Los Angeles Chiropractor and Sports Medicine
Manipulation Under Anesthesia (MUA) in Los Angeles
Unlock the stiffness your body refuses to let go of — and finally move past the plateau.
- Pain Relief
- Injury Recovery
- Better Strength, Mobility, and Function
Clear Diagnosis. Coordinated Care. Measurable Progress.
WHEN EVERYTHING ELSE HAS STALLED
You’ve done the work. The adjustments, the stretching, the physical therapy, the ice packs at midnight. And for a while, it helped. Then progress quietly stopped, and the same stubborn pain settled back in like it owned the place.
That wall is real. After months of chronic pain, scar tissue and adhesions can tether muscles, joints and nerves together. Your nervous system, trying to protect you, clamps the area down every time someone tries to free it.
Manipulation Under Anesthesia gives your body a reprieve from that protective reflex. Under light sedation, your muscles finally relax, and our team can restore motion that has been locked away for months — sometimes years. For athletes, stunt performers and hardworking Angelenos who are tired of “good enough,” MUA can be the turning point.
Conditions MUA Can Help
MUA may be worth a conversation if you live with:
- Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) — a joint capsule so thickened and tight that raising your arm feels impossible.
- Chronic low back pain — pain that keeps returning no matter how many adjustments you get.
- Persistent neck pain and stiffness — including lingering restrictions after whiplash or an auto accident.
- Disc bulges and herniations — when muscle guarding keeps the spine from responding to decompression.
- Sciatica and radiating nerve pain — where tight, adhered tissue keeps irritating the nerve.
- Hip and pelvic restriction — a joint that simply will not move the way it used to.
- Post-surgical scar tissue — stiffness that lingers after a previous back or joint surgery.
- Chronic myofascial pain — trigger points too tender to treat with massage while you are awake.
We Help You Move Better by Finding What Needs to Change
What Is Manipulation Under Anesthesia?
We Help You Move Better by Finding What Needs to Change
What Is Manipulation Under Anesthesia?
We Help You Move Better by Finding What Needs to Change
What Is Manipulation Under Anesthesia?
MUA is a non-surgical procedure in which a specially trained provider stretches, mobilizes and adjusts the spine or a joint while you are comfortably sedated. No incisions. No implants. Just motion your body would not allow while awake.
Why your body fights back
When tissue has been injured or inflamed for a long time, the muscles around it learn to guard. They tighten on reflex, bracing against any movement that might hurt. Meanwhile, fibrous adhesions knit through the area, shortening muscles and gluing layers of tissue that should glide freely.
In the treatment room, that guarding works against us. The deeper we try to work, the harder your body pushes back. Sedation quiets that reflex for a short window, so our team can gently break up adhesions and take the joint through its full range without the pain or resistance.
Where MUA fits in your care
MUA is not a first step. It is a targeted tool for people whose progress has stalled despite solid conservative treatment. At Performance Care, it plugs directly into the care you may already know — chiropractic, Active Release Techniques®, physical therapy and spinal decompression — and gives those treatments a cleaner slate to build on.
Conditions MUA Can Help
MUA may be worth a conversation if you live with:
Conditions MUA Can Help
MUA may be worth a conversation if you live with:
Conditions MUA Can Help
MUA may be worth a conversation if you live with:
When people search for physical therapy in North Hollywood, they are usually looking for more than exercises. They want to know what is causing their pain, how to fix it, and how to keep it from returning.
Our approach is designed to give you clarity, structure, and measurable progress.
Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis)
a joint capsule so thickened and tight that raising your arm feels impossible.
Chronic low back pain
pain that keeps returning no matter how many adjustments you get.
Persistent neck pain and stiffness
including lingering restrictions after whiplash or an auto accident.
Disc bulges and herniations
when muscle guarding keeps the spine from responding to decompression.
Sciatica and radiating nerve pain
where tight, adhered tissue keeps irritating the nerve.
Hip and pelvic restriction
a joint that simply will not move the way it used to.
Post-surgical scar tissue
stiffness that lingers after a previous back or joint surgery.
Chronic myofascial pain
trigger points too tender to treat with massage while you are awake.
What to Expect: Your MUA Journey
Consultation and evaluation
We examine you, review imaging and history, and confirm that conservative care has run its course. Our team handles medical clearance and insurance verification before anything is scheduled.
Procedure day
MUA takes place in an accredited outpatient surgical facility. A licensed anesthesia provider administers light sedation; you breathe on your own and drift into deep relaxation.
The manipulation
Our goal is not taWorking as a team, our MUA-trained providers stabilize one area while carefully stretching and mobilizing another. Sessions usually run about 15 to 30 minutes.o provide temporary relief and send you on your way. We want to understand what is driving the restriction, why the pain keeps returning, and what needs to change for better long-term function.
Waking Up
You rest in recovery for a short time and head home the same day with a driver. Mild soreness — the kind you feel after a hard workout — is normal.
Integrated With a Recovery Plan
Because Performance Care Sports Medicine offers chiropractic care, rehab, medical support, and advanced modalities under one roof, your A.R.T. treatment can be part of a coordinated plan instead of an isolated service.
Focused on Measurable Progress
We want you to know whether your care is working. That means paying attention to changes in pain, range of motion, strength, mobility, stability, and daily function. As your body changes, your plan can change with it.
Benefits of MUA
Breaks through plateaus
Reaches restrictions that months of awake treatment could not touch.
Restores range of motion
Frees joints and muscles bound by adhesions and long-term guarding.
Less pain, less medication
Many patients lean less on painkillers once motion returns.
A non-surgical option
No incisions, no hardware and a same-day trip home.
Makes rehab work harder for you
Therapy and adjustments tend to hold better once the tissue has been freed.
Gets you back to what you love
Back on the field, back on set, back to lifting your kids without bracing for the pain.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does MUA hurt?
Not during the procedure — you are sedated and relaxed throughout. Afterward, expect soreness similar to a tough training session, usually easing within a few days.
Will I be fully asleep?
MUA typically uses light, monitored sedation rather than deep general anesthesia. You breathe on your own and wake up quickly once the session ends.
How long is recovery?
Most people go home the same day and return to light activity soon after. The follow-up rehab period that follows matters most, often several weeks.
How many sessions will I need?
It depends on your condition. Some patients need one session; others benefit from a short series on consecutive days. We will lay out your plan before scheduling.
Is MUA covered by insurance?
Coverage varies widely by carrier and plan. Our team verifies your benefits before your procedure so there are no surprises
Is MUA safe?
For properly screened patients treated by trained providers, MUA is considered a safe, well-established procedure. Your evaluation exists to rule out anyone it would not suit.
Can MUA help after a car accident?
Yes, for some patients. Lingering neck and back restriction after whiplash is one of the reasons people come to us for MUA.
