Physiotherapy
Manual therapy
A clinical approach utilizing skilled, specific hands-on techniques, including but not limited to manipulation/mobilization, used by the physical therapist to diagnose and treat soft tissues and joint structures for the purpose of modulating pain; increasing range of motion (ROM); reducing or eliminating soft tissue inflammation; inducing relaxation; improving contractile and non-contractile tissue repair, extensibility, and/or stability; facilitating movement; and improving function. (Definition from American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy (AAOMPT) and American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).
Clinically manual therapy is very effective in treating chronic conditions which are prone to joint stiffness and muscle imbalance. The severity of pain will be augmented by poor posture and lack of exercises. Manual therapy can soothe the muscle spasm, desensitize the nervous painful tract and enhance circulation. Also, joint mobilization by manual therapy can break down the joint stiffness and normalize the joint alignment.
For example, our therapy not only address headache or neck pain directly. Instead, treatments also focus on potential origin like shoulder muscle spasm, upper back muscle imbalance, history of trauma, emotional stress, etc. This holistic approach is to identify and isolate areas of dysfunction within the body and its various systems, and how they affect each other. As the true origin of disease or discomfort is revealed, most chronic pain syndromes and intractable problems can be resolved.