What is ‘Hands On’ Physiotherapy

‘Hands on’ or ‘Manual Therapy’ has been a style of Physiotherapy which has been used for decades
and forms the root of Physiotherapy treatment. It uses various handling techniques to promote
healing and relieve pain.
The focus of ‘Hand on’ treatment is to assess and diagnose the impact that joints and muscles have
on a condition and how these limitations can be changed through manual techniques. The selection
of techniques is vast but after a thorough assessment the most appropriate technique will be chosen
for you.
Two main manual therapy techniques include Joint Mobilisation to the spine or the joints. This
means that the joint is moved by the Physiotherapist’s hands through various movement directions
to achieve full range of movement and pain relief. This may start off quite gently depending on the
condition and progress to a more advanced movement technique.
Soft tissue massage uses various styles to relax or stretch a muscle, to relieve spasm, tension, or
tightness. The Physiotherapist will feel through their hands what the muscles are doing and how
they impact on the condition. The most appropriate pressure will be given to achieve impactful
results.
‘Hands on’ or ‘Manual Therapy’ is starting to become a lost skill in the Physiotherapy Profession,
however at Power Physiotherapy we believe it is a vital component to the holistic approach to
treatment. Manual Therapy, plus advice, plus exercise therapy form the complete programme in
effective treatment and recovery.