Manual therapy is a hands-on treatment by clinicians to treat muscle aches, joint pain, and limited range of motion. It encompasses a variety of techniques including soft tissue mobilization of muscles, specific joint mobilization, and joint manipulation.

The three most notable forms of manual therapy are:

• Manipulation is the application of a rapid force into a joint(s). Manipulation is often associated with an audible popping sound called cavitation.
• Mobilization is a slower, more controlled process of articular and soft-tissue stretching intended to improve joint mobility.
• Massage is typically the repetitive rubbing, stripping or kneading of muscle and fascia tissues to facilitate healing.

Manual therapy has been proven to be an important part of an overall conservative treatment plan for a variety of conditions including:

• Adhesive capsulitis
• Shoulder impingement
• Shoulder stiffness/limited range of motion
• Tennis elbow
• Golfers elbow
• Pinched nerves
• Limited joint range of motion
• Capsule tightness
• Postsurgical stiffness
• Much more.

Manual therapy is typically part of a complete treatment plan that is customized for your specific needs. Give us a call to learn how we can incorporate manual therapy into your rehabilitation program.

If you are a youth, collegiate, elite, or professional athlete, when you are injured, you need a physical therapist with experience rehabilitating sports-related injuries.

Athletes place higher demands on the muscles and joints and also require sport-specific training to recover speed, power, and agility. This is the specific training that our therapists provide.

Our physical therapists have years of experience rehabilitating athletes with:

• Postsurgical rehabilitation of the knee, shoulder, ankle, hip, and spine
• Shoulder & rotator cuff injuries
• Ligament sprains
• Muscle strains
• ACL, PCL, MCL, LCL rehab
• Tendonitis/bursitis
• Post-fracture rehab
• Tennis elbow
• Overhead sports injuries (throwing, swimming, etc.)
• Running & cycling injuries

A Personalized Recovery Process

The process starts with a thorough evaluation of your condition and your personal goals. We then provide a custom program including the following:

• Control of Pain & Inflammation
• Recovery of Range of Motion
• Hands-on Techniques
• Neuromuscular Retraining
• Core & Extremity Strengthening
• Balance & Proprioceptive Activities
• Speed, Endurance, & Power Training
• Sport-specific Retraining

Optimizing the Recovery Process

Injuries are an unfortunate side effect of sports but they don’t have to sideline you indefinitely. With the application of the latest clinical research, we can work hand-in-hand with your referring physician/surgeon to optimize the recover process so you can reach your full potential.

Give us a call today to learn more about our sports rehabilitation program.

Recent Blog Posts From Our Office Of Physical Therapy Harrison Township MI

Proper Shoveling Technique to Avoid Low Back Pain

As the snow starts to fall and the shovels come out again, it’s essential to keep in mind the safe way to shovel the driveway. Improperly shoveling snow injures thousands each year, bringing heart problems, fractures, and back injuries to the misfortunate shoveler. You can prevent these injuries by preparing correctly and deal with any potential damage through Physical Therapy Harrison Township MI. Let’s try to avoid the back pain first!

Proper Shoveling Form

Here are some tips that will help you avoid the dreaded lower back pain this winter:

• Lift with your legs

• • • By utilizing your legs’ strength, you can move snow easier while putting less pressure on your back. Make sure to keep your back straight when lifting.

• Bend from the hips and knees

• • • When you bend over to pick up snow, do so by bending your knees, lowering your core lower closer to the ground. This technique avoids bending your spine, where the lower back would take on most of the weight

• Hold the shovel correctly

• • • Keep the shovel close to your body, place one hand firmly on the handle, and one reasonably close to the shovelhead. This form provides extra leverage to make lifting easier.

• Avoid the ‘twist and throw’

• • • Instead of twisting your back 180° to throw snow behind you, pivot on your back foot and rotate your body to toss the snow. 

• Pace yourself

• • It’s not a race! Many try to get the job done too quickly and wear themselves out. Stay hydrated, and take your time.

As annoying as shoveling is, try to consider the activity as a workout instead of a chore. This mindset can help you positively frame the action and treat your body right during intense exercise. Empower Physical Therapy in Southfield; MI, can help teach you healthy lifting methods and prepare you for all kinds of exercise. 

Other Solutions

If you still are having trouble with lower back pain as a result of shoveling snow, there are a few other options to consider:

• Using an abdominal belt

• • • These belts are designed to help support the core during workouts

• Physical Therapy Harrison Township MI

• • • Empower PT has a team ready to help with lower back injuries. From healing to re-training our team will be right by your side. 

• Using a snowblower

• • • While somewhat expensive, snowblowers provide a totally different snow removal experience, which is usually less time-consuming but is still a serious workout.

• Try a different shovel

• • Ergonomic shovels are designed with lower back pain in mind and are sold at most hardware stores. 

Contact Empower Physical Therapy Harrison Township MI

There are an assortment of injuries associated with shoveling snow, the most common being soft tissue injuries due to overworking the muscles and ligaments. These can be very hard to deal with, however, our Physical Therapy Harrison Township MI can provide an injured shoveler with the personalized treatment that makes a big difference. Empower PT has an assortment of services designed with your health in mind, visit our website to learn more.

The Importance of Strength Training for Athletes

One of the most physically demanding jobs today is being an Athlete. For an athlete, it is important to be both mentally and physically strong. Strength training plays an important role in an athlete’s career and not only does strength training build stronger muscles but increases your overall athletic performance. Here at Empower Physical Therapy, not only can we help you recover from an injury but we will work with you to improve your athletic performance. With our two facilities, Empower Physical Therapy Harrison Township MI, through the use of the latest technology, will work to fulfill your healthcare goals and needs. 

Benefits of Strength Training

As an athlete, maintaining a strong healthy body can allow you to perform your athletic activity without the feelings of fatigue and a good way to prevent injury. Strength Training can help:

• Build healthy muscles and bones  
• Maintain body weight
• Develops good posture
• Boost energy and mood
• Prevent injuries
• Decreases fatigue

Why Train at Empower Physical Therapy Harrison Township MI?

While strength training can help prevent injuries, it can be very easy to get injured while training. Training here with Empower will ensure you get that one-on-one training to avoid any possible injuries. 

Here are some tips to help you prevent any injuries:

• Start slow and gradually build up your workout intensity
• Allow your body to recover
• Make sure to listen to your body if you feel any discomfort or pain
• Making sure you use proper techniques
• Rest in between sets 
• Go to a Trainer

Common Sports Injuries We Treat Here At Our Facility

No matter if you are a youth, collegiate, elite, or professional athlete, our physical therapists have had years of training to not only get your body back in shape but work to achieve even better results than before. Injuries may include:

• Post-surgical rehabilitation
• Shoulder rotator cuff
• Ligament and Muscle strain
• ACL,PCL,MCL
• Tendonitis
• Overhead sports injuries

Check out our website for more information on the other services we can offer you.

When Should You See a Professional

Most of the time, people only tend to seek out a professional once they are already injured. Here at Empower Physical Therapy Harrison Township MI we will not only help you recover from an injury but also fit your needs to improve sports performance. Meeting with one of our Physical therapists can help you make sure you are properly training to avoid any future injuries as well as making sure you are on track with your fitness goals.

Request An Appointment For Physical Therapy Harrison Township MI

Contact us today to learn more about how we can cater to your specific needs in each of our locations in the Michigan area. Empower Physical Therapy Harrison Township MI is here to help you recover from your sports injuries and get you back to feeling your best.