What is Manual Therapy?

It is the process of manually opening painful functional limitations and blocks in the musculoskeletal system using special techniques. For this purpose, muscle stretching techniques, mobilization and manipulation techniques are used. The aim is to return the joints and muscles to their normal biomechanical function with the applications. Manual therapy is a valuable part of holistic medical approaches.

However, it is not possible to solve every painful joint problem using only manual therapy. If the problem is only due to a simple joint block, manual therapy may be sufficient, but the problem is not always that simple.

In order to provide treatment, the patient must be evaluated holistically in terms of emotional, energetic, biochemical aspects and muscle-fascia chains. In addition to treating the patient structurally and functionally with manual therapy, the patient’s disruptive areas and energy blocks should be treated energetically with methods such as Neural Therapy and Acupuncture, psychologically with methods such as Bach Flowers, Psychokinesiology, Psychotherapy, and biochemically with methods such as regulating nutrition-bowel functions and orthomolecular treatments.

How Does It Work?

• Opening joint blockages and achieving normal biomechanical function
• Eliminating trigger points in muscles
• Reducing pain by affecting sensory receptors around the joint
• Increasing blood flow and providing nutrition
• Relaxing surrounding soft tissues

Who Can Apply?

It can be applied by doctors who have received manual therapy training and physiotherapists under their supervision. It can have serious side effects when physiotherapists apply it alone without a doctor who has received manual therapy training to diagnose and guide them, or when it is applied by people who have no medical training.

Which Patients Can It Be Applied To?

In order to apply manual therapy techniques, it is necessary to know the joint block, muscle chains, organ connections. It is absolutely necessary to be able to determine the free direction in the joint.

• It can be applied in all kinds of peripheral joint blocks, mechanical imbalances
• Sacroiliac joint dysfunctions
• Lower back, neck, back pain
• patients with irritation points and free directions in the spine.

Who is it not applied to?

It is not applied to patients with no free direction in the joint, serious nerve compression in the spine, patients with infection, active trauma, advanced degenerative, advanced osteoporotic, infection, malignancy.

Is There Pain During Application?

If there is pain or an increase in pain during manual therapy application, it means that something is definitely wrong. The patient who receives manual therapy should relax. There is no need to hear a sound from the joint in manual therapy and excessive force is never applied. The important thing is the correct technique and correct positioning.

When positioning is done correctly, functional opening and pain relief can be seen with a maximum force of 300-400 grams, sometimes even with just the right positioning without applying force.

How Many Sessions Are Required?

It varies according to the patient’s condition. While some patients recover with a single session, some patients may require more than one therapy session with sessions applied at least every 3 days.

Are There Any Side Effects?

No complications are seen when the correct technique is applied. However, serious complications such as fractures and partial paralysis can be seen in treatments applied unconsciously and using excessive force, in cases where manual therapy is contraindicated.