Manual therapy

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See also: Bodywork (alternative medicine)

 

Manual therapy, manipulative therapy, or manual & manipulative therapy is a physical treatment primarily used by physiotherapists, massage therapists, chiropractors, and osteopaths to treat musculoskeletal pain and disability; it most commonly includes kneading and manipulation of muscles, joint mobilization and joint manipulation.[1]

 

Definitions

Manual therapy may be defined differently (according to the profession describing it for legal purposes) to state what is permitted within a practitioners scope of practice. Within the physical therapy profession, manual therapy is defined as 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.

A consensus study of US chiropractors [2] defined manual therapy as "Procedures by which the hands directly contact the body to treat the articulations and/or soft tissues."

Alternatively, Korr (1978) described manual therapy as the "Application of an accurately determined and specifically directed manual force to the body, in order to improve mobility in areas that are restricted; in joints, in connective tissues or in skeletal muscles."

Use

In Western Europe, North America and Australasia, manual therapy is usually practiced by members of specific health care professions (e.g. Chiropractors, Osteopaths, Osteopathic Physicians, Physiotherapists/Physical Therapists, and Physiatrists).[1] However, some lay practitioners (not members of a structured profession), such as bonesetters also provide some forms of manual therapy.

A survey released in May 2004 by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine focused on who used complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), what was used, and why it was used in the United States by adults age 18 years and over during 2002. According to this recent survey, manipulative therapy was the 3rd most commonly used NCCAM classification of CAM categories (10.9%) in the United States during 2002 ([1] table 4 on page 10) when all use of prayer was excluded. Consistent with previous studies, this study found that the majority of individuals (i.e., 54.9%) used CAM in conjunction with conventional medicine (page 6)

Information

A number of professional peer-reviewed journals specialize in the dissemination of information associated with manual therapy. The Journal of Manual and Manipulative Therapy, Manual Therapy, and the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics are PubMed indexed journals that have provided readers with useful research on manual therapy for over 15 years. Peer reviewed information has improved the quality of information that is provided to practicing clinicians and has dispelled a number of myths commonly associated with manual therapy.

 

Styles of manual therapy

There are many different styles of manual therapy. It is a fundamental feature of ayurvedic medicine, traditional Chinese medicine and some forms of New Age alternative medicine as well as being used by mainstream medical practitioners. In one form or another it is probably as old as human culture itself and is a feature to some degree of therapeutic interactions in traditional cultures around the world.

 

• Acupressure
• Anma
• Body work (alternative medicine)
• Bone setting
• Bowen Technique
• Chiropractic
• Cranio-sacral therapy
• Dorn method
• Joint manipulation
• Joint mobilization
• Spinal manipulation
• Spinal mobilization
• Massage therapy
• Manual lymphatic drainage
• Medical acupuncture
• Muscle energy technique
• Myofascial release(MFR)
  • Naprapathy
  • Osteopathic manipulative medicine
  • Polarity therapy
  • Rolfing Structural Integration
  • Seitai
  • Sotai
  • Shiatsu
  • Traction
  • Tui na

BACK PAIN HELP!

Back pain (also known "dorsalgia") is pain felt in the back that usually originates from the muscles, nerves, bones, joints or other structures in the spine.

What is Back Pain?

The pain can often be divided into neck pain, upper back pain, lower back pain or tailbone pain. It may have a sudden onset or can be a chronic pain; it can be constant or intermittent, stay in one place or radiate to other areas. It may be a dull ache, or a sharp or piercing or burning sensation. The pain may be radiate into the arm and hand), in the upper back, or in the low back, (and might radiate into the leg or foot), and may include symptoms other than pain, such as weakness, numbness or tingling.
Back pain is one of humanity's most frequent complaints. In the U.S, acute low back pain (also called lumbago) is the fifth most common reason for physician visits. About nine out of ten adults experience back pain at some point in their life, and five out of ten working adults have back pain every year.
The spine is a complex interconnecting network of nerves, joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments, and all are capable of producing pain. Large nerves that originate in the spine and go to the legs and arms can make pain radiate to the extremities.

Back Pain Classification

Back pain can be divided anatomically: neck pain, upper back pain, lower back pain or tailbone pain.
By its duration: acute (less than 4 weeks), subacute (4 – 12 weeks), chronic (greater than 12 weeks).
By its cause: MSK, infectious, cancer, etc.

Associated Conditions With Back Pain

Back pain can be a sign of a serious medical problem, although this is not most frequently the underlying cause:
Typical warning signs of a potentially life-threatening problem are bowel and/or bladder incontinence or progressive weakness in the legs.
Severe back pain (such as pain that is bad enough to interrupt sleep) that occurs with other signs of severe illness (e.g. fever, unexplained weight loss) may also indicate a serious underlying medical condition.
Back pain that occurs after a trauma, such as a car accident or fall may indicate a bone fracture or other injury.
Back pain in individuals with medical conditions that put them at high risk for a spinal fracture, such as osteoporosis or multiple myeloma, also warrants prompt medical attention.
Back pain in individuals with a history of cancer (especially cancers known to spread to the spine like breast, lung and prostate cancer) should be evaluated to rule out metastatic disease of the spine.
Back pain does not usually require immediate medical intervention. The vast majority of episodes of back pain are self-limiting and non-progressive. Most back pain syndromes are due to inflammation, especially in the acute phase, which typically lasts for two weeks to three months.
A few observational studies suggest that two conditions to which back pain is often attributed, lumbar disc herniation and degenerative disc disease may not be more prevalent among those in pain than among the general population, and that the mechanisms by which these conditions might cause pain are not known. Other studies suggest that for as many as 85% of cases, no physiological cause can be shown. 
A few studies suggest that psychosocial factors such as on-the-job stress and dysfunctional family relationships may correlate more closely with back pain than structural abnormalities revealed in x-rays and other medical imaging scans.

Underlying Causes & Sources of Back Pain

There are several potential sources and causes of back pain. However, the diagnosis of specific tissues of the spine as the cause of pain presents problems. This is because symptoms arising from different spinal tissues can feel very similar and is difficult to differentiate without the use of invasive diagnostic intervention procedures, such as local anesthetic blocks.
One potential source of back pain is skeletal muscle of the back. Potential causes of pain in muscle tissue include Muscle strains (pulled muscles), muscle spasm, and muscle imbalances. However, imaging studies do not support the notion of muscle tissue damage in many back pain cases, and the neurophysiology of muscle spasm and muscle imbalances are not well understood.
Another potential source of low back pain is the synovial joints of the spine (e.g. zygapophysial joints). These have been identified as the primary source of the pain in approximately one third of people with chronic low back pain, and in most people with neck pain following whiplash. However, the cause of zygapophysial joint pain is not fully understood. Capsule tissue damage has been proposed in people with neck pain following whiplash. In people with spinal pain stemming from zygapophysial joints, one theory is that intra-articular tissue such as invaginations of their synovial membranes and fibro-adipose meniscoids (that usually act as a cushion to help the bones move over each other smoothly) may become displaced, pinched or trapped, and consequently give rise to nociception.
There are several common other potential sources and causes of back pain: these include spinal disc herniation and degenerative disc disease or isthmic spondylolisthesis, osteoarthritis (degenerative joint disease) and spinal stenosis, trauma, cancer, infection, fractures, and inflammatory disease.
Radicular pain (sciatica) is distinguished from 'non-specific' back pain, and may be diagnosed without invasive diagnostic tests.
New attention has been focused on non-discogenic back pain, where patients have normal or near-normal MRI and CT scans. One of the newer investigations looks into the role of the dorsal ramus in patients that have no radiographic abnormalities. See Posterior Rami Syndrome.

Back Pain Treatment

The management goals when treating back pain are to achieve maximal reduction in pain intensity as rapidly as possible; to restore the individual's ability to function in everyday activities; to help the patient cope with residual pain; to assess for side-effects of therapy; and to facilitate the patient's passage through the legal and socioeconomic impediments to recovery. For many, the goal is to keep the pain to a manageable level to progress with rehabilitation, which then can lead to long term pain relief. Also, for some people the goal is to use non-surgical therapies to manage the pain and avoid major surgery, while for others surgery may be the quickest way to feel better.
Not all treatments work for all conditions or for all individuals with the same condition, and many find that they need to try several treatment options to determine what works best for them. The present stage of the condition (acute or chronic) is also a determining factor in the choice of treatment. Only a minority of back pain patients (most estimates are 1% - 10%) require surgery.

What is Musculoskeleta?

Hello Everyone,


Now we've been blogging about us here at Therapyworks Ltd and what we do but i've notice that we haven't really gone into detail about Musculoskeleta. Now many of you will most likely be wondering what this is so today we will be giving you a little bit more about this.


So what is Musculoskeleta?


A musculoskeletal system (also known as the locomotor system) is an organ system that gives animals (including humans) the ability to move using the muscular and skeletal system. The musculoskeletal system provides form, support, stability, and movement to the body.

It is made up of the body's bones (the skeleton), muscles, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, joints, and other connective tissue that supports and binds tissues and organs together. The musculoskeletal system's primary functions include supporting the body, allowing motion, and protecting vital organs. The skeletal portion of the system serves as the main storage system for calcium and phosphors  and contains critical components of the hamatopoictic system.

This system describes how bones are connected to other bones and muscle fibers via connective tissue such as tendons and ligaments. The bones provide the stability to a body in analogy to iron rods in concrete construction. Muscles keep bones in place and also play a role in movement of the bones. To allow motion, different bones are connected by joints. Cartilage prevents the bone ends from rubbing directly on to each other. Muscles contract (bunch up) to move the bone attached at the joint.

So what is Musculoskeleta Injury?

Musculoskeletal injury (MI, not to be confused with myocardial infraction) refers to damage of muscular or skeletal systems, which is usually due to a strenuous activity. In one study, roughly 25% of approximately 6300 adults received a musculoskeletal injury of some sort within 12 months—of which 83% were activity-related. MI spans into a large variety of medical specialities including orthopaedic surgery (with diseases such as arthritis requiring surgery), emergency medicine (acute presentations of joint and muscular pain) and rheumatology (in rheumatological diseases that affect joints such as rheumatoid arthritis ). In many cases, during the healing period after a Musculoskeletal injury, a period in which the healing area will be completely immobile, a cast-induced muscle atrophy can occur. Routine sessions of physiotherapy after the cast is removed can help return regain strength in limp muscles or tendons. Alternately, there exist different methods of electrical stimulation of the immobile muscles which can be induced by a device placed underneath a cast, helping prevent atrophy.

So thats it! you now know all about Musculoskeleta and Musculoskeleta Injury. Why don't you come back on next week to find out more about Musculoskeleta Physiotherapy?

Therapyworks Ltd Pontypridd

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FU5E6NRK4RPU

It's all about us!

Hello fellow bloggers!


Thank you to all yesterday who came along and read our blog. Today I will be telling you all about Therapyworks and what we do. I hope you find it interesting an can clear up any questions you might have about us here.


ok so lets get started.


First things first did you know that according to the The British Pain Society almost 10 million people suffer with Chronic Pain. Chronic Pain has the power to put your life on hold. As you've probably found, if you suffer with this, simple day to day functions can be daunting, or even impossible - and the impact can be felt in your private and professional life.
Historically, the management of disease, injury, and even childbirth involved long periods of hospitalization, bed rest, and convalescence. Health care practitioners used a narrow disease/impairment-based model in which patients were passive recipients of care. Physical therapists working within such a "rest for recovery" framework developed skills and techniques of which many were passive, some were modality-based, and most were lengthy.

Health care has changed in recent decades. Early activity for recovery of function is now encouraged, and the impairment model has broadened to include psychosocial components. A multidisciplinary team approach now includes the patient as an educated and active participant, and physical therapy treatments emphasize activity. The therapist's role has changed from healer to helper. Therapists help patients address and overcome physical and psychological obstacles, return to activities, and achieve personal goals.

How can physiotherapy help?

Here at Therapyworks, we take an holistic approach to pain. Naturally, as physiotherapists, our first priority is to relieve your symptoms – but we’re just as concerned with the root causes of pain and helping you to prevent (or at least limit) your pain in the future.
At our private physiotherapy clinic, we treat clients with all types of injury, from whiplash to sports or work injuries, through to simple overuse. Using the very latest physiotherapy techniques, we’ll explore every aspect of your pain - then work with you to restore a healthy and active way of life.


Welcome to Therapyworks

Therapyworks is a Physiotherapy service dedicated to providing high quality service to all our clients. Therapyworks has gone from strength to strength -with an impressive list of clients and a well established local support base.


Our Philosophy


Our Philosophy is the relentless pursuit of excellence in physiotherapy. We are dedicated to ensure that our clients receive the best service available. We may be small but we have a perfectly formed team of experts dedicated to delivering you excellence. Our lead physiotherapists are renowned for their experience and quality.


Why come to us?

• Specialist Expertise 
  Physiotherapists at Therapyworks have a wide ranging experience of all medical treatments. Our staff our highly qualified and registered members of the CSP and HPC.
• Convenience Open 5 Days a week with late night appointments on a Tuesday and Thursday 
• Flexibility
  We aim to help provide a service that fits in with your lifestyle.
• Speed of Service 
  We aim to provide an appointment option within 48 hours
• Education & Advice 
  Understanding the problem is half the battle, understanding what to do and why is the key!
• Individual Attention & Treatment 
  Our success is based upon our individually tailored treatment approach. Using current research we identify, treat and inform how to resolve it for good.
  
  
  Therapyworks has created an environment that looks and feels professional.

  
  

  Relax in the knowledge that we will look after you!

  
  

  And thats us. Why not click on one of the links below and visit our :-

  Website - Website

  Twitter - Twitter

  Facebook - Facebook

  
  

  If you have any questions please feel free to ask, after all we are here to help.

  
  

  Look out for our next posting telling you all about the kind of treatment we do here at Therapyworks.

  
  

  Until next time.