MANUAL THERAPY
Professional Services Manual Therapy
Manual therapy, or manipulative therapy, is a physical treatment primarily used by physical therapists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists to treat musculoskeletal pain and disability; it mostly includes kneading and manipulation of muscles, joint mobilization and joint manipulation.
- Massage (Soft Tissue Manipulation)
- Stretching.
- Joint Mobilization (Joint Manipulation)*
- Hydrotherapy (hot/cold)
For example, if you have shoulder pain and loss of range of motion, your therapist may begin with gentle soft tissue techniques/massage to reduce pain and relax the shoulder muscles. Then, they might follow with a joint mobilization technique to improve range of motion and shoulder function
Many patients with acute or chronic pain and joint stiffness and muscle tension can benefit from manual therapy. Manual therapy is a clinical approach based on skilled “hands on” therapy to decrease pain and improve the mobility of joints, soft tissues and nerves.
Manual therapy is used to treat motion impairments that cause pain and decreased range of motion. Joint-specific techniques are indicated when the motion impairment is caused by loss of the normal joint motion as a result of a reversible joint hypomobility.
Manual therapy is a specialty within the field of physical therapy. Traditional physical therapy focuses more on managing and treating the symptoms of the disease process, while manual therapy focuses more on performing biomechanical, tissue-based examination to identify the cause of the disease process.
Manual Therapy can be extremely effective in reducing pain and improving ROM in these patients.