Manual Therapy – for Pain, Stiffness, and Better Movement
Manual soft tissue therapy is a hands-on approach used to reduce pain, restore movement, and help tissue heal more completely. It focuses on how muscles, fascia, and connective tissue move, slide, and respond to stress or injury.
At Big Easy Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine in Metairie, LA, manual therapy is often used alongside acupuncture for neck pain, back pain, and pinched nerve conditions where stiffness or irritation keeps symptoms from fully resolving.
How Inflammation and Adhesions Affect Pain and Movement
Inflammation is a normal part of healing. When tissue is stressed, injured, or overused, the body sends more blood to the area to help it repair. This process is meant to be temporary.
When healing goes well, swelling settles down, tissue softens, and movement returns to normal.
Problems happen when healing does not fully finish or keeps getting restarted. This can occur with repeated strain, poor posture, long hours at work, or old injuries that never healed well. Instead of returning to normal, tissue can become stiff, thick, and less flexible.
These stiff areas are often called adhesions.
Over time, adhesions can build up and change how tissue moves. They can limit range of motion, reduce strength, increase tension, and irritate nearby nerves. This is one reason pain can keep coming back even when rest, stretching, or exercise helps only for a short time.
What Manual Soft Tissue Therapy Does
Manual soft tissue therapy works by guiding tissue out of these stuck healing patterns and back toward healthier movement.
Hands-on techniques help by:
- Improving blood flow to tight areas
- Reducing stiffness and restriction
- Helping tissue slide more normally
- Lowering stress on irritated nerves
- Supporting more complete healing
The goal is not to force tissue or break anything. The goal is to help the body finish the healing process and move better again.
Different Techniques, Same Purpose
Manual therapy does not rely on a single method. Different techniques are used depending on the area being treated, tissue depth, and sensitivity.
Pin-and-Stretch Techniques
Pin-and-stretch is done by hand. Specific tissue is gently held while the body part is slowly moved. This helps release tight areas during real movement and is often used when pain shows up during motion or near sensitive nerves.
Cupping
Cupping may be used to help lift and decompress tight tissue. This can improve circulation and ease areas that feel dense or stuck, especially when tissue has been restricted for a long time. Some treatments use cupping before acupuncture in those patients that have muscle tension too high for needles to penetrate the skin. Cupping loosens the area but can make needling more comfortable.
When Gua Sha Is Used
Gua sha uses a smooth tool to apply steady pressure over the skin. It can help bring blood flow to tight areas and soften surface and fascial restriction. It is selected when even pressure over a broader area is helpful.
The tool is not the treatment. The treatment is how tissue is guided back toward normal movement.
How This Fits Into Care
Not everyone needs manual soft tissue therapy, and not every technique is used for every person. What matters most is how your tissue responds.
Manual therapy is often combined with acupuncture, electro-acupuncture, or movement work when helpful. Each visit is based on how your body is healing and what will best support progress.
Our focus is simple:
- Reduce pain
- Improve movement
- Help healing last
If pain feels stuck or keeps returning, addressing inflammation and adhesions through manual therapy may be an important part of moving forward.
Feel Right. Move Free. Live Easy
To learn whether manual therapy may be helpful for your situation, you’re welcome to contact the clinic or schedule an appointment when you’re ready.
Call / Text 504-650-0027
Schedule Online: bigeasyacu.janeapp.com
