What is Manual Physical Therapy? Physical therapists do more than exercise their patients? I thought only chiropractors did manual treatment, but physical therapists do too? Read on and learn all about the beauty of Manual Physical Therapy and how this type of treatment is incorporated into treatments at iMove PT!
You Don’t Have to Believe Us, But You Have to Believe Our Patient!
Let us start by looking at a diagnosis which is increasing in prevalence, low back pain. Many people experiencing low back pain do so for many years and have tried all sorts of treatment options. Low back pain is not just annoying, but it can be severely debilitating. It can affect your ability to work, and those experiencing low back pain may be limited both socially and recreationally.
And the kicker? More often than not, it is not until a person is treated by a Physical Therapist – specifically one who incorporates Manual Physical Therapy – that they see results. Why? Because Manual Physical Therapy in combination with specific therapeutic exercises is frequently the salve that a patient with chronic low back pain has been desperately searching for. Just ask Laurie P. about her experience!
Where Manual Physical Therapy Comes From
You have likely heard of Physical Therapy, however, you may be wondering what the “Manual” part in the blog title refers to. Manual Physical Therapy has roots which date back to one of the earliest practitioners, Hippocrates (c. 460-375 BCE). While Hippocrates is known as the Father of Medicine, his contributions to the world of Physical Therapy include trying Manual Therapy techniques (i.e. manipulation, traction) in order to alleviate patient’s symptoms. Additionally, he would recommend to always follow up this treatment with exercise!
The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) defines Manual Therapy techniques as “skilled hand movements and skilled passive movements of joints and soft tissue and are intended to improve tissue extensibility; increase range of motion; induce relaxation; mobilize or manipulate soft tissue and joints; modulate pain; and reduce soft tissue swelling, inflammation.” Wow, that’s a mouthful! Whatever the definition, manual physical therapy works! Research studies and years of clinical practice have proven the effectiveness of manual therapy in a wide variety of patients with pain, stiffness, and lack of strength.
Oh, one more thing before we move on. Manual Physical Therapy is not massage therapy. Yes, we do incorporate soft tissue mobilization into our Manual Therapy treatments, but please do not expect to just lay on a table and fall asleep for an hour. This is not what happens when you receive true Manual Physical Therapy! Remember, Manual Physical Therapists are still Physical Therapists, and a major goal of our profession is to restore lost mobility and physical function! So if you want to lay on a table for an hour (and trust me, there is therapeutic value in that!), please see a well trained massage therapist!
Isn’t Manual Physical Therapy Used By All Physical Therapists?
Sadly the answer is no! In most traditional outpatient physical therapy settings the physical therapist does not have the time to perform thorough manual physical therapy treatments. Manual therapy truly is a one on one treatment. If a therapist is working on more than one patient at a time (unfortunately this is the modern reality in many outpatient physical therapy settings) how could they possibly perform thorough care using manual physical therapy? This is truly the beauty of iMove PT. We work with our patients one on one for a full hour!
This is What You Have Been Looking For!
You may be wondering, why is Manual Physical Therapy the solution? Well, Manual Physical Therapy uses the principles of anatomy and physiology, in combination with skilled movements performed by a Physical Therapist, in order to help your body begin to move the way it should. With Manual Physical Therapy your body experiences a total reset, taking the soft tissue or joint through a series of movements which help recalibrate them. This “reboot” results in symptom improvements such as decreased pain, the ability to move a specific joint or even your entire body more or the overall feeling of “I am doing better.”
In fact, if you look at articles related to the benefits of Manual Physical Therapy, you will find that patients who have been treated using Manual Therapy techniques or principles in conjunction with therapeutic exercise show greater improvements than those who only had one or the other. These improvements are both subjective and objective in nature, with patients oftentimes stating they felt better but also demonstrating improvements in measurements (i.e. strength or range of motion).
Not only is patient satisfaction important but the cost effectiveness of Manual Physical Therapy versus more invasive treatments is significant. Instead of an expensive surgery or treatment, a visit by one of our Physical Therapists may be the solution for chronic low back pain, joint stiffness, swelling or even balance or postural abnormalities.
Would Manual Physical Therapy Benefit Me?
As much as I would like to say 100% absolutely yes, there are no absolutes in life. Just ask the city of St. Louis when our beloved Rams football team left St. Louis to move back to Los Angeles! I would say when the Rams moved from LA to St. Louis in 1995, absolutely NOBODY thought they would move back to Los Angeles. Well, history proved us wrong. OK, sorry, back to the blog!
When you are seen by a physical therapist, a very thorough (at least it should be thorough!) evaluation is performed. Your treatment plan, potentially including manual physical therapy, will then be set after the evaluation. From our clinical experience at iMove PT, we know that manual physical therapy would benefit the vast majority of our patients. From professional athletes with a post-operative injury to someone with a “frozen shoulder,” to a patient with pain from joint arthritis, to a person experiencing low back pain or even pins and needles in their foot, Manual Physical Therapy can be the treatment solution.
The iMove PT Experience
At iMove PT, we place great value on the tool that is Manual Physical Therapy. And why wouldn’t we when we have seen so much success with this amazing treatment option.With Manual Physical Therapy leaders and teachers like Dr. Gorman in the company, iMove PT is a no-brainer for those looking for excellent Manual Physical Therapy.
At iMove PT we value Manual Physical Therapy because of the physiological and testimonial benefits it offers. Here at iMove PT, we use Manual Physical Therapy in conjunction with individually assessed and specifically prescribed exercises to help our patients. No matter the goal, we use a comprehensive one-on-one approach to help you succeed.
We are here to help! If you are interested in experiencing the benefits of Manual Physical Therapy, you can set up an appointment with any of our Physical Therapists. Please call (636) 893-8312 today to get out of pain and back to the life you deserve!
Dr. Amy Heryford, PT, DPT
amy@imovephysicaltherapy.com