Physical therapists have many tools and equipment at their disposal for treating injuries and painful conditions. They may use hot and cold therapy or electrical stimulation to help reduce your pain.
Treatments at Excel Sports and Physical Therapy in O’Fallon, Missouri are always personalized. Yours may or may not include electrical stimulation, but you can usually expect it to include manual therapy.
Manual therapy, so to say, is the fundamental practice of physical therapy. It is included in many treatments to help reduce pain and restore motion to injured areas of your body.
What is manual therapy?
Manual therapy is the practice of manipulating and moving parts of your body to promote relaxation and restore mobility. This therapy is often referred to as hands-on therapy because it requires little tools and equipment outside of your therapist’s hands.
Manual therapy can be broken down into smaller areas of practice with emphasis on specific recovery goals. These include:
- Joint mobilization — Joint mobilization is the practice of manipulating the position of an injured joint to help reduce pain and gradually improve your range of motion.
- Soft tissue mobilization — Your soft tissues are the muscles, ligaments and tendons in your body. Soft tissue mobilization includes massage and manipulations that help relax these tissues to reduce pain and improve recovery from your condition.
- Strain-counterstrain — Strain-counterstrain techniques can help reduce spasms that cause tension and pain in your body. These spasms are often related to neurological conditions.
Who needs manual therapy?
As mentioned above, manual therapy is a fundamental of physical therapy. It is used in most treatments for people with all kinds of conditions. Below are a few examples of some conditions that are commonly treated with manual therapy:
- Lower back pain
- Neck pain and headaches
- Shoulder pain
- Hip pain
- Knee, ankle and foot pain
- TMJ jaw pain
At Excel Sports and Physical Therapy, your physical therapist will evaluate your condition to determine what kind of treatment you need. He or she will likely include manual therapy alongside our other treatments such as:
- Hot and cold therapy
- Electrical stimulation
- Ultrasound
- Stretching and exercising
Schedule a physical therapy appointment at Excel Sports and Physical Therapy in O’Fallon, MO
Are you suffering from a painful condition or injury? Would you like to talk to a physical therapist about your treatment options? Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.
Our O’Fallon location:
2982 Highway K
O’Fallon, Missouri 63368
Excel Sports and Physical Therapy serves patients from multiple locations in the St. Louis area. Please visit our locations page to discover other clinics that may be more convenient for you.
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