I am creating a new blog post feature to my content called Ask Dr. Joe, or perhaps better put, Ask Me Anything*. With Ask Me Anything, you can write to me by email ([email protected]) and ask me any question about: …
Manual Therapy as a Treatment for Overuse Injures
Regarding overuse injuroies, the authors suggested that if manual therapy were administered early, before pathological changes occur…
The Science of Post-Exercise Massage
These evidence-based studies explain the physiology and suggest that post-exercise massage reduces tissue damage and accelerates muscle recovery.
Myofascial Release Post Breast Cancer Surgery
Myofascial release showed decreased pain, increased shoulder movement, and increased functionality in women after breast cancer surgery.
Post-Exercise Massage and Muscle Stiffness
Post-exercise massage is commonly adminstered to reduce muscle stiffness. This study explores the effectiveness of post-exercise massage after running.
Three Helpful Tools for Managing Your Chronic Pain
Chronic pain is so much more than an occasional headache or sore muscle. It is the persistent presence of debilitating pain that can greatly affect our life.
Massage Therapy Continuing Education
The value of massage therapy continuing education is often dependent on learning how to apply fundamental skill sets of manual therapy.
Myofascial Trigger Point Treatment and Lactate Levels
Massage therapy might reduce a myofascial trigger point by increasing lactate levels, not by directly increasing arterial blood flow.
Massage Therapy Reduces Pain in Mothers After Caesarean Birth
Mothers who had massage therapy after caesarean birth had increased relaxation, decreased pain, decreased stress, and decreased opioid use.
Massage Improves Children’s Surgical Postoperative Recovery
Children receiving postoperative massage therapy had significantly lower anxiety and lower exposure to benzodiazepines than the standard of care group.
The Effect of Massage Therapy on Blood Pressure in Prehypertensive Women
The results indicated that the mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures in the massage group were significantly lower in comparison with the control group. The results also showed that the lowered blood pressure was still observed 72 hours after the treatment.
Five more Do and Don’t Precautions for Massage Therapists
One precaution is that when we do need to use the thumb or fingers, it is a good guideline to always try to contact the client with the pad of the thumb or fingers, instead of the tips of the fingers. In other words, do not lead with the fingertips.
Ten Massage Therapy “Dos and Don’ts”
This is not a list of precautions or contraindications for massage therapy. Rather it is list of miscellaneous, somewhat random, “dos and don’ts” that I believe would improve massage therapy sessions with clients.
Low Back Pain: Time to Consider Massage and Exercise as Effective Treatments
So if we say that the cause of most low back pain is not understood, it should mean that we do not know what mechanism is causing the low back pain most of the time. But that is not true. We can often palpate tight myofascial tissue or a dysfunctional joint that is causing back pain.
Massage Therapy Improves Training of Elite Para-Athletes
The results showed that massage therapy afforded significant improvement for sleep, muscle tone (tightness), and recovery from workout while in training for paracyclists.
Massage Therapy Promotes Muscle Regrowth Even on Opposite Leg
A research study has shown that massage therapy increases growth of muscle tissue after an injury, even on the opposite, non-massaged side of the body.
Manual Therapy Treatment Strategy for the Low Back and Pelvis
For treatment strategy to be effective, treatments should be spaced no more than 2 to 3 days apart until the desired improvement has been achieved.
Real-World Massage Therapy is Effective for Treating Lower Back Pain
After 12 weeks, more than half of the patients reported improved outcomes in terms of pain reduction, and meaningful physical and mental improvement.
Treatment Strategy and Treatment Techniques for the Neck
Sound Treatment Strategy: To perform effective manual therapy, frequency of care should be structured as in every other world of rehab: 2-3 x per week.
Manual Therapy Certification for Chiropractors
What is most important in any Manual Therapy Certification program is marrying together the underlying science with the hands-on manual therapy skills.
Manual Therapy Certification for Pilates Instructors
Pilates is kinesthetic. Verbal talking to direct your client is not. Hands-on Manual direction is. Plain and simple, Pilates is a kinesthetic endeavor.
What is Manual Therapy?
The following techniques are considered to be Manual Therapy techniques: Massage (Soft Tissue Manipulation), Stretching, Joint Mobilization, Hydrotherapy.
