Manual Therapy

 

Healing Power via human touch

Manual physical therapy is the specialized treatment of muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints to increase mobility, improve range of motion and reduce pain, swelling, inflammation or restriction. Manual therapy is performed with the hands rather than a device or machine for joint mobilization and manipulation.

Joint mobilization slowly loosens a joint that is compromised by damage or injury and is often accompanied by gentle stretching to restore function.

Joint manipulation, on the other hand, is a more aggressive technique defined by the International Federation of Orthopaedic Manipulative Physical Therapists (IFOMPT) as “a passive, high velocity, low amplitude thrust applied to a joint complex within its anatomical limit with the intent to restore optimal motion, function and/ or to reduce pain.” A click or popping sensation in the joint can be associated with joint manipulation.

True Sports physical therapists are trained as experts in the highly skilled “hands-on” interventions, receiving extensive continuing education that complements our sports rehab knowledge. We prescribe and implement manual therapy when a patient’s examination, diagnosis and prognosis indicate a need to:

• maintain or enhance physical function and performance
• decrease edema, pain, spasm or swelling
• increase the ability to move
• enhance health, wellness and fitness

Our advanced techniques allow patients to return to their desired levels of activity faster and safer by decreasing their pain and restrictions.

The manual therapy treatments performed by our physical therapists may include moving the joints in specific directions to regain movement, muscle stretching and movements designed to improve muscle activation. Our patients also benefit from the healing effects of the human touch, such as faster recovery and improved sense of well-being, when manual therapy is part of the comprehensive treatment plans that True Sports Physical Therapy is renowned for.

 

The True Sports Sweet Spot – Specialized Intervention for Maximum Mobility

Manual therapy is often compared to various treatments such as massage, chiropractic or other osteopathic therapies. However, it is the assessment process and the integration of manual therapy into a patient’s personalized rehab program that differentiates it from the rest.

Manual physical therapy at True Sports is based on the thorough examination of a patient’s movement patterns, including restrictions to their range of motion and movements they make that may prevent proper healing. Our skilled physical therapists continually assess a patient’s progress, altering manual therapy interventions to accommodate their responses throughout treatment.

At True Sports, manual therapy is used to reinvigorate any joint, and we especially see huge success with shoulders and knees.

 

 

 

 

The True Test – Minimize Your Risk of ACL Tears

At True Sports, we treat a lot of athletes with anterior cruciate ligament tears – commonly known as the ACL. This injury to the knee joint affects one of the major bands of tissue that connects the thigh bone to the shin bone. You can tear it by stopping suddenly while running, landing on a straightened knee after a jump, twisting your knee while your foot is anchored to the ground or taking a direct hit by something right at the knee. By the numbers, more than 200,000 ACL injuries are diagnosed in the United States each year, athletes and otherwise. Women are more likely than men to experience an ACL tear.

Pre-existing injuries make you more vulnerable to ACL tears. Manual therapy can be used to treat these small injuries that can potentially turn into a much more serious one if ignored. 

On the flip side, anyone recovering from an ACL injury knows that it is not a quick process and there can be associated pain for years after the incident, even with a full recovery. True Sports physical therapists are experienced with helping any person with an ACL tear reduce pain and swelling, regain strength and movement, and return to desired activities – both at the time the injury occurs and when dealing with any long-term lingering pain. 

Schedule An Appointment Today

With convenient locations throughout the Baltimore area, including Fell’s Point, Timonium, Woodbine, Columbia and Glen Arm, True Sports Physical Therapy is the preferred choice of any athletes and weekend warriors ready to experience the highest level of therapeutic expertise and rehabilitative care. Select your location and schedule an appointment online or call 1-410-946-1672.

To save time when you arrive, complete our new patient form online or download our new patient packet and bring a completed copy with you to your first appointment. We work with most health insurance organizations. Please call our office at 1-410-946-1672 and our team will verify your insurance plan or we can discuss Self Pay rates.