Manual Therapy is a very important aspect of physical therapy. The importance of Manual Therapy is underestimated at times and sometimes it is totally misunderstood by patients and the physiotherapist. There are many patients who have problems with mobility, but they are unaware of that fact because they think that Physiotherapy is just about the treatment they receive from their Physiotherapist and they don’t realise what it actually involves. If you have a problem with mobility then it is very important for you to understand the importance of Manual Therapy as it gives you a complete physical platform upon which to work upon.
Manual Therapy is often referred to as a motor skill. This is very true because it is about using the hands in a very controlled way to manipulate the body of the patient or person to improve mobility. There are some patients who have physical therapy as part of their physiotherapy and in this case the physiotherapist has to incorporate physical therapy into the patient’s recovery process.
In this case the physiotherapist would teach the patient how to use and stretch their muscles to build up the strength of their knees and for them to become less susceptible to injury in the future.
As we can see the vital role of manual therapy in physiotherapy practice is very important. As a physiotherapist you should always include manual therapy into your recovery programme. Even if your client comes to you and says they have had an injury that limits their ability to use their hands, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t help them with this.