Soft Tissue Mobilization or STM
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What is Soft Tissue Mobilization?
Soft tissue mobilization (STM) is a manual therapy technique utilized in physical therapy to treat various musculoskeletal conditions and injuries. It involves the manipulation of soft tissue, such as muscle, tendons, ligaments, and fascia to help alleviate pain, improve mobility, flexibility, and promote overall healing. Soft tissue mobilization has multiple benefits and can be implemented in physical therapy treatments not limited to examples below.
Soft Tissue Mobilization
10 Benefits of Soft Tissue Mobilization in Physical Therapy
- Pain Relief: STM can help reduce pain by releasing muscle tension and/or trigger points, improving blood flow, and increasing the production of endorphins, which are pain-relieving chemicals within the body.
- Increased Range of Motion (ROM): STM can help break down scar tissue if a patient is post-surgical or not along with adhesions in the soft tissue. Joint mobility can be improved after STM, allowing the joint being treated a wider range of motion.
- Circulation: STM enhances blood flow to the targeted area, which can promote the healing process, reduce swelling, and remove waste products from the tissue.
- Tissue Healing: STM can facilitate the body’s healing process and promote tissue repair.
- Flexibility: STM helps increase extensibility of muscle and other soft tissue structures, which leads to improve flexibility thus reducing the risk of injury.
- Muscle Spasms: STM can help release tension within muscle that can often cause discomfort with movement.
- Exercise Preparation: STM can be utilized in conjunction with warming up prior to exercising thus preventing injuries from occurring.
- Post-Surgical Rehabilitation: Scar tissue formation can occur among individuals that underwent surgery. Therefore, STM can help regain functional movement.
- Chronic Conditions: STM can be used to treat acute but also chronic conditions such as fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, and arthritis to help reduce pain and increase joint mobility.
- Stress Reduction: STM can promote relaxation and decrease stress and/or tension within the body thus increasing overall well-being.
Treating other Conditions with STM
Other conditions soft tissue mobilization can be used to treat include but not limited to neck pain, back pain, shoulder pain and impingements, tennis or golfer’s elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, hip pain, ankle sprains, plantar fasciitis, muscle imbalances, and postural dysfunctions.
Instrument Assisted Tissue Mobilization
Why is Soft Tissue Mobilization Important?
It is important to understand soft tissue mobilization can be effective to treat post-surgical or chronic conditions. Individuals should consult with their physical therapist if they would benefit from soft tissue mobilization to treat their current condition. Other licensed health care professionals that can perform soft tissue mobilization techniques include physical therapy assistants, athletic trainers, and massage therapists.
Written By: Andrew Orpiano, MS, LAT, ATC
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