Manual Therapy

Manual Therapy is best described as “hands-on physical therapy” and we view it as a vital tool in restoration of function and mobility.   Manual therapy is an advanced skill provided by our physical therapists as an essential component of most treatments including: back/neck pain, post-operative rehabilitation, and sports/orthopedic injuries.   Manual therapy is typically used in conjunction with complementary exercise programs in order to decrease pain and inflammation, increase range of motion of joints and flexibility of soft tissue.  Manual therapy can include:

  1. Soft Tissue Mobilization is used to improve posture, decrease pain and restore muscle, tendon, and fascia mobility.   Specific techniques include functional massage, myofascial mobilization, and positional release.
  2. Joint Mobilization is a procedure in which the therapist passively moves isolated joints to increase ROM and normalize joint mobility.

Our physical therapists will typically utilize manual therapy as part of a multi-modal system also including therapeutic exercise, modalities, and education.