Is Manual Therapy Right for Me?

Manual therapy is a form of physical therapy that is a direct hands-on approach to manipulate and exercise muscles that are not performing correctly. It is perhaps a lesser known and lesser used tool in the physical therapist's tool box, but for some patient cases, this type of care can be more effective than an exercise regime.

Most patients who end up in physical therapy get there based on a referral from either their primary doctor or an orthopedic specialist. However, if your state is one of the states that has direct access laws, you can refer yourself to a physical therapist for treatment and avoid the middle men completely.

Manual therapy can take on many different forms including, soft tissue massage designed to break up scar tissue, increase circulation, and reduce the pain of the area. It can also take on the form of manipulation which forces the joints, bones, and muscles into their proper place through slow or quick movements guided by the physical therapist to twist, pull or push the joint or bone into location. The goal of manipulation is to help reduce pain in the joint by loosening tissue around the area, which ultimately is supposed to help with agility.

Manual therapy can be used in tandem with traditional exercise physical therapy, or it can be used alone for certain select conditions. It is not the right type of care for every type of injury, which is why many doctors are unfamiliar with it in the first place and many therapists don't utilize it. If you feel this type of therapy could be beneficial to your care, make sure your physical therapist is well-versed in all the different methods and skilled at delivering them.

Manual therapy can be quite successful with certain patients who have not had much luck with other forms of therapy, and therefore it is well worth delving into for more information from your doctor and therapist to assess if this type of care would help reduce your pain and help you gain some improvement in your medical condition.

The only downside, which seems to be apparent in any type of specialty care, is of course insurance coverage either limit the number of sessions they will pay for or limit the reimbursement amount for your needed physical therapy including hands-on care. Your physical therapist can generally help advocate for you with the insurance company, especially if the treatments prove to be of some help in reducing your chronic pain or increasing your mobility and limb usage.

The human body is a wondrous thing, and it was designed by nature to heal itself — though sometimes that self-healing requires some outside help. Therapy can help your injured body do what it is designed to do, and since this mode of treatment can increase your body's ability to help itself it is well worth exploring if you're a good candidate for its usage.