What is orthopedic manual therapy?
Manual physical therapy is a specialized form of physical therapy delivered with the hands as opposed to a device or machine. In manual therapy, practitioners use their hands to assess joint mobility to determine if there is too much or too little movement in an individual or series of joints or in the soft tissues. The therapist uses this information to give a musculoskeletal profile of how different parts of the body can influence a dysfunction at a particular joint or muscle. Often, pain free joints that lack adequate mobility can be the biomechanical driving force for accelerating wear and tear on another joint. That breakdown can strain the supporting tissues surrounding a joint causing pain and excessive mobility. Joint imbalances can cause discomfort, pain, and an alteration in function, posture, and movement. Manual physical therapy involves restoring mobility to stiff joints and reducing muscle tension while using stabilization techniques to support the painful, hypermobile jo
