Clearing up the confusion on what "Manual Therapy" really means

What exactly is Manual Therapy and why is it so important? We asked Jouni Mantlya, PT and clinical director of the ATI clinic in Hartland, MI the question, and here is what he had to say:

I always say if it’s not manual and physical then it’s not physical therapy! Manual therapy is advanced physical therapy training with specific hands on training to diagnose and treat soft tissue and joint structures.

Results from manual therapy include:

• Increasing range of motion
• Reduce muscle guarding/tension
• Decreasing joint inflammation
• Improve joint stability
• Restoring normal movement patterns

Let’s take the spine for example. To be able to evaluate hypo vs. hyper mobile sections, the therapist has to have his/her hands on the patient. If they do not, the hypo and hyper mobile sections will remain undetected and untreated, resulting in the core issue of the spine never being resolved - only the symptoms.

Manual physical therapy will mobilize and manipulate the hypomobile regions, and additionally teach spinal stabilizing exercises for those hypermobile sections. This is the best way to achieve a stable and strong spine. Without manual physical therapy, often the superficial muscles are being strengthened, and the deep small muscles, which are strong stabilizing muscles for the spine, are forgotten.

With any condition, after joint/muscle dysfunction has been balanced by a therapist, manual therapy allows the therapist to teach specific exercises to the patient. Once the exercises have been learned correctly the patient can begin to self-care independently from clinician supervision. In essence, we get the patient better, and are able to teach the patient how to stay better on their own.

For a complimentary injury screening, or to learn more about Jouni and the services provided at the ATI Hartland Clinic, please call (810) 632-1000.