Physical therapy patients often receive massage therapy (also known as manual therapy) as part of their treatment plan. PT massage is different from a regular spa massage, which typically provides relief from muscle pain and tension. PT massage is focused on rehabilitating muscle and joint strength, mobility, and function.
Integrating PT massage therapy into a session optimizes treatment and may speed recovery. The hands-on approach is applied to a specific region of the body and is only used when needed to optimize treatment.
Benefits of Hands-On Therapy
Hands-on physical therapy massage offers both physical and emotional benefits to individuals recovering from injury or surgery.
Physical therapists create individualized treatment programs to restore function and strength in affected muscles and joints. In many cases, massage is used as part of someone’s treatment.
PT massage has proven physical benefits. In addition to providing muscle relaxation and pain relief, massage therapy can:
- Strengthen the immune system: Studies have shown that regular massage therapy can strengthen the immune system by boosting the number of white blood cells in the body, which helps to increase immune function.
- Improve circulation: Research has suggested that massage therapy improves blood flow throughout the body, particularly in the massaged areas, which may contribute to alleviating sore muscles.
- Improve posture, flexibility, and range of motion: Massage can significantly improve the range of motion of targeted muscles and joints, while also improving a person’s posture and flexibility.
- Boost mood: Massage reduces stress and stress hormone levels to improve a person’s sense of emotional well-being. Studies have found that getting a massage increases serotonin levels in the body, which may help reduce pain and depression.
Physical Therapy Massage Techniques
A number of physical therapy massage techniques improve strength, mobility, and function. Examples include:
- Active release technique (ART): ART combines manipulation and movement to relieve tension in the soft tissues (muscles, tendons) in the body. The physical therapist will identify, isolate, and target the affected area of the body to break up scar tissue to provide pain relief, improve mobility, and prevent future strain and injury.
- Trigger point release: As the name implies, trigger point therapy involves identifying and releasing specific trigger points in the body that cause pain. The PT will use their thumb or a tool to apply indirect pressure to the trigger point until the muscles and other soft tissues around the point relax.
- Soft tissue massage: Soft tissue massage involves direct physical pressure on the muscle and other soft tissues of the body. The PT will use their hands to apply a variety of massage depths and pressures to break up muscle knots (adhesions) and restore muscle flexibility and function.
- Myofascial release: Myofascial release is a technique in which the therapist uses their hands to place slow, sustained pressure on a muscle that is stiff and painful. The manual pressure loosens, lengthens, and realigns tight, stiff myofascial muscles.
