The injury I sustained was a sprained meniscus, a thoracic strain, and thoracic sprain from a fall off a waterski ramp. I was originally referred to a physical therapist but I stopped going after two weeks. I realized they gave me the same exercise to do every time I went and my healing would surely plateau. My mom told me …show more content…
From my experience, my therapist used active release techniques (found in physical therapy), deep tissue techniques, and manipulation found in chiropractic therapy. The patient and therapist both work, it is not just a “sit back and relax” setting. Through using pressure points, essential oils, and various techniques, my therapist’s webpage explains the importance of going beyond therapy, “Nutrition, proper rehabilitation, and exercise aid in the best recovery” (4).
The physical therapist would often leave me unattended to different exercises, whereas exercises with the muscle therapist included him engaging pressure on a pressure point and me moving the joint (active release). This particular article, written in the Physical Therapy Science
Journal discusses the positive effects ART (active release therapy) has on range of motion. “ART is an effective at resolving adhesion of scar tissue and the soft tissue that causes pain, spasm, muscle weakness, tingling, and other symptoms” (3). In my back injury, I noticed increase in flexibility, especially in bending over. I was also able to stay in a chair more than 50 …show more content…
If I have poor posture, breathe incorrectly, or walk poorly, it causes my healing process to be either slow, temporary, or nonexistent. One key aspect of my muscle therapist was that he doesn’t just focus on the obvious injury, but at my body as a whole. He made sure I was eating properly and doing exercises at home to ensure the quality of recovery, unlike the physical therapist who wanted to only make sure I was doing my home exercise and icing.
The chiropractic part of the practiced is also apparent. “Back pain is the second most common reason expressed by patients for office visits to primary care physicians and the most common reason for office visits to orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, and occupational medicine physicians.” (2).
Although it is an alternative therapy, chiropractic therapy is one of the more popular and accepted alternative therapies. The Branco and Moodley study showed a correlation between chiropractic manipulation with a combination or stretching and strength training(1). Similarly, the philosophy of my therapist was that my once-a-week appointment was the manipulation and