Soft Tissue Mobilization In Vail Valley, CO

If you are an athlete, you probably know how hard it is to excel in your chosen sport. It doesn’t matter if you are training for a marathon or competing in a recital, big game, or any other event, it takes a lot of preparation and effort. It is important to train your muscles to function in the way you want. This can lead to soreness and pain. Although this is a minor setback it does not change the fact it can temporarily slow down your training.

People who have suffered from prolonged overuse of their muscles often use soft tissue mobilization. It can help loosen up tight areas, make recovery faster and easier, so you can get back to your goal.

Soft tissue mobilization, a type of manual physical therapy, is where your licensed physical therapist uses hands-on techniques to your muscles and ligaments with the aim of breaking adhesions. It also optimizes your muscle function.

Adhesions occur when your body attempts to heal a soft tissue trauma with long-term inflammation. This results in collagenous scar tissue and long strands. These new tissues pull together, creating trigger points for pain.

Goals of soft tissue mobilization:

• Reduce adhesions or break them down
• Increase range of motion
• Strengthen muscles and tendons
• Reducing swelling and edema
• Reduce pain
• Restore functionality

Soft Tissue Mobilization Techniques Used in Vail Valley, CO

Your licensed PT has been specially trained to manipulate your muscles, ligaments and nerves in precise ways that will provide pain relief and help you get back to normal.

There are specific techniques that can be used to mobilize soft tissue.

Sustained pressure – pushing directly on the restricted tissue.

Locking the spiral – Push on the restrained tissue in an alternating clockwise/counterclockwise rotating motions

Direct oscillations – rhythmic pushing on the restricted tissues

Perpendicular mobilization: Pushing on the myofascial tissue from right angles.

Parallel mobilization – Pushing along the muscle seams

Perpendicular strumming is rhythmic pushing along the muscle border, followed with rubber of the top of the muscle

Friction massage: Pushing across the grain of muscles, tendons, and ligaments

To be able to use soft tissue mobilization techniques, you need to have a solid understanding of anatomy and physiology. You also need to understand the effects on physical function that manipulating tissues can have. Physical therapists are trained in the evaluation, assessment, and treatment of movement dysfunction disorders. We use many strategies to help patients achieve their functional goals, including soft tissue mobilization.

Benefits of Soft Tissue Mobilization in Vail Valley, CO

Physical therapists have a wealth of resources to help them treat patients with soft tissue mobilization. It can reduce pain, restore soft tissue, increase mobility, improve function, and speed up recovery. Soft tissue mobilization can be used to treat the following conditions:

• Ankle sprains
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Chronic back pain
• Chronic neck pain
• Hip pain
• Knee pain
• Muscle strains and sprains
• Plantar fasciitis
• Scar tissue
• Shoulder pain
• Shin splints
• Tendinitis
• Scarring after surgery
• Epicondylitis
• De Quervain’s tenosynovitis

We are available to help you with any questions, strains, or sprains regarding soft tissue mobilization.