Manual Therapy
Hands-on therapy can include soft tissue release, joint mobilizations and manipulations, and assisted stretching. Therapy belts, myofascial tools, and exercise equipment can also be used to target various tissue impairments. Choosing the right interventions for the right conditions is where a Registered Physiotherapist can provide a great deal of benefit!
Here are a couple terms you may have heard healthcare professionals use when referring to manual therapy and how I describe what they are to my patients:
Mobilizations: Gliding one bony joint surface across another.
Mobilizations with movement (MWM): There are 2 steps to this technique. 1) Gliding one bony joint surface across another using just one’s hands or an assistive belt. 2) Then, either moving the patient’s affected limb or having the patient move their limb.
Manipulations: High velocity but low amplitude glide or separation of one bony join surface from another
Traction: Making space in a joint by manually separating the joint surfaces by stabilizing one end of the joint and pulling on the other. Can be in single joints (eg. knee, shoulder) or multiple joints (eg. neck, lower back).
Soft tissue release: Analogous to massage. It can be classified as therapeutic (often firm and goal directed) or relaxation (lighter pressure and looking to feel comfortable). Sometimes tools, such as Graston® tools, can facilitate this technique.
Muscle energy technique (MET): A stretching technique that uses an active contraction of the muscles in the affected region, followed by relaxing those muscles, and then sinking deeper into the stretch. Also known as Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF)
“Just because you can function as a hammer doesn’t make everything a nail.”
These next couple treatments aren’t classically considered ‘Manual therapy’ like the others listed but I figure they would still fit best in this treatment category:
Cupping: An alternative medicine technique using plastic or glass cups to create a suction on your skin that is believe to aid blood flow, pain, and relaxation.
Compression therapy: Using a firm resistance band to compress around a joint or muscle group as you move through a full range of motion.
