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No matter what causes it, back pain is one of the most common forms of pain that affects numerous people each year. One of the primary causes of disability - back pain, affects people of all ages and leads to poor well-being. It also remains one of the most significant reasons for missed workdays and reduced productivity at work. Regardless of your occupation, where you live, and how healthy you feel, none of it makes you immune to back pain. The moment you put your health goals on the back burner, you will end up experiencing, if not back pain, some other health issues. So it is always better to take your health seriously by exploring healing techniques like physical therapy.

Before we talk in detail about the natural ways of relieving back pain, let's examine the risk factors associated with it and its causes.

Back Pain Risk Factors

Pregnant women face a higher risk of back pain because of increased weight

People working in corporate houses have more chances of getting back pain due to a sedentary lifestyle

Poor physical fitness increases the risk of back pain 

Degenerative diseases such as arthritis raise the probability of back pain

Intense workouts, if performed inappropriately, ups the likelihood of upper-body injuries such as spine injury, which eventually lead to back pain

Complications related to old age also increase its possibility

Well-known Causes of Back Pain

Anything that affects the smooth functioning of bones, nerves, muscles, ligaments, and tissues linked to the back causes back pain. To be specific, problems like arthritis, sciatica, abnormal spinal curvature, bulging disks, kidney problems, ruptured disks, etc., lead to back pain.

Natural Ways of Managing Back Pain

Take Physical Therapy Services

By far, most people believe that physical therapy is the best remedy for back pain if its underlying cause is not that serious. Irrespective of how old you are, you can reap the benefits of this natural healing technique to reduce the severity of your pain and its frequency. The physical therapist you consult incorporates the healing methods in your treatment plan depending upon the intensity of your pain.

Shed Those Extra Pounds

Many of us, who are overweight, take it very lightly, which is a terrible attitude. We can't afford to ignore it at any cost. Remember, it degrades our quality of life slowly - it contributes to back pain in more than one way. Besides, it causes various problems such as cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart diseases, etc. 

Therefore, if you are overweight and have back pain, make sure you immediately consult a dietician. 

Perform Exercises

Incorporate correct back pain relief exercises in your workout routine, and perform them diligently. And regardless of how strong-willed a person you are, if sticking to a workout routine remains a big problem for you, make sure you find a workout partner to avoid falling out of track.

If you’re sitting at your desk continuously — such as you do a day for eight-plus hours — there’s a strong chance you are feeling a twinge of uneasiness somewhere in your back or neck. Perhaps it's your lower back that begins to throb. Or then again your neck and shoulders get hardened by mid-evening. Any place the agony crawls up, it could likewise be an image that drawing out sitting damages your body. Poor posture can also be responsible for chronic pain in different parts of the body. At this point, we've all found out about the significance of a legitimate stance. It's useful for your muscles, bones, balance, interior organs and compelling in limiting back pain.

Fortunately, there's something that you can do immediately to assist curb these aches and pains. Physical therapists have been tackling these issues for years, and there are physical therapy exercises that you can do every day to fight back the aches and pains of poor posture.  

Physical Therapy Exercises That Can Improve Posture From Working At Home

Hip Flexor Stretch

Hip flexors get tight once we sit an excessive amount and may cause low back pain. Subsequent physical therapy exercises for you to finish are going to be to stretch these out.

How to do the physio exercise?

In a high kneeling position (kneeling on one leg with the opposite leg forward with the foot flat on the ground)

Gently clench your buttock muscles to bring your hips forward.

Keeping your back straight, lean ahead until you feel a pull down the front of the leg that has the knee on the bottom.

 Hold for 20 seconds and repeat on all sides twice. 

Cat / Cow Stretch 

From your hands and knees, begin by letting your stomach sink towards the bottom while you search towards the roof. This is often the cow position. Go as far as you comfortably can and hold the top position for a count of one.

Arch your copy towards the roof while bending your neck down and searching towards your belly button. This is often the cat position.

Go as far as you comfortably can and hold the top position for a count of one. Repeat this 15 times. 

Shoulder Blade

Sit up tall in your chair or stand.

Imagine that there's a pencil stuck to the center of your back that you simply don't want to let fall to the bottom.

Gently squeeze your shoulder blades back and down together.

 Hold for five seconds, then relax. Repeat 15 times. If you feel like your shoulders are arising towards your ears, please note, relax, and check out again. 

Neck Stretch 

Sitting for hours at a laptop or on Zoom calls can cause slouching and tension in your upper back and neck. Tightness here can cause headaches and soreness through the upper back and neck.

Turn your head and appearance at one among your shoulders.

With the arm on an equivalent side that you simply are looking at, reach up and gently grab the rear of your head.

Gently pull on the back of your head until you feel a mild pull on the other side of the neck.

Hold for 20 seconds and relax.

Do you have surgery scheduled in the near future? We understand that you’re concerned about many things like ‘how well the surgery will go,’ ‘what will be your recovery time frame,’ or ‘what extra precautions you’ll have to take before and after the surgery. The idea of surgery can be intimidating; fortunately, by participating in physical therapy right from the start, you can prepare yourself for the surgery and secure better surgical outcomes. 

Most people engage in post-operative physical therapy, which is undeniably beneficial. Still, when combined with pre-surgical rehab, you will be able to get back to your routine much more easily and quickly. 

Benefits of Pre-Surgical Rehabilitation

1. Less Anxiety

Studies show that patients who have undergone some rehabilitation before their surgery are less prone to anxiety or stress at the operation time. In a pre-hab program, physical therapists help you understand the effects of your surgery and condition your body to be prepared for the post-operative treatments. It gives you a sense of confidence and puts your mind at ease 

2. Fewer Complications

If your physical strength and immune system are enhanced before the surgery, you will be less likely to experience complications such as infection. Pre-hab will help you improve your strength, endurance, and overall immunity, ensuring lesser complications and better recovery.

3. Reducing recovery time

Your recovery will be much smoother and faster if you have strong and toned muscles before the surgery. Exercises performed in the Pre-hab help increase the flexibility and strength of your muscles, which ultimately promotes faster healing and reduces the recovery time frame. 

4. Relieving pain from the start

Physical therapists use various techniques like exercises, hot and cold compress treatments, and manual therapy to ease or eliminate your pain and discomfort. This prepares your body for surgery and decreases the chances of pain and loss of mobility afterward. 

Benefits of Post-Operative Rehabilitation

1. Reduced Pain and Inflammation

Physical therapists can help you reduce swelling and pain after the surgery by applying techniques such as icing and ultrasound. Patients who received post-operative rehabilitation on the same day needed lesser time to recover and suffered less pain and discomfort after surgery.   

2. Reduced Usage of Opioids 

Physical therapy helps you restore movement, flexibility, and function naturally with the help of exercises, manual therapy, and other techniques. Studies show that patients who engage in post-operative rehabilitation have to rely less on opioids and other harmful medications after surgery. 

3. Improve Circulation– 

An individualized post-surgical treatment program is designed in such a way that it improves circulation in the targeted area to facilitate faster recovery and to restore motion quickly. Improved circulation also reduces the chances of blood clots forming. Apart from exercises, massage therapy and hands-on manual therapy are also used by physical therapists to aid in increasing blood circulation. 

4. Regain Lost Strength 

Jane had been suffering from severe back pain and she was looking for the best remedies and holistic ways to treat the pain. Someone suggested that she should opt for physical therapy to prevent chronic pain and live a healthy life. She contacted an experienced physical therapist and chose them for physical therapy. She got amazing results and now, she doesn’t have to pop up painkillers any more. 

Physical therapy can help you manage chronic pain and live a happy life. You will have to visit the physical therapists multiple times, but the exercises will help you treat the medical condition easily. If you have to curl up in the bed each night, it’s time to look for physical therapy centers around you. The expert therapists can help you get the best pain management options for treating chronic pain. They may also suggest some exercises that can be practiced at home for treating the pain. 

What to expect from a physical therapist?

A lot of people who suffer from any kind of pain in their neck, back or knees pop up a pain killer pill for a few days. One should know that it is a temporary solution to get relief from the pain. Moreover, the painkillers have a lot of side effects on the body. Hence, one should look for holistic and natural ways to get rid of pain. 

Physical therapists can help patients of all the age groups get rid of pain, and help them heal faster. Right from initial diagnosis to provide the right treatments, they work with the patients and help them treat their painful medical conditions. They would ask you about the health history and provide the right suitable solution to help you achieve your short and long term goals. They may use different types of pain management methods such as massages, cold laser therapy, movement therapy, and exercise to help people move safely. 

Physical therapy can also be used to ensure faster recovery after an injury or accident also. Some of the medical conditions may need physical therapy sessions for a few days while a few other diseases may take a longer time. You can contact the experienced and skilled physical therapists to help you get the right treatment matching your exact requirements and health goals. 

Physical therapy centers and clinics use laser therapy treatment to help reduce pain and inflammation related to many common conditions. Laser treatments are clinical medicines that utilization shone the light. In contrast to most light sources, light from a laser (which stands for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation) is tuned to precise frequencies. This permits it to be engaged into unique shafts. Laser light is serious to such an extent that it very well may be utilized to shape precious stones or cut steel. 

In medication, lasers permit specialists to work at undeniable degrees of exactness by zeroing in on a bit of zone, harming less of the encompassing tissue. If you have laser treatment, you may encounter less agony, expanding, and scarring than conventional medical procedures. Be that as it may, laser treatment can be costly and require rehashed medicines.

Things Everyone Should Know About Deep Tissue Laser Therapy

Reduces Pain and Inflammation

Laser treatment utilizes a cycle called photobiomodulation. Photons enter the tissue and interface with the cytochrome complex inside mitochondria. This interaction triggers a natural course of occasions that prompts an expansion in cell digestion and diminishes both pain and inflammation. It is also essential to point out that patients report long-lasting pain relief. While the number of medicines required may fluctuate contingent upon the condition's sharpness, numerous patients experience enduring alleviation from a few medications. Unlike treatment, laser therapy reduces pain without any side effects. 

Used for Acute and Chronic Conditions

While treating acute conditions or pain with laser therapy, it's particularly effective when it's administered as soon as following possible injury (assuming there's no active hemorrhaging). The faster the inflammation is reduced, and therefore, the healing process can begin, the higher. Within the case of acute injury or pain, laser therapy helps restore the body to normal function quicker. Patients suffering from chronic pain have often used laser therapy to help combat persistent pain and inflammation. Laser therapy is especially appropriate for treating acute and chronic conditions since it empowers physical therapists to treat a more extensive region of interest while still conveying remedially essential measurements. 

Customized Treatment

Lasers that have more prominent force ranges offer flexible treatment alternatives. A laser set to work from 0.5 W as far as possible up to 25 W permits the clinician adaptability to treat low and moderate or most significant yield. However, while treating deep-tissue problems, like a hamstring and on-contact massage ball attachment is best to scale back reflection and scattering and encourage deeper penetration by displacing excess fluids. Different sized treatment heads also can be advantageous for administering treatments that need varying levels of precision. Advanced technologies are another tool that helps with treatment customization. It allows the building of custom treatments for individual patients based on body region, condition, and specific patient characteristics. 

Concluding Thoughts!!!

Kinesio Taping is a physical therapy technique that is becoming increasingly famous amongst sportsmen and athletes. But what exactly is it? If you've ever watched a volleyball game or a professional bicycle race, you would have probably noticed colourful tapes played across their shoulders, knees and backs. These colourful tapes are known as Kinesio tapes, and they are used strategically for muscle manipulation to alleviate pain, reduce swelling and increase range of motion. The Kinesio tapes were originally developed in the 1970s by Dr Kenzo Kase, a Japanese chiropractor and today, there are more than 50 brands of kinesiology tapes on the market. 

From how physical therapists use it, its benefits, and tips, we have covered everything you need to know about the popular Kinesio taping technique in this article.

What is Kinesiology Taping?

Kinesiology tape is a thin, latex-free hypoallergenic cotton fibre tape with properties like water resistance and acrylic adhesive. It is almost identical to human skin in thickness and elasticity and is used to provide support to joints and muscles. Kinesio tapes are used by a broad spectrum of professionals, including Physical therapists, occupational therapists, certified athletic trainers, chiropractors, physicians, manual therapists etc. 

Benefits of Kinesiology Taping 

1. Pain Relief 

One of the most significant benefits of Kinesiology taping is instant pain relief. These tapes help to disrupt and dissipate pain by blocking pain receptors in your brain. When the brain doesn't receive painful signals, the muscles can relax, which ultimately makes your healing process quicker, comfortable and pain-free. 

2. Increased Circulation and Decreased Inflammation

Kinesio Tapes can help remove congestion, and it leads to efficient blood circulation. Blood carries oxygen which flushes out irritants and reduces inflammation. The free movement of fluids will reduce the swelling in the affected area and foster faster recovery.

3. Joint Stabilization

Intense physical activities and continuous exposure to physical strain can decrease joint stability in athletes and sports professionals. With the help of Kinesio taping, physical therapists or sports therapists can provide support to these weakened joints without disrupting their intended range of motion. Unlike other assistive devices that can lead to dependency, kinesiology tapes can improve their efficiency by training an athlete's body to become independent and efficient.

4. Improved Posture and Muscle Support 

Some areas tend to lose correct postures; kinesio taping provides support for proper posture in such places. Proper taping also enables weak muscles to function efficiently, reduces pain and fatigue, and protects against cramping, over-extension, and over-contraction. 

5. Scar Tissue Management 

Healing from trauma from severe injury or surgery can form a thick band of scar tissue over the affected area, which can inhibit movement signals. The taping provides a much-needed stretch to the scar tissue, making it easier for the brain to receive movement signals, thus increasing mobility. 

How physiotherapy and Kinesio taping work together?

Workouts, repetitive motions, or incorrect sleeping and sitting posture can put a strain on your neck and cause pain and discomfort. While some severe conditions might require orthopedic surgery, most neck pains can be relieved with simple exercises guided by physical therapists. A tailored treatment plan will help you get permanent relief, gain back your strength and flexibility, and lower your chances of future neck injuries.

5 Physical therapy exercises to relieve neck pain

1. Shoulder Rolls

Physical therapy experts recommend these stretches as a warm-up before attempting other exercises. 

Begin with sitting straight with your head and neck in a neutral position. Lift your shoulders like you are shrugging without moving the head or neck and carry them in a circular motion. Relax briefly between each roll and repeat ten registrations on each side. Please ensure that your shoulder blades are relaxed while performing this and your head is not tilted forward. The better your posture, the better stretch your muscles will get. 

2. Neck Tilting and rotating

Rotating and tilting your neck and head will help relieve the tension, reduce stiffness and increase the range of motion. 

Neck tilting: Begin with your head in a neutral position, slowly tilt your head left and pause for a moment and repeat the same on the right side. Do this eight times on each side.

Side rotation: Keep your head steady over the shoulders and your back straight. Slowly turn your head to the right side as if looking over the shoulder. Hold the stretch for 20-30 seconds and return to center. Repeat the same for the left side. 

3. Wall Push-ups 

Wall push-ups are a simple yet highly effective exercise to strengthen your shoulders and support your neck muscles without causing as much strain as floor push-ups. Stand straight, facing a wall keeping your feet shoulder-width apart. Place your hands straight against the wall, just below the shoulders. Slowly bend your elbows and bring your body closer to the wall. You will feel a stretch in the shoulder blades and lower neck. Repeat the exercise for two sets of 10 reps each. 

4. Seated Twist

This is an excellent exercise to increase flexibility and the mobility of back and neck muscles. Sit on a chair, keeping your back straight. Put your left hand on the right knee and slowly pull to rotate the shoulder to the right, as if you are looking behind the chair. Hold the stretch from left for 15-30 seconds and return to the center. Repeat for the opposite side.  

5. Aerobic training 

Any form of aerobic or cardiovascular exercise every day can help you achieve all your fitness goals and better your overall health. However, high-intensity sports might not be a good idea if you have chronic pain or a condition. Physical therapists recommend trying low-intensity exercises like swimming, brisk walking, etc. 

Closing up 

Physical therapy is considered as a medical care that is recommended by experienced medical experts to improve pain, movement, modality, & balance to perform daily tasks and fitness activities. Physical therapy helps to understand the root causes of fewer complications, physical conditions, balance impairments, injuries, etc. and helps patients to improve quality of life by offering instant recovery. 

“Physical therapy is an element of health care”, adopting this concept in life will help you to reduce acute pain, muscular impairments, injuries, etc. an experienced team of physical therapists knows their responsibility of offering the best and healthy life. Whether you are looking to enhance your functions, improve mobility, flexibility and reduce chronic pain, medical teams always perform scientifically-proven techniques so that you can live a quality life. 

Why Do You Need Physical Therapy & Treatment?

If you are an athlete and need proper fitness and health, physical therapy is the only way to get rid of pain and live a healthy life. Medical experts help in:

Reducing pain

Restoring flexibility

Improving mobility

Offering instant recovery from injury

Prevent future risk of acute pain and injury

Enhancing performance & physical function

Rebuilding strength

When an athlete gets injured & feels pain due to lack of functions, performance and physical injury. After successful physical therapy treatment, athletes can typically return to sports with prevented risk of injury. 

Who Needs Physical Therapy & How Does it Help?

Anyone who is injured or having problems to manage daily or routine activities such as walking, running, playing, should be seen by the physical therapist soon. If an athlete or sports person is experiencing continuous pain then temporary medications and opioids are not the solution to rely on. Physical therapy is the only way to get rid of physical pain and enhance functions & mobility.

How Can Physical Therapy Help?

Typically, consulting with physical therapists will assist you to enhance your performance and improve body functions. Physical Therapists evaluate your medical condition and understand the root causes of the problems. They set patients health goals, and design an individualized treatment plan for you. Also, they suggest a few exercise tips and physical therapy techniques to get rid of pain instantly. 

With common physical exercises like ice-heat therapy, electrical stimulation, ultrasound, stretching, strengthening, etc. it will improve muscle soreness, joint dysfunctions and severe injuries. As the causes of soreness directly affect your muscles, attending customized treatment programs will lead you to get instant recovery and get back to your normal life. Physical Therapists encourage you to understand your body mechanisms and enhance your physical mobility, modality and range of motion. 

Regular treatment practices and sessions also help you to alleviate serious pain, muscle tension, and other musculoskeletal injuries. You can consult with the medical team on a periodic basis which will help you to set health benchmarks and reach your optimum level of health goals. 

Closing Thoughts

Physical therapy is a wide umbrella that contains a multitude of techniques and modalities. One of the most essential parts of this branch is a therapeutic exercise. They are specially designed solutions to treat several problems like pain due to injuries, reduction in muscular function, minimized flexibility impairment of skeletal function, and lack of strength and endurance. These exercises provide the best outcome when performed under the guidance of a professional therapist so that the physical pain is addressed thoroughly. They differ from the normal definition of exercises and are more exact in nature.

The definition of therapeutic exercises

A therapeutic exercise is the systematic and well-curated performance of body movements that pursue the goal of improving and restoring physical function. They can be implemented by athletes, patients who have recently undergone surgery or planning on one, injuries from a car accident or sports adventure, and patients with chronic or acute musculoskeletal issues. These exercises are performed or practiced regularly to enhance and restore physical function as well as to improve and maintain physical fitness. Physical therapy and its treatment plans include various different kinds of therapeutic exercises and different aims for each type of exercise which are discussed below.

Advantages of therapeutic exercise

These methodologies empower the patient with several benefits. They help manage cardiac or pulmonary diseases efficiently as they are focused on strengthening, conditioning, and breathing appropriately and resulting in a healthier lifestyle. The injured patients can benefit from therapeutic exercises as they are designed to rebuild strength, regain flexibility, and help achieve peak performance. Another advantage of such techniques is that they reduce the stiffness and pain and prevent chronic pain from returning for a long period of time. They are also helpful to patients with neurological disorders in order to control their physical symptoms and gain independence.

Types of therapeutic exercises

There are a plethora of types when it comes to therapeutic exercises. First, there is a range of motion exercises like joint mobilization and soft tissue stretching techniques that aim to maintain and increase movement capability. Next, there are muscle performance therapeutic exercises like resistance and endurance exercises that focus on increasing the strength, power, and endurance of the muscles. Then there are postural and balance and coordination exercises that help lead the path to corrective posture and enhanced gait. The expert determines the ones that are best suited for your treatment after a thorough examination of your condition.

Opt for the correct methods

Massage involves the therapeutic manipulation, rubbing and pressing of soft tissues (muscles, ligaments and tendons) performing gentle massage on the affected areas with fingers, hands, forearms, elbows and knees, etc.  as symptoms and causes of chronic pain have been increasing these days. Therapeutic massage has become an effective solution and technique to get rid of serious injury pain and discomfort. 

A Brief Overview of Massage Therapy

Therapeutic Massage is used and incorporated with a variety of advanced modalities that improve and enhance the body’s natural muscle functioning. Whether you are experiencing muscle tension, stiffness or joint dysfunctions issues, therapeutic massage helps to increase blood circulation, lymph flow and relax muscles. It is a general term that describes any types of massage modality that assists relieve pain, reduce stress and work on specific problems. It relieves muscle aches, tension and pains through manipulations of the soft tissues and muscles. 

Benefits of Therapeutic Massage:

Massage is among the most relaxing and soothing therapies which help you to release your pain you can experience. However, the benefits of good rubdown go beyond relaxation and run deeper than you might think. The advantages of good rubdown go beyond relaxation and run deeper than you might think. Let’s review the health benefits to find out. 

1. Stress Relief

For centuries, people have preferred massage therapy to de-stress their mind and give little rest. Indeed, recent studies confirm that massage effectively significantly reduces physical and psychological stress. Therapeutic massage helps patients to improve blood circulation and flow, & enhance endurance power. It also helps to reduce cortisol levels, heart rate and blood pressure and oxygen consumption, other factors typically associated with stress.

2. Reduce Anxiety

Therapeutic massage also helps you to enhance range of motion and reduce anxiety levels. Physical therapists use advanced massage techniques to reduce emotional trauma and injury. If you are suffering from mental trauma, depression and stress, it assists you to feel relaxed and make you physically and mentally calm.

3. Eases Muscle Tension

 The complexities of modern suburban life, busy lifestyles and schedules have made people more tense than ever - both psychologically and physically. As a result, back injuries, joint dysfunctions, muscle tension, etc. have risen, massage therapy helps in reducing deep anxiety, muscle stiffness, endurance, etc. 

4. Improves Overall Sleep Quality

Maintaining good health is impossible without adequate sleep. Fortunately, physical therapists specialized with therapeutic massage and exercises help people to significantly reduce the incidence of sleep insomnia. Furthermore, the effect of massage therapy on sleep isn’t limited to any age group, infact, patients with irregular sleep and depression can effectively aid the problem of serotonin, which also leads your body to achieve a state of restfulness.

Conclusion

Before discussing the details of what actually helps the recovery process after a work injury, let us define the term ‘work injury’ actually entails. In plain words, it is an injury, an ailment, or an illness that is sustained while an employee is on the job is known to be a work injury. There are varying levels of risks in different occupations. Some interesting examples include police work, nursing, and working on a construction site. It is often observed that jobs considered as less dangerous like a corporate nine to five job may also pose some risks like the chances of developing a musculoskeletal disorder due to poor ergonomic settings. Let us have a look at how physical therapy can help one to recover from a work injury. 

Most common work injuries

There are several injuries that could occur during a job. Some of the most common ones are listed down below.

Sprains and strains

These can affect the ligaments and tendons in the body. Strains and sprains, both occur when the tendons and ligaments are stretched beyond their limitations. Other common causes of these painful injuries can be sudden trauma, improper use of equipment, or repetitive motions.

Tendinitis

Tendonitis has been often observed in occupations including repetitive motion like hairdressers. The condition usually affects the shoulders, elbows, and knees. Common symptoms include pain, swelling, and tenderness.

Backache

One of the most commonly reported sources of pain is back pain. The diagnosis demonstrates that most of the back injuries are typically caused by rotating or twisting the back in the wrong way. It can develop by sitting in the same uncomfortable position for long hours at work or continuously lifting heavy items.

Carpal tunnel syndrome

This is a result of the compression of the median nerve in the write and near the thumbs. This can be treated with the help of physical therapy and the symptoms can be bought under control through therapeutic exercise.

Restoring function and strength

After one’s body undergoes trauma it needs a gradual routine to help the damaged muscles, bones, tissues, and other parts to get back into normal shape and form. Physical therapy helps design the treatment plan that can get you back to the office and workstation with completely restored functions. It can help relieve the sore muscles through varying techniques like manual therapy, joint mobilization, and chiropractic.

Reduce the duration of the injury

The Mulligan concept is essentially a technique or unique modality of physical therapy. It was developed or introduced initially by a New Zealander, Brian Mulligan who was a renowned physical therapist. In essence, the mulligan concept is a manual therapy that conceptualizes the mobilization in movement in the extremities and sustained natural apophyseal glides (SNAGS) in the spine. It can be used to treat a variety of injuries and pain in certain body parts like the neck, back, shoulders, arms, legs, and such extremities. 

What is Mulligan’s therapy

The definition in simple terms is the amalgamation of different mobilization techniques to treat the spine mainly as well as the damage it causes to the upper and lower extremities. The technical terms for these therapies or techniques include Natural Apophyseal Glides (NAGs), Sustained Natural Apophyseal Glides (SNAGs), and Mobilisations with Movement (MWMs). The professional decides which treatment is appropriate for the patient and their condition or severity of chronic pain. This concept is fairly recent in the world of  physical therapy and has been adopted for a decade into practical situations. The treatments have been refined over a short period of time and modified as per the patient’s requirement.

How does it work

The basic assessment by the therapist will identify the signs as described by Maitland for example, loss of joint movement, some pain associated with movement, or pain associated while performing specific functional activities. Then passive accessory joint mobilization is applied according to the principles of Kaltenborn. These should help the therapists find the correct contact point, direction of mobilization if there is no significant improvement after regular sessions. Application of passive overpressure at the end of the available range to result in a pain-free result.

What are the benefits of the treatment

All the health practitioners who are trained in manual therapy can further assist individuals who suffer from impairment of mobility and function. The Mulligan concept has been designed specifically to achieve this purpose through the implementation of pain-free mobilization that facilitates the movement without any troubles. There is a noticeable improvement in the range of motion if the therapy is applied appropriately. There is an immediate reduction in pain, increased flexibility, and decreasing the restriction of movement in the joints. Mulligan techniques are often performed in weight bearing and are generally sustained. They are never performed through pain are also known for producing immediate improvements.

Who is it suited for