Evaluate and treat arthro-neuromuscular dysfunctions.
Orthopedic Manual/Manipulative therapy (OMT) is today a sub-specialty of physiotherapy; it represents an area of specialization within Physiotherapy aimed at evaluating and treating arthro-neuromuscular dysfunctions. In this way, this discipline is based on clinical reasoning, on the review and understanding of available scientific and clinical evidence, and on a bio-psychosocial approach which treats each patient as an individual.
What is manual therapy?
Manual therapy uses highly specific assessment and treatment approaches, including manual techniques and therapeutic exercises. As explained by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), manual therapy is a technique in which the physiotherapist “uses his/her hands to administer precise movements designed to modulate pain, increase range of motion in the joints, reduce or eliminate edema in connective tissue and inflammation or restrictions, induce relaxation, enhance extensibility in contractile and non-contractile tissues, and enhance function. These interventions imply variability in techniques and degree of application of forces ”.
Leading physiotherapists recognize that manual therapy is one of the purest forms of physiotherapy: the tools, in this technique, are nothing more than the physiotherapist’s mind and the support work done by his/her hands.
At the LH Physiotherapy Clinic, we are experts in this type of therapy. We know how to make the most of manual therapies and how to make the session revolve exclusively around the use of our hands, without any type of machines. We have experience with techniques such as joint mobilization, neurodynamics, relaxation techniques, muscle activation, and other typical manual therapy tools.
The writings of the past speak of techniques that are similar to manual therapy (MT). They were used by the ancient Chinese and Egyptian peoples. Various forms of manual treatment were passed down over history, via standard medicine and folk medicine. However, it was during the modern era that MT experienced its rise, with the emergence of various professions such as physical therapy, osteopathy and chiropractic. The intense activity in the field of medicine over the 20th century is reflected in the emergence of various concepts of orthopedic manual therapy (OMT) developed by leading figures including Cyriax, Kaltenborn-Evjenth, Maitland, Mulligan, Elvey, Butler and Shacklock.
In recent times, manual physiotherapies have opted for the substantiation of their approaches and results, based on scientific evidence. Every day there are more scientific studies published in impact journals relating to their specialties and demonstrating their results. In this way, manual physiotherapy has integrated the concepts of neurodynamics and therapeutic exercise, based on scientific evidence.