Manual and Trigger Point Therapy


Manual Therapy is a very important aspect of your treatment while in physical therapy. Through our hands we are able to mobilize and release soft tissue restrictions to allow for proper function of the muscles. Trigger point therapy is type of manual therapy.  Trigger points are specific areas of increased tenderness found in the belly of the muscle.  When compressed, they illicit specific referred pain patterns, a local twitch response, and/or local tenderness.  When you have active trigger points, they can shut down the muscle, making it hard for the muscle to contract and function properly.  Once released, pain will decrease and your physical therapist is able to help you regain function and reintroduce proper patterns of movement.

Other types of manual therapy include myofascial release, soft tissue mobilization, cross friction massage, mobilization with movement and joint mobilizations.  All these types of therapy are necessary to regain range of motion, restore function, and improve movement patterns.

At Keating Physical Therapy our therapists use all of these techniques.  We have attended courses provided by the Institute of Physical Art and the Michigan State University School of Osteopathic Medicine.

If you have specific questions about your injury please feel free to give us a call at (908) 276-0294.

 

Neck and Back Pain