We hear this term thrown around so often.
“I’m a manual therapist.”
“I provide manual therapy.”
“I just got manual therapy from my physiotherapist.”
To most, what goes on in their head after hearing the word, "manual therapy" looks something like this: QosngTVonasdvnFdnpwmpHbwlkrBIbwgonowTTOjsnkwbepm
So, what is manual therapy? Read on.
Manual therapy is the use of hands to examine and cause change to the physical body.
Manual Therapy, also known as Manipulative Therapy is a type of treatment used to treat musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction. The use of hands-on examination and intervention provided by a physiotherapist is the premise of manual therapy.
Okay, what does “musculoskeletal” mean? I’m glad you asked. Musculoskeletal really just refers to the parts of the body that consists of your muscles, bones, and joints of the limbs and spine.
Fun stat: approximately ⅓ of all visits to the doctor relates to problems involving the musculoskeletal system. Incoming physiotherapists to the rescue! Physiotherapists who specialize in the orthopaedic sector such as our practitioners at Therapy X, work mainly with the musculoskeletal system. Therefore, most physiotherapists include manual therapy one way or another as part of their treatment.
Physiotherapists use their hands to diagnose and treat the physical body. Skilled hands provide manual therapists x-ray vision for what’s going on underneath the skin.
Benefits of manual therapy
Did you know....?
You do not need a doctor referral to see a physiotherapist.
Physiotherapists are first point of contact. You do NOT need a referral from your doctor to see a physiotherapist. Let me repeat this, it's so important. You do NOT need a referral from a doctor to see a physiotherapist!!! How great is that?! You can refer yourself to get assessed and treated by a physiotherapist. Gone are the days where you work on your physical body solely after an injury after seeing your doctor. Now, you can seek the help and treatment of a physiotherapist before you get injured to prevent injuries from occurring.
Wondering what an assessment at Therapy X will be like? Click here to learn more. Come in for an assessment with one of our experienced physiotherapists at our Vancouver location. We look forward to meeting you!
With care,
Therapy X Collective