Dry needling is most effective in soft tissue alternative treatment when manual therapy is impossible due to excessive pain and tenderness.

Currently, dry needling is considered to be the best method in the fight against pain - after just a few treatments, the patient may feel reduced pain, and even it may completely disappear. Before inserting the needle, the physical therapist carries out thorough palpation to locate tight bands with increased sensitivity to pressure.

Once the right trigger point is located, the therapist inserts a sterile needle, usually 150-300 micrometres thick and 15-50/100 mm long. The insertion of the needle induces a trembling reaction, triggering an impulse that goes through the spinal cord to the muscle fibres of the tense band. This impulse triggers an unconditional reflex - a local muscle contraction that reduces tension and leads to relaxation, and ultimately to pain reduction.

Dry needling is also used in the treatment of diseases such as, for example, tennis or golfer's elbow, runner's knee (iliotibial band syndrome, Achilles tendon pain, post-traumatic scars.

Dry needling is a procedure that is generally painless and safe, provided that it is performed by a qualified specialist.

Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization, also known commonly as Graston technique®, is a specialized myofascial release and massage technique used during physical therapy treatments. It is a relatively newer treatment that involves using metal or plastic tools to improve soft tissue mobility in your body. These ergonomically shaped tools help your PT massage and mobilize your muscles, fascia (the collagen covering your muscles), and tendons. This is thought to reduce pain and improve movement.

Indications

Not every patient should receive IASTM treatment. Your physical therapist can determine if you have certain impairments that may benefit from such treatment. These impairments may include:2

Limited mobility

Pain with motion

Loss of ROM

Decreased muscle recruitment

Excessive scar tissue formation

 Pinotherapy, also called pinopressure is an effective method that combines tooling techniques with therapeutic massage and/or manual therapy. Its main purpose is to determine the types of pathology in tissues and fascias. It consists performing treatments on the surface of the skin with special tools called pins and raw crafts, which stimulates selected centers in the brain. It is used in orthopedic and neurology (e.g. muscles spasticity, headaches, migraines, backache, myofascial, post-operation pain, overload pain and limited range of motion in the joints). This method is a derivative of acupuncture and acupressure techniques. Its operation is based on the knowledge of tissues electricity and body’s ability to self-heal. Pinotherapy as a holistic method (treats organism as functional and structural unity), it is non-invasive and during the therapy there is no risk of disruption of the tissue.

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BENEFITS: Eliminates stress tensions of the central and peripheral nervous system, it regulates the potentials of own nerves, it induces lost nerve conduction, it regulates the functioning of many systems, it detoxifies and deacidifies the organism, it provides psychological and nervous recovery, it eliminates joint and visceral movement pains or discopathy as well as pains after sports injures.

Cupping therapy is an ancient form of alternative medicine in which a therapist puts special cups on your skin for a few minutes to create suction. People get it for many purposes, including to help with pain, inflammation, blood flow, relaxation and well-being, and as a type of deep-tissue massage. 

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 The negative pressure draws the tissue up into the cup, opening up the body, lifting tissue, and releasing tension in the structures of the body without the discomfort of force or compression.” In other words, cupping is a lot like a reverse massage — instead of pressing down, the structures of the body are lifted up. 

This therapy is said to provide relief to athletes experiencing various sport-related injuries; particularly IT Band syndrome, plantar fasciitis, shin splints, sciatica, and frozen shoulder.

The Kinesio Taping® Method is a definitive rehabilitative taping technique that is designed to facilitate the body’s natural healing process while providing support and stability to muscles and joints without restricting the body’s range of motion as well as providing extended soft tissue manipulation to prolong the benefits of manual therapy administered within the clinical setting.

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Kinesio Taping may help ease the following pregnancy-related and postpartum conditions: 

Lower back pain

Breathlessness

Pelvic girdle pain (PGP)

Symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD) 

Swollen feet and ankles

Rib pain

A caesarian scar

Manual therapy is the skilled application of passive movment  to a joint either within (‘mobilisation’) or beyond its active range of movement (‘manipulation’). This includes oscillatory techniques, high velocity low amplitude thrust techniques, sustained stretching and muscle energy techniques. Manual therapy can be applied to joints, muscles or nerves and the aims of treatment include pain reduction, increasing range and quality of joint movement, improving nerve mobility, increasing muscle length and restoring normal function. There are three paradigms for its therapeutic effects; physiological, biomechanical or physical, and psychological