are prone to getting injuries while practicing or playing sports. If you have sustained a long-term injury, investing in manual therapy may be a good choice to speed up recovery. Massaging the muscles and improving mobility can quicken healing.
It may still take some time for your injury to heal, but the process will be quicker than normal.
When Would Manual Therapy Not Be Right For Me?
If you are looking for a diagnosis for your pain, manual therapy won’t offer that. We offer diagnostic testing though, if that is something you need.
If you are suffering from a fractured bone, you will want to hold off on manual therapy until the bone is properly healed. Manual therapy will help strengthen the bones and tissue again once the fracture has healed.
Manual Therapy Costs
Manual therapy costs can differ depending on your insurance provider and the therapist. Most insurance should cover manual therapy, but certain add-ons may be extra.
Before you begin manual therapy, you can consult your therapist on treatment options, and find out what insurance will cover. Your therapist may be able to help you ensure coverage for the different areas you need.
How Do I Start?
Are you ready to live your life to the fullest again? Stop living in constant pain and choose a treatment that can change your life for the better. Manual therapy can be the solution you are looking for.
Contact us today to schedule a consultation!
