Soft Tissue Mobilization Hand Therapy
Soft tissue mobilization is a form of manual physical therapy used on many areas of the body to restore, improve or optimize muscle function. Soft Tissue Mobilization can be a particularly effective form of hand therapy – which our licensed Bloomfield Hills hand therapists have successfully utilized to restore function to many patients with injuries or illnesses of the hand.
What is Soft Tissue Mobilization Hand Therapy
Adhesions can occur when the body attempts to heal a soft tissue injury. But any lengthy period of inflammation can result in the body developing long strands of internal collagenous scar tissue. These new tissues “bands” pull and restrict movement, as well as forming trigger points of pain.
During Soft Tissue Mobilization Hand Therapy your physical therapist will to use his or her hands to push, pull and knead the muscles, ligaments, tendons and nerves in specific ways.
A licensed physical hand therapist uses this hands-on techniques to bend, stretch, soften and manipulate the muscles, ligaments and fascia to break-down these adhesions, so the hand, wrist and fingers can move freely again – without restriction or pain from the scar tissue.
Benefits of Soft Tissue Mobilization Hand Therapy
By breaking down or reducing the adhesions, the hand therapy improves the range of motion, as well as lengthens the muscles and tendons.
This restores functionality to the restricted area, in addition to decreasing or eliminating associated pain.
Soft Tissue Mobilization Hand Therapy also helps reduce swelling and edema in the afflicted portion of the hand, wrist or fingers.
Soft Tissue Mobilization Hand Therapy Techniques
There are a number of specific techniques for soft tissue mobilization hand therapy of the hand, in which are Macomb County hand therapists are highly trained. These include:
• Sustained pressure which involves pushing and holding directly on the restricted area of scar tissue.
• Unlocking spirals which use alternating clockwise and counterclockwise rotating pressure.
• Direct oscillations that incorporate rhythmic pushing on areas that are restricted.
• Perpendicular and/or Parallel mobilization in which the myofascial tissue is either pushed at right angles, or along the seams of muscles.
• Friction massage in which the trained hand therapist pushes across the grain of the muscles, tendons and ligaments.
Macomb County Hand Therapy
Our licensed hand physical therapists undergo a significant amount of training in soft tissue mobilization hand therapy techniques to understand how to manipulate the tissues to release adhesions and restore physical function.
If you have restriction or loss of movement in the hand, wrist or fingers, schedule an appointment with Macomb County board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Uzma Rehman – for a specialized evaluation, assessment and treatment plan. Soft tissue mobilization hand therapy is just one of the many medical strategies that we use to help our patients restore hand function so they can regain their normal daily lives again.
