Manual Physical Therapy

The Role of Manual Physical Therapy in Your Recovery

At Savvy Physical Therapy, manual therapy plays a key role in reducing pain and restoring mobility, which are critical first steps before moving into corrective exercises that rebuild strength and motor control.

Manual therapy uses skilled hands-on techniques to address soft tissue restrictions, joint stiffness, and nerve mobility issues that may be contributing to your pain or limited movement.

Here are some of the manual therapy techniques we use and how they help you heal:

Dry Needling: This technique involves inserting thin needles into tight muscle knots or trigger points to relieve muscle tension and pain. By stimulating the muscle and nervous system, dry needling can improve blood flow and reset muscle function, helping reduce discomfort, improve strength and motor control, and improve range of motion.

Joint Mobilizations and Distraction: These are gentle, controlled movements applied to stiff or restricted joints to restore normal movement. Joint mobilizations improve joint lubrication and reduce stiffness, while joint distraction slightly separates joint surfaces to relieve pressure and encourage movement.

Nerve Mobilizations: Sometimes nerve tissues get restricted or irritated, causing shooting pain or numbness, or can just cause a stiff and tight feeling without pain. Nerve mobilizations gently glide and stretch nerves to restore their normal movement and reduce symptoms.

Soft Tissue Mobilizations & Myofascial Release: Techniques like cupping, Graston technique, and Active Release Technique (ART) focus on breaking up scar tissue, adhesions, and muscle tightness. These methods improve tissue flexibility, decrease pain, and enhance circulation, preparing the tissues for movement and strengthening.

Mobilizations with Movement: This advanced technique combines joint mobilization with active patient movement to improve joint mechanics and muscle coordination simultaneously, making it easier for you to regain function.

Manual therapy is often the first step in your rehabilitation because it helps “unlock” painful or restricted areas, making it easier and safer to perform corrective exercises. By addressing these impairments first, you reduce compensations and improve your body’s ability to heal and move correctly.

At Savvy Physical Therapy, our hands-on treatments are always tailored to your unique needs and combined with education so you understand the purpose of each technique. This personalized approach ensures you experience pain relief and improved mobility as we guide you toward long-term recovery and optimal function.