Manual therapy
There are many manual therapy techniques offered to release muscles tightness and joint stiffness necessary for improved function:
Some of the treatment approaches provided by practitioners at the Foot and Leg Pain Centre include:
- Deep tissue massage
- Dry needling
- Joint mobilisation and manipulation
- Tool-Assisted Myofascial Release
- Superior stretching methods such as Proprioceptive Nerve Facilitation (PNF)(1)
- Neural mobilisation and flossing.
These methods can quickly increase muscle length and joint range of motion to relieve sore muscles and reduce aching joints.
Dry Needling
Muscular knots and trigger points can be the result of hyperactive muscles. Left untreated, they can be painful when palpated, reduce strength and refer pain to other regions of your foot and leg. Dry needling is a proven (2) western medicine approach to relieve active trigger points and aching muscles. In addition, dry needling and trigger point techniques relax tight muscles to improve muscle length and function.
Joint mobilisation
Joint mobilisation and manipulation is a technique used among other manual therapies to improve joint range of motion and function safely as joints become stiff, for example, with arthritis, the stiff joint places a greater load on the next joint along the skeleton. Bellow your ankles lie 28 bones and 33 joints. These joints are predominantly synovial. Synovial joints are surrounded by ligaments that make up the joint capsule. The joint capsule is where 70% of your proprioceptor nerve endings reside. These proprioceptor nerves are where your balance starts. As the tension within a healthy ligament surrounding a joint increases with joint motion, a proprioceptive nerve impulse is directed to the supporting muscle to control the joints motion. In the case of stiff unhealthy joint capsules, this process is delayed leading to micro joint sprains and repetitive trauma to the joint, the surrounding ligaments and structures.
Neural mobilisation & flossing
Neural mobilisation(3) is a technique used to untether peripheral nerves and relieve neural tension.(4) Neural tension may present as generalised leg aches to localised sting or burning pains or even the sensation of "walking on broken glass".
Neural symptoms associated with Sciatica, Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome and Morton's Neuroma is often easily treated.
Strengthening & flexibility
Tight muscles are prone to injury during movement and restrict a joint's power, agility and efficiency. We can show you how to stretch every muscle in your legs and identify tight ones. Benefits of regular stretching include improved range of motion and function of surrounding joints.
Podiatrists regularly suggest stretching programs to aid in treating various lower limb conditions.
References
- Etnyre BR, Abraham LD. Gains in range of ankle dorsiflexion using three popular stretching techniques. American journal of physical medicine. 1986;65(4):189-96.
- Travell JG, Simons DG. Myofascial pain and dysfunction: the trigger point manual: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 1983.
- Butler DS, Coppieters MW. Neurodynamics in a broader perspective. Manual Therapy. 2007;12(1):e7-e8.
- Butler DS. The sensitive nervous system: Noigroup publications; 2000.
