Have you ever experienced neck stiffness, sore muscles or loss of movement after an injury? Manual therapy is the hands-on approach to moving tissues and joints by using positioning and stretching techniques to regain use. During assessment we need to touch and feel injured or damaged tissue. This helps us analyse the problem. We can then influence the healing processes to encourage easier movement and function.
Regular moderate exercise can aid a range of conditions. Putting newly gained strength and flexibility into the context of daily life needs progressive planning. Many people who have experienced injury or long term illness report weakness, loss of balance and co-ordination and fatigue. A tailored exercise program can help get you back into life. Class work is available to add enjoyment and camaraderie.
Our bodies let us down when tired, stressed or overworked. Assessing the way you hold yourself when standing, sitting, lying down and moving can reveal and explain the reasons for long term painful conditions. Old habits that need correction can respond to exercises and cues. By assessing you as a whole the primary solution may not be at the painful area. For example tight thigh muscles may be responsible for poor and painful posture in the low back.
Many of us recognise tension in our bodies. We clench our jaws, lift our shoulders, try to avoid our pain by holding our backs stiff or slumping when we sit. We then experience stiff joints, poor sleep and irritability. These adaptations become unconscious habits and with time can lead to shortening and tightness in our soft tissues. Massage is a manual therapy applied to soft tissues to reduce pain levels, increase muscle length, improve blood flow, reduce sensitivity and decrease stress hormone levels. By massage we aid recovery and reduce muscle stiffness after exercise.