Soft Tissue Therapy

Soft Tissue Therapy
Soft tissue includes muscles, ligaments (attachment of bone to bone), and tendons (attachment of muscle to bone). Sometimes these soft tissues can show tension due to compensation of poor posture, physical injury, strain or sprain from a specific acute or repetitive activity. Tension can be related to pain production, discomfort, movement disorders and create trigger points.  Trigger points can refer pain and create dysfunction and is more commonly known as a kink or knot.
 
Soft tissue therapy involves pressing and kneading of the soft-tissue structures with the hand or instrument. The goal of this therapy is to decrease pain and spasms, correct abnormal posture, improve circulation and reduce inflammation and prevent injury. Blood flow increases at local soft tissue therapy which contributes to clearing damaged cells, supplying tissues with oxygen and nutrients which leads to tissue healing. Soft tissue therapy can reduce stiffness and dysfunction and promote increased range of motion.  It has been found to improve short term trigger point pain.

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References
1. Piper S, Shearer HM, Côté P, et al. The effectiveness of soft-tissue therapy for the management of musculoskeletal disorders and injuries of the upper and lower extremities: a systematic review by the Ontario Protocol for Traffic Injury management (OPTIMa) collaboration. Man Ther. 2016; 21:18-34.
2. Montañez-Aguilera FJ, Valtueña-Gimeno N, Pecos-Martín D, Arnau-Masanet R, Barrios-Pitarque C, Bosch-Morell F. Changes in a patient with neck pain after application of ischemic compression as a trigger point therapy. J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil. 2010; 23(2): 101-4. 
3. McMurray J, Landis S, Lininger K, Baker RT, Nasypany A, Seegmiller J. A comparison and review of indirect myofascial release therapy, instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization, and active release techniques to inform clinical decision making. Int J Athl Ther Train. 2015; 20(5): 29-34. 
4. Vernon H, Schneider M. Chiropractic management of myofascial trigger points and myofascial pain syndrome: a systematic review of the literature. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2009; 32(1):14-24.