Manual Therapy

Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy

Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy (OMPT) is a subspecialty area of Physical Therapy, whereby a Physical Therapist uses a skilled hands-on approach to the joints of the body and related soft tissues to improve joint motion and reduce soft tissue (commonly muscle) restrictions, which in turn will result in a reduction in pain, improved motion, flexibility and function as well as other benefits.

This model of treatment utilizes a detailed assessment of the injured area including all joints involved and careful palpation of the surrounding soft tissues, which provides the clinician with important information which is not obtained by using diagnostic tests such as an X-Ray or MRI.

Subsequently, the impairments noted are specifically addressed using a combination of joint and soft tissue techniques which results in faster pain relief and improved function, than might otherwise be achieved by other treatment methods. Once the patient’s pain is resolving, exercises specific to patient’s condition are then introduced to address whatever flexibility and strength deficits are noted.

In different parts of the world, there are several different models or schools of thought (including the Maitland, McKenzie & MET approach) all of which have been demonstrated to be effective in treating orthopedic commons For the person interested to learn more about Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy, the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists (www.AAOMPT.org) has a series of articles listed for the consumer including the effectiveness of this approach in treating sciatica, neck pain and as an alternative to prescription drugs.

At Mid-Michigan Physical Therapy Specialists, ALL of our orthopedic therapists are either Board Certified Orthopedic Specialists or Certified Manual Therapists (or have received significant advanced training in this subspecialty area) while in conjunction with the 1-on-1 time we devote to every patient in order to both accurately assess and treat a person’s complaints using orthopedic manual techniques ensures both quicker and better results! The techniques we use include joint techniques taught by Cyriax (England) Kaltenborn (Scandinavia) Paris, McKenzie & Mulligan (New Zealand/ Australia) and MET (USA) while soft tissue techniques we use include Strain/ Counter Strain, Trigger Point Therapy and the Graston Technique (USA). For Orthopedic Conditions or Sports Injuries - Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy is THE BEST Choice!