How can Manual Therapy benefit Crossfit City Limits’ members in their quest for “ultimate fitness”? And what is Manual Therapy? These are sample questions many people have about our physical therapy practice at Austin Manual Therapy, and why we show up at Crossfit City Limits every few weeks with a table set up for injury screening.
In principle, Manual Therapy is a philosophy inasmuch as it is a set of manual techniques. According to the American Physical Therapy Association, the definition of Manual Therapy is the skilled passive movement of joints (joint mobilization/manipulation) and soft tissues (soft tissue mobilization/specific localized massage). This also includes movement analysis and restoration of appropriate movement patterns. OMPT (Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy) is currently the only certified therapy recognized by the American Medical Association. The training for Manual Therapy specialization is very similar in nature with didactic and residency training for a Medical Doctor specializing in a particular medical domain.
In essence, Manual Therapy is a treatment philosophy which treats the whole patient, utilizing the most advanced cutting-edge techniques with the highest order of orthopedic physical therapy problem-solving. Simply stated, it is the most effective holistic approach to Orthopedic Physical Therapy. What does this mean to Crossfit City Limits? It means that our training and attention to detail mirror that with which you strive in every workout.
Crossfit City Limits fundamentally is focused on generating exceptional fitness, while at the same time improving efficiency of movement with every front squat lift, muscle-up, and power clean, etc. To that end, it is evident that you must perfect your form before progression in workout volume and intensity can be achieved, most especially to avoid injury. But we all know that, even in the best of attempts, injuries are part of the process. Usually, these injuries are related to lapses in small details of particular dynamic movement, not a weakness in the larger muscle groups. Learning from the mistakes that lead to these particular injuries is what ensures progress more consistently.
We at Austin Manual Therapy strive for the same movement mastery you do with your Crossfit program, beginning with establishing a strong base of stabilization control and aerobic capacity of the working tissues, then progressing to more challenging dynamic movements to more closely mimic and correct the activities in patient’s lives which caused the breakdown and injury in the first place. Ultimately, we at Austin Manual Therapy are after the same things that you at Crossfit City Limits pursue. Everyone needs a little help and coaching along the way, and that is the help that we provide with our injury screenings and subsequent treatment approaches. We would assert that asking for help is a sign of strength. Ask yourself if you are strong enough to ask for this help.
We are always ready to answer your questions and provide relief of your symptoms. Contact our office at (512) 832-9411, or simply stop by to speak to us at our exam table during the next Saturday morning open-gym workout. Your health will thank you!
James T. Harris, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT
