When you are involved in a car accident, you may experience stiffness and pain in your muscles and joints. Over time, these symptoms can affect your range of motion and movement. Manual therapy may help alleviate your symptoms and help you rehabilitate your joints and surrounding soft tissues.
Manual therapy is a particular type of physical therapy that focuses on physically manipulating and moving joints and soft tissues to treat musculoskeletal pain and instability. This method will give the patient better movement in the injured area by breaking down adhesions or realigning scar tissue, which may decrease the patient’s range of motion. Essentially, manual therapy aims to promote relaxation, reduce pain, and increase flexibility.
How You May Benefit From Manual Therapy:
- Alleviate Pain And Improve Tissue Function
- Relieve Muscle Tension And Spasms
- Reduce Swelling And Inflammation
- Improve Mobility And Range Of Motion
- Correct Postural Imbalances
- Increase Circulation To Deliver More Oxygen And Nutrients To Injured Tissues
How Manual Therapy Works
Manual therapy aims to allow patients to move freely without stiffness and pain through hands-on techniques, having the patient engage in particular positions and perform specific exercises targeting four prime effects: mechanical, neurophysiological, biochemical, and psychological.
The mechanical effect of manual therapy involves passive joint movements that interact with the surrounding muscles, ligaments, and joint capsule. Research literature has suggested the neurophysiological effect of manual therapy mechanisms. It is believed that manual therapy can have an inhibitory effect on pain systems in the spinal cord and at the site of injury. The biochemical effect of manual therapy has been known to activate the endogenous opiate system, which may give the patient a pleasurable feeling or natural high. The psychological effects of manual therapy give patients confidence that the results will be positive.
At Injury Treatment Centers of Kansas City, our physical therapists are exceptionally knowledgeable in manual therapy. We can help you begin alleviating pain today, contact us at (816) 886-9005 or schedule an appointment!