Manual Therapy Techniques

A physical therapist physically kneads and manipulates your joints, muscles, and soft tissue with nothing more than their hands in order to diagnose biomechanical injuries, reduce pain, and promote proper healing. There are hundreds of techniques that may be utilized, but your PT will design a specific plan of care and use techniques that are specific to your anatomical needs. Manual therapy is used as a way to relieve pain, reduce swelling, decrease restriction, improve range of motion, and mobilize joints. 

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Therapeutic Activities

We understand how different each of our patients are, each having different hobbies, interests, jobs, and specific concerns. A golfer should not be given the same treatment plan as a baseball or tennis player. Likewise, if you spend most of your time at a desk or in your car, you will need treatment that is specific for you. Part of being a skilled physical therapist is providing individualized plans that are effective and efficient in returning our patients to the activities they love.  

 

Flexibility and strengthening exercises

Therapeutic exercise incorporates a wide range of activities that help you regain or maintain your strength, flexibility, coordination, balance, endurance, or stability. Therapeutic exercise can prevent impairment and disability while improving your overall fitness. Therapeutic exercises are typically performed as a part of a physical therapy treatment plan or as a follow up to manual therapy techniques.

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myofascial release and advanced tissue work

Your physical therapist will apply different directions of pressure to break down muscle adhesions. Soft tissue mobilization is a hands-on therapeutic technique that is designed to restore movement and increase range of motion by releasing tension. 

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Dry Needling 

The goal of dry needling is to help the body relax and restore nervous system output at locations of imbalance. By doing this, the muscles will respond appropriately, which will allow for improved functionality and decreased pain. Athletic Advantage’s Patented Dry Needling Method was developed by Dr. Cody Johnson and has been practiced with optimum results for over twelve years.

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Electrical stimulation

Electrical stimulation provides a variety of beneficial healing effects for reducing and eliminating pain. It can be used for a wide variety of conditions  including acute sports-related or auto accident-related injuries, repetitive stress injuries, muscle strains, ligament sprains, and even neurological conditions including stroke.

 

Aquatic Therapy

Aquatic Therapy provides low or no impact resistance, has a positive impact on motion and flexibility, reduces pressure to joints, and can increase the blood flow to injured areas. We prescribe HYDROWORX aquatic therapy when individuals are in a great deal of pain and are not able to put full weight on limbs.  

 

Kinesio taping

Is used to improve your mobility and provide support to your muscles, joints, and tendons. Our physical therapist will perform Kinesio taping by placing the strips of tape on the affected area of your body, as well as any other places that you may be experiencing pain or stiffness.

 

Joint StabilizAtion 

A physical therapist can use his or her hands to mobilize an affected joint, or may elect to use certain tools, including straps, to help deliver the desired treatment effect. Although the neuromuscular system is a large component when there is a lack of mobility, joint restrictions are often involved as well and need to be addressed. Physical therapists will use these manual mobilization techniques when joint structures are somehow limiting the normal motion (i.e sliding, pivoting, etc.) of your joints.  These motions stretch and strengthen the tissue surrounding the joint bone—normalizing joint motion, reducing spasms, and controlling pain.