The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences
Abstract
Physical therapy provides relief to patients with musculoskeletal disorders who experience pain and have difficulty functioning. Manual therapy is one of the therapeutic modalities of physical therapy, and helps treat patients through utilizing human touch and pressure. This paper analyzes studies that aim to understand the reasoning behind manual therapy’s effectiveness as a physical therapy modality, questioning whether its benefits are primarily biomechanical or psychological. The research was conducted by analyzing relevant literature on academic databases on topics such as pain, physical therapy, manual therapy, and human touch. The findings reveal that manual therapy is an effective modality of physical therapy; however, the biomechanical and neurophysiological mechanisms of manual therapy are inseparable and mutually influential, suggesting that its efficacy cannot be attributed solely to one mechanism. Accordingly, this research highlights the importance of a multimodal approach, suggesting that the combined application of biomechanics, neurophysiological mechanisms, and contextual factors enhances manual therapy’s overall efficacy, as its mechanism is still not established.
Recommended Citation
Caryn Karfunkel. (2024). Is Manual Therapy an Effective Modality of Physical Therapy?. The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences, 18(1), 27-32. Retrieved from https://touroscholar.touro.edu/sjlcas/vol18/iss1/5
