SHAPE Physiotherapists utilize the following rehabilitation therapies and techniques.

• Manual Therapy
• Joint Mobilizations
• Myofascial Release Techniques
• Sports Massage
• Active Isolated Stretching (AIS) Techniques
• Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Techniques (PNF)
• Therapeutic Taping

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Manual Therapy

Manual therapy is defined as a clinical approach utilizing skilled, specific hands-on techniques, used by physiotherapists to diagnose and treat soft tissues, joint structures, and neural tissue for the purpose of restoring physical function. Manual therapy has been proven to help alleviate pain, improve movement by increasing joint range of motion (ROM), reduce or eliminate soft tissue inflammation, and enhance contractile and non-contractile tissue repair. Our clinicians at SHAPE stay current on the most up-to-date research governing manual therapy techniques to ensure that our clients receive the care they deserve and rebound rapidly from injury. Manual therapy techniques include but are not limited to:

Joint Mobilizations

Joint mobilization is a type of passive movement of a skeletal joint. It is usually aimed at a dysfunctional 'target' synovial joint with the aim of achieving a therapeutic effect. When applied to the spine, it is known as spinal mobilization.

Myofascial Release Techniques

Myofascial Release is a highly specialized stretching technique used by physiotherapists to treat patients with a variety of soft tissue problems. To understand what Myofascial Release is and why it works, you have to understand a little about fascia. Fascia is a thin tissue that covers all the organs of the body. This tissue covers every muscle and every fiber within each muscle. All muscle stretching, then, is actually stretching of the fascia and the muscle, the myofascial unit.

When muscle fibers are injured, the fibers and the fascia which surrounds it become short and tight. This uneven stress can be transmitted through the fascia to other parts of the body, causing pain and a variety of other symptoms in areas you often would not expect. Myofascial Release treats these symptoms by releasing the uneven tightness in injured fascia. In other words, Myofascial Release is stretching of the fascia.

The stretch is guided by feedback the therapist feels from the patient's body. This feedback tells the therapist how much force to use, the direction of the stretch and how long to stretch. Small areas of muscle are stretched at a time. The feedback the therapist feels determines which muscles are stretched and in what order.

The therapist will be able to find sore spots just by feel. The size and sensitivity of these sore spots, called Myofascial Trigger Points, will decrease with treatment.

Myofascial Release is not massage. Myofascial Release is used to equalize muscle tension throughout the body. Unequal muscle tension can compress nerves and muscles causing pain and restricting physical function.

Sports Massage

Sports Massage is a unique form of massage that is typically used before, during, and after athletic events or workouts. The purpose of the massage is to prepare the body for peak performance by breaking down scar tissue, reducing fatigue by flushing out metabolites from muscles, decreasing muscle tension, promoting flexibility, and preventing injuries. Following a sports massage, your body should feel more finely tuned, with better general circulation and relaxed muscles and soft-tissue. Regular sports massage between sporting activities will enhance your body’s healing processes and speed up recovery time.

Active Isolated Stretching (AIS) Techniques

Active Isolated Stretching (AIS) is one of the most popular methods of stretching utilized by today's athletes, chiropractors, physiotherapists, massage therapists, personal/athletic trainers, and professionals. AIS allows the body to repair itself and also to prepare for daily activity. The AIS technique involves holding each stretch for only two seconds. This method of stretching is known to work with the body's natural physiological makeup to improve circulation and increase the elasticity of muscles, joints and fascia.

Aaron L. Mattes, creator of Active Isolated Stretching (AIS) has developed this method of proper athletic stretching over the past 35 years, working with thousands of patients, doctors, and health professionals.

Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Techniques (PNF)

(PNF) is a used by physiotherapists to treat injury and improve flexibility. The technique is performed through the combined effort of both the patient and practitioner, involving active muscle contractions from the patient and passive stretching from the therapist. The mechanism behind this technique is to inhibit the amount of tone in the muscle for the purpose of achieving maximal range of motion. The technique has received considerable attention recently, since it is thought to improve range of motion in the skeletal joints to a greater extent than conventional static stretching.

Therapeutic Taping

SHAPE is proud to offer therapeutic taping. Taping is an effective modality designed to help accelerate tissue repair by temporarily supporting and unloading injured soft-tissues. It is also commonly used to correct biomechanical abnormalities related to pain, support hyper-mobile joints, restrict and limit potentially aggravating postures and movements, and to facilitate appropriate muscle activation patterns. 

Taping is used for a number of orthopaedic, neurological, and lymphatic types of injuries and conditions. The unique qualities of water-resistant therapeutic tape allow a practitioner to be creative and create a framework for a plan of care that will progress a patient from the start of recovery from an injury, to the end stages of function. Taping is safe, easy to apply, non-invasive, comfortable to wear and can provide continued treatment from 2 to 5 days. Taping is very versatile and applicable for all stages of healing. The ultimate goal of the taping application is to compliment what we do in therapy in order to promote a timely recovery from injury.