Manual Therapy
Focused on hands on techniques to help improve your joint mobility, soft tissue flexibility, and eliminate pain so you can get back to moving!
The term manual therapy applies to a broad range of techniques that refer to the mobilization or manipulation of body parts to help them heal properly, manage pain or improve range of motion. The Manual therapy techniques commonly recommended by our physical therapist include:
Joint mobilization
Soft tissue mobilization
Even without incisions and scars, the body can have internal scar tissue accumulations called adhesions. Adhesions sometimes form over injured tissues, as well as from chronic tension. They can spasm often referring pain to other parts of the body as trigger points. They limit motion and cause chronic pain. We use trigger point therapy, deep tissue massage, and an instrument-assisted soft tissue massage, such as a Graston technique to provide soft tissue mobilization for our clients.
Augmentative soft tissue massage (ASTYM)
This form of therapy regenerates healthy soft tissues in the muscles and tendons while and reducing unwanted scar tissue that may be causing pain or movement restrictions. Generally, chronic soft tissue problems are due to scarring or degeneration. The body naturally lays down scar tissue in response to irritation or injury. The fibrous, strong scar tissue is meant to reinforce an area, but often it ends up restricting movement and causing pain. Degeneration can be caused by many factors, including age, intense use, improper movement, weakened muscles putting extra stress on other tissues, disease. Our team is skilled in ASTYM to help you reach your goals.
Dry Needling and Electrical Stimulation
The use of non-medicated needles to help improve mobility and decrease pain.
Reduce paining, decreasing muscle tension and increasing mobility, dry needling is a technique that uses sterile acupuncture needles that are inserted through the skin into muscles, tendons, ligaments, or close to nerves. Not to be confused with acupuncture, this technique enhances the body’s ability to heal, and can assist with acute and chronic injuries, headaches, head and back pain, tendonitis, muscle spasms, sciatica, hip and knee pain and so much more.
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At NRT, we go above and beyond traditional trigger point needling by using techniques that combine needling with mild electrical stimulation. This procedure gently inserts needles into the muscle and attaches them to electrical stimulation units. The electrical signals create a light contraction of the muscles resulting in reduced tension, improved blood flow, and sports recovery without the soreness experienced with regular trigger point dry needling.
While dry needling can be a very effective tool for various conditions, we always incorporate it within a more comprehensive plan to make sure you reach your goals. We believe every client needs and deserves tailored treatments that comprehensively address their unique presentation and lifestyle. By combining soft tissue techniques like dry needling with joint mobilizations and skilled exercise prescription, the NRT team is perfectly equipped to ensure you reach your health & fitness goals!
Cupping and Myofascial Decompression
A negative pressure soft tissue treatment technique using suction to manipulate the skin and underlying soft tissues.
Cupping and Myofascial Decompression (MFD) evolved out of addressing sports and orthopedic injuries that did not respond to traditional joint mobilizations, soft tissue interventions, or therapeutic exercise. During the therapy session, a physical therapist applies a gentle pull using a suction cup, creating a vacuum on the skin and underlying tissue. This vacuum helps stretch the fascia, release adhesions and restrictions, improve blood flow, and alleviate pain. MFD can effectively treat various conditions, including chronic pain, headaches, and muscle tension.
Blood Flow Restriction Training
A technique focused on improving muscular strength by reducing blood flow to specific limbs.
To improve muscular strength and size it has been assumed heavy loads must to be lifted. Unfortunately, in certain populations, like older individuals, post-operative patients, or those rehabilitating an injury, high-load exercises can cause injury and not be tolerated.
Using a specially made medical tourniquet, BFR reduces blood flow to the limb while the patient performs specific exercises. This technique forces the body to activate all muscles on the limb where the blood is restricted. The patient can work the muscles without placing excessive weight on the limb and enables them to make greater strength gains while lifting lighter loads, reducing overall stress on the injured limb. BFR increases strength faster after surgery and post-injury, reduces hypertrophy post injury, increases muscle protein synthesis (muscles ability to grow) and creates a positive effect on reducing pain.
Exercise prescription
Developing customized exercise programs to match the needs of patient ensuring reduced pain and maximized performance.
If you want to create long-lasting changes in your pain, mobility, strength, and health, you need to follow up manual therapy techniques with properly dosed exercises.
At NRT, our clinicians are experts in exercise prescription and are skilled at building exercise programs to match the needs of individuals wanting to get out of pain and maximize their performance. We pride ourselves on being “fitness forward” clinicians that don’t just talk about making our clients stronger; we live that life by working daily on making our own bodies stronger and fitter. This commitment to better understanding the human body maximizes our ability to tweak exercises to match your unique needs.
Our clinicians can find alternatives to problems in your life, workouts, and functional movements patterns to keep you training and building strength without aggravating symptoms. We’ll combine that highly-skilled exercise prescription with manual therapy techniques proven to reduce pain and improve mobility.