Manual Therapy

Manual therapy incorporates a wide range of specialized modalities, which may beused to treat patients with certain conditions or diseases affecting the bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints or nerves, which are collectively known as the musculoskeletal system (or locomotor system). Manual therapy increasesmobility and reduces muscle tension in the targeted areas of the body, leading to less joint stiffness, less inflammation and reduced pain in patients. Manual therapy procedures work by breaking-up inelastic muscle tissue (called "myofascial adhesions”), such as scar tissue from a neck injury, using manipulation, mobilizationand massage techniques, including the application of deep pressure to the treatment area.The difference between a manipulation and mobilization, from a control perspective, is that a mobilization can be stopped at any point , should the patient no longer be able tolerate the remainder of the procedure.In contrast, a physical therapist cannot stop a manipulation once it has been initialized.

A manual therapy treatment program begins with an assessment of a patient’sphysical functions, to analyze active and passive movement. A patient’s evaluation may also include neurodynamic testing for diagnosis and development of their treatment plan. As its name indicates, manual therapy is a hands-ontreatment method, which may include any of the following procedures: soft tissue mobilization, strain-counterstain techniques, joint manipulation, joint mobilization, muscle energy techniques (METs), myofascial release, high velocity/low amplitude thrusting, or muscle re-education. Spinal manipulation,spinal mobilization, osteopathic manipulation and dry needlingare other forms of manual therapy that may be used by a physical therapist to treat certain conditions. A manual therapy treatment program will also typically include a home exercise component, which aims to speed up the recovery process for injuries, or help patients with specific diseases better manage their chronic pain.

Manual therapy is used to treat a wide range of conditions, including: arthritis, joint pain, headaches, soft tissue injuries (includingmuscle and ligament strains and sprains), "tennis" or "golfer’s elbow”, carpal tunnel syndrome, sacroiliac joint dysfunction, pain resulting from hip or knee placement surgery, sciatic nerve pain caused by herniated spinal discs, auto accident injuries, work injuries, and other ailments or discomforts.

Please contact us if you would like more information about manual therapy.