10 Conditions Manual Therapy in Austin Can Effectively Treat
Pain, restricted mobility, and limited physical function are some of the most prominent symptoms of musculoskeletal conditions. Musculoskeletal conditions are problems affecting the body’s bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, tendons, nerves, soft connective tissues, and other musculoskeletal structures. If you suffer from musculoskeletal conditions in Austin, these symptoms can significantly impact your ability to move around independently and perform your daily activities comfortably.
Manual therapy is a non-invasive treatment option that utilizes a hands-on approach to address musculoskeletal conditions and their associated symptoms. This treatment option addresses the root cause of musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction for effective, long-lasting treatment. Therefore, this article will explore how manual therapy can be used to treat musculoskeletal conditions and common conditions treated by manual therapy at Carter Physiotherapy.
What Does Manual Therapy Entail?
Manual therapy is a hands-on approach to treatment that physiotherapists, chiropractors, osteopaths, and occupational therapists employ to asses, diagnose, and treat musculoskeletal conditions. This treatment option relieves pain, improves tissue mobility, and restores function in individuals suffering from musculoskeletal conditions by addressing the underlying issues. Manual therapy employs several techniques to promote healing. Some of these techniques include:
- Joint manipulation and mobilization: This manual therapy technique involves gentle and controlled movements of the joints to reduce stiffness, restore joint alignment, and improve range of motion, thereby enhancing overall joint movement.
- Soft tissue mobilization: This technique involves the manipulation of the muscles, nerves, ligaments, tendons, and other soft tissues of the body to reduce muscle tension and increase the blood flow to the affected areas. Components of manual therapy, such as massage, deep tissue work, and myofascial release, utilize soft tissue mobilization techniques.
- Trigger point therapy: This manual therapy technique works on the trigger points, hyperirritable spots in skeletal muscle that cause pain locally. It applies pressure to these trigger points to relieve referred pain and restore normal function to the affected area.
These are common manual therapy techniques that specialists employ during manual therapy in Austin. Manual therapy treatment provides pain relief without the need for drugs, improves mobility and flexibility, and accelerates healing to enhance recovery from injury.
10 Conditions that Manual Therapy can Treat in Austin
The following are ten common conditions that you may get effective treatment for with manual therapy in Austin:
Lower Back Pain
Lower back pain is a common musculoskeletal condition that is characterized by pain in the lumbar region of the spine, between the ribs and buttocks. Lower back pain may be acute, sub-chronic, or chronic, depending on the causal factors and duration. This condition is commonly caused by mechanical, functional, structural problems, and other underlying medical conditions, such as muscle strain and other sports-related injuries, herniated discs, poor posture, a sedentary lifestyle, arthritis, spinal stenosis, infections, etc. Lower back pain can significantly impact your ability to move and perform other daily activities comfortably and independently.
Physiotherapists use manual therapy to treat lower back pain because it addresses both the symptoms and root causes of the condition without relying on medications. They employ manual therapy techniques, such as spinal manipulation and soft tissue mobilization (myofascial release, massage, etc) to realign the vertebrae, reduce muscle stiffness and tightness, improve blood circulation, and reduce lower back pain.
Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction
The temporomandibular joint connects the skull’s temporal bone to the lower jawbone (mandible), facilitating physical functions, such as chewing, speaking, and other jaw movements. There are two temporomandibular joints, one on each side of the face, just in front of the ears, allowing for complex joint movements, such as opening and closing the mouth, protrusion and retraction, and side-to-side movements. Despite the importance of the TMJ in physical functions involving the mouth, this joint is prone to dysfunction due to stress, teeth grinding, poor posture, trauma to the jaw, and other conditions.
Temporomandibular joint dysfunction is characterized by persistent jaw pain, a clicking or popping sound when opening the mouth, tension headaches, difficulty chewing and speaking, etc. However, manual therapy offers an effective approach to managing TMJ dysfunction symptoms and treating the condition. During manual therapy in Austin, your physiotherapist may employ external and intraoral techniques of manual therapy to release tension in the jaw and surrounding muscles to improve joint alignment. They may also utilize other manual therapy techniques like soft tissue mobilization, targeted exercises, and joint mobilization to reduce jaw pain, improve range of motion, and restore overall physical function.
Rotator Cuff Injuries
Rotator cuff injuries are a common condition among active individuals, especially in desk workers or athletes and normal people who participate in weightlifting, tennis, swimming, and other overhead activities. The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis muscles) and their tendons surrounding the shoulder joint. The rotator cuff connects the shoulder blade (scapula) to the upper arm bone (humerus), enabling a wide range of movements while stabilizing the joints. However, you may injure your rotator cuffs due to overuse, poor shoulder mechanics, repetitive movements, or even age-related degeneration.
Rotator cuff injuries lead to shoulder pain, weakness, clicking sensation in the shoulder, and restricted range of motion, making it hard to perform your daily activities comfortably. However, manual therapy is a treatment option that can help to treat rotator cuff injuries and manage its symptoms effectively. Physiotherapists may utilize manual therapy techniques, such as soft tissue mobilization, joint mobilization, and therapeutic exercises, to reduce muscle tension in the shoulders, restore range of motion, and address muscle imbalances. These manual therapy techniques can significantly relieve shoulder pain and enhance overall shoulder function.
Sciatica
Sciatica is a painful condition that is caused by the irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve, the longest nerve in the body, that runs from the lower back, down through the hips, buttocks, and legs. Sciatica may occur due to a herniated disc, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, spinal misalignment, and a tight piriformis muscle pressing against the nerve.
When the sciatic nerve is irritated or compressed, you may experience a sharp, burning pain radiating from the lower back down the leg and into the foot. Sciatica pain may also be accompanied by numbness, a tingling sensation, and muscle weakness. However, manual physical therapy in Austin can offer relief from sciatica pain by addressing the underlying causes of sciatic nerve compression. Physiotherapists may utilize techniques, such as muscle massage, joint manipulation, nerve gliding, deep tissue massage, and spinal decompression to treat sciatica and manage its symptoms. As a result, you may experience reduced inflammation and nerve sensitivity, pain relief, and restored mobility after manual therapy.
Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is a common condition amongst runners, hikers, and other members of Austin’s active community who participate in outdoor activities that place repetitive stress on their feet. This painful condition affects the plantar fascia, a thick band of tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot to connect the heel bone to the toes. Plantar fasciitis occurs when the plantar fascia becomes inflamed, due to overstraining or tearing from overuse, poor footwear, abnormal foot structure, tight calf muscles, etc.
Plantar fasciitis causes severe heel pain that can affect mobility and physical function. However, manual therapy can treat this condition and manage its symptoms through several non-invasive techniques. Manual therapy techniques, such as myofascial release, soft tissue manipulation, and joint mobilization, can help loosen tight muscles and promote faster recovery. They can also loosen tight calf muscles, improving mobility in your ankle and foot. Through manual therapy, you can experience reduced heel pain and improved mobility and physical function.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
The carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway in the wrist that houses the median nerve (a major nerve in the upper limb that provides both motor and sensory innervation to the hand and forearm) and several tendons. Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve, as it passes through the carpal tunnel at the wrist, is compressed due to repetitive motions, injuries, and some medical conditions, leading to numbness, tingling, and pain in the hand and fingers.
Manual therapy can help treat and manage carpal tunnel syndrome through non-invasive techniques, such as wrist joint mobilization and nerve gliding to increase the space within the carpal tunnel, reduce pressure on the nerve, mobilize the median nerve, and release tension in surrounding tissues. Over time, manual therapy can reduce pain and numbness, improve grip strength, and ensure better hand coordination.
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that causes widespread musculoskeletal pain around the body, accompanied by persistent fatigue, sleep disturbances, heightened sensitivity to pressure and touch, emotional distress, mood changes, and other cognitive symptoms. Fibromyalgia makes it harder to get through your daily activities without difficulties. While its exact cause is unknown, fibromyalgia is believed to involve changes in how the brain and spinal cord process pain signals.
Although the exact cause of fibromyalgia cannot be ascertained, manual therapy can help to manage the condition and its symptoms. Manual therapy techniques like massage, myofascial release, and trigger point therapy can help to relieve musculoskeletal pain, improve mobility, improve sleep, and enhance overall quality of life.
Arthritis
Arthritis is a common group of conditions that is characterized by inflammation or swelling in one or more joints. Common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis is the gradual wear and tear of the joint cartilage, due to age-related degeneration, genetics, obesity, overuse, injury, etc. Rheumatoid arthritis, on the other hand, is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the joints. Regardless of the cause of your arthritis, you may experience joint pain, stiffness, and swelling, leading to reduced mobility and physical function.
Manual therapy can manage arthritis of all kinds and their symptoms. Physiotherapists employ hands-on techniques, such as joint mobilization, massage, and soft tissue mobilization, to reduce stiffness and muscle tension and resolve blood circulation issues associated with arthritis. These techniques provide pain relief, improve range of motion, and restore mobility and physical function.
Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
Pelvic floor dysfunction occurs when the muscles and tissues of the pelvic floor, supporting the bladder, bowel, and reproductive organs, become weakened or damaged, leading to several unpleasant symptoms. If you suffer from pelvic floor dysfunction, you may experience pelvic pain, urinary incontinence, constipation, pain during intercourse, and other sexual dysfunction. However, manual therapy can address pelvic floor dysfunction, providing effective, long-lasting solutions.
In Austin, physiotherapists may use internal and external manual therapy techniques to assess and address weak or damaged pelvic muscles. Techniques, such as soft tissue mobilization, trigger point therapy, and myofascial release, can help reduce pelvic pain, reduce muscle tension, and restore proper pelvic function.
Post-Surgical Rehabilitation
Manual therapy plays a crucial role in ensuring smooth recovery during post-surgical rehabilitation. Recovery from surgery of any kind requires professional care to avoid complications that may delay healing and recovery. Without proper post-surgical rehabilitation, some individuals may suffer chronic pain and limited mobility, and physical function in the future. However, manual therapy is an essential part of post-surgical rehabilitation to prevent complications and promote faster recovery.
During post-surgical rehabilitation, manual therapy techniques can be employed to enhance blood circulation, mobilize the joints, minimize scar tissue formation, and restore physical function and mobility.
Conclusion
Manual therapy is a non-invasive treatment option that assesses, treats, and manages musculoskeletal conditions. Therefore, if you suffer from any of the above musculoskeletal conditions or more, you should consider undergoing manual therapy at Carter Physiotherapy.
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