Manual therapy is a physical treatment method that uses hands-on practices for the diagnosis and cure of joint and soft tissue problems and pains with the aim of enhancing motion, decreasing swelling, facilitating relaxation, boosting tissue repair, and promoting function (Bishop et al., 2015). Manual therapy practitioners choose, set, and execute the treatment approach after diagnosis, assessment, and prognosis showing that it is the most suitable in lessening pain or inflammation in an effort of enhancing healthiness and physical operations.
Examples of Manual Therapy Techniques
One instance of manual therapy technique is soft tissue mobilization. It is used to mobilize inelastic muscle tissue, for instance, management of back injuries and relaxation of muscle tension. In this technique, the practitioner focuses on the region of greatest tissue limitation via layer-by-layer evaluation. After identification, the limitations may be mobilized through a broad range of practices. The second example of manual therapy technique is strain-counterstrain. It is used to treat back issues and rectify problems of neuromuscular reflexes, which may lead to postural challenges and pain.
Under this technique, the patients are first held at a comfortable position for close to two minutes where asymptomatic tension is stimulated via gentle stretching after which they are allowed to assume normal posture following the gradual resetting of the muscles, which facilitates healing. The third example is joint mobilization, which is used for the treatment back pains caused by muscle spasms in reaction to a restricted joint (Franke, Fryer, Ostelo, & Kamper, 2016). In this technique, the practitioner loosens the restricted joint and boosts its motion.
Manual Therapy Practitioners
Manual therapy practitioners should first obtain a graduate degree in a discipline such as physical therapy for them to be certified to practice. This characteristically leads to their attainment of doctoral degrees. Manual therapy practitioners take part in assessing, diagnosing, and treating patients with problems that restrict their function (Bishop et al., 2015). The profession fits suitably individuals with excellent interpersonal proficiencies and aspirations of helping patients who have physical limitations. Manual therapy practitioners claim that the increasing need for their services will see them augment by about 30% by 2024. This claim is based on the rising aging population’s requirement for the management of illnesses and injuries or facilitated recovery from surgical procedures.
Case Study
A 28-year-old man had deteriorating pains on his right shoulder after having fallen with the right hand stretched. This problem affected both the neck and arm. He was experiencing sporadic, deep, and sharp pain. The man had had a sedentary daily life that comprised of six to eight hours of sitting each day with no regular physical activities (Laxmi, Ramakant, Vyas, & Singh, 2016).
The problem had worsened in the past three months with sleeping problems due to great pain and lack of ability to lie on the right shoulder; in this regard, every passive and active motion was restricted. After examination, the practitioner deemed it fit to have the patient receive sessions of cupping therapy, a form of manual therapy technique. This resulted in the patient having considerable improvement after a month of treatment where there was greatly reduced pain and joint inflexibility coupled with improved function with no observed side effects.
Conclusion
Manual therapy signifies a physical treatment process for the identification and management of joint and tissue problems and pains. Manual therapy practitioners decide, set, and execute the technique after diagnosis, examination, and prognosis demonstrating that it is the most appropriate treatment method. Some examples of manual therapy techniques are soft tissue mobilization, strain-counterstrain, and joint mobilization. In the discussed case study, cupping therapy resulted in a 28-year-old patient who had deteriorating pains on his right shoulder experiencing decreased pain and enhanced function.
References
Bishop, M. D., Torres-Cueco, R., Gay, C. W., Lluch-Girbés, E., Beneciuk, J. M., & Bialosky, J. E. (2015). What effect can manual therapy have on a patient’s pain experience? Pain, 5(6), 455-464.
Franke, H., Fryer, G., Ostelo, R. W., & Kamper, S. J. (2016). Muscle energy technique for non-specific low-back pain. A Cochrane systematic review. International Journal of Osteopathic Medicine, 20, 41-52.
Laxmi, A., Ramakant, D., Vyas, M., & Singh, K. (2016). Frozen shoulder- A case study. International Journal of Applied Ayurved Research, 2(9), 1341-1345.