Manual Therapy

Hands-On Techniques to Relieve Pain, Restore Movement, and Improve Function

Manual therapy is a specialized, hands-on treatment approach used at Reform Physical Therapy to relieve musculoskeletal pain, restore joint mobility, and reduce muscle tension. Unlike general massage, these evidence-based techniques are performed by licensed physical therapists who tailor your treatment based on your condition and goals.

In addition, manual therapy can help increase flexibility, improve range of motion, reduce stiffness, and promote muscle relaxation. These benefits make it an ideal part of care for both acute injuries and chronic pain conditions.

What Does Manual Therapy Include?

Your treatment plan may include one or more of the following hands-on techniques:

Joint Mobilization and Manipulation – Gentle movements that restore motion and decrease joint stiffness
Soft Tissue Mobilization – Therapeutic massage techniques that break down scar tissue and ease tension
Passive Stretching – Therapist-assisted stretches to improve flexibility and support long-term function
Myofascial Release – Sustained pressure applied to tight connective tissue to reduce pain and improve circulation
Trigger Point Therapy – Focused pressure used to release painful muscle knots that refer pain elsewhere

Because each body is different, your physical therapist will choose the right combination of techniques to meet your specific needs. As a result, patients often notice less pain, better mobility, and faster recovery outcomes.

Who Can Benefit?

Manual therapy is effective for many conditions. For example, it helps those with:

Neck and back pain
Joint stiffness
Muscle spasms
Post-surgical recovery
Sports injuries
Arthritis-related discomfort

At Reform Physical Therapy, we combine manual therapy with movement-based care to help you return to what you love. Whether you’re recovering from surgery or managing daily aches and pains, our hands-on approach works to get you better—naturally.

A technique aimed at taking a joint beyond its typical range of motion with a quick, thrust-like motion in order to decrease pain and improve range of motion.

Joint mobilization utilizes repetitive, slow oscillations within a joint’s normal range of motion, which encourages mobility and helps to increase range of motion. Mobilization can be used to pull, push, or twist joints into the correct position.

Passive stretching is used to lengthen or extend an individual muscle or group of muscles in order to increase flexibility and range of motion.

Manual therapy requires a more complete understanding of the body’s anatomy, mechanics, and functional movement. Our skilled therapists utilize soft-tissue massage as a way to relieve pain, reduce swelling, improve range of motion, and increase mobility. Our therapists utilize their advanced training and knowledge in anatomy and pathology to care for your body’s specific needs. Soft-tissue massage may be used in additional to other manual therapy techniques or on its own.

For most of our patients, manual therapy is a covered service as part of their physical therapy benefits. As long as physical therapy is an approved and covered service by your insurance carrier and manual therapy is medically necessary & appropriate, you should be covered. Please note, you will be responsible for any copays, coinsurance, or additional charges set by your insurance carrier.

For more information on the clinical benefits of manual therapy, you can explore trusted resources like the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), the National Institutes of Health, and the Mayo Clinic. These organizations provide additional insight into how hands-on treatment techniques support recovery, mobility, and long-term health.

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