What is manual therapy?

Manual therapy, or manipulative therapy, uses specific exercises to assess, diagnose and treat muscles, joints and nervous tissue. This specialized form of physical therapy aims to restore mobility to the joints, improve muscle strength and flexibility, and relieve pain and tightness of the muscles.

Physical therapists use different styles of mo­vements to reduce pain in joints and to relax muscles. One such technique is mobilization, which consists of repetitive movements of small amplitude varying in speed. These ac­tions help to loosen the tissue around joints, in­crease flexibility and reduce pain. Manual the­rapy also involves soft tissue work. Fol­lowing mobilization, a physical therapist will use fast mo­vements of short amplitude to apply pres­sure to the body’s muscle tissue. This kneading helps to relax the muscles and to in­crease circulation.

Manual therapy enables physical therapists to treat sore joints and muscle tissue. Using various hand movements, they’re able to de­crease pain and tension as well as increase flexibility and mobility.

Consult a physical therapist to learn about this type of treatment.