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Tara Diel, PT Laurel 443.790.4472 |
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What is Manual Physical Therapy?
“Any variation from health has a cause, and the cause has a location. It is the business of the Osteopath to locate and remove it, doing away with the disease and getting health instead.”
Manual physical therapy, as I practice it, is based on osteopathic principles. It is heavily focused on anatomy and physiology and the inter-relationships of the body on various levels. It also is based on the relationship of structure and function and understanding the connections between the tissues, fluids and systems throughout the body. Looking at a patient this way allows me to assess and treat the primary problem and address any concurrent issues that may have resulted from the primary issue. It is based on the body’s biomechanics and emphasizes the return of structural integrity of the body. Manual physical therapy focuses on the ‘big picture’. I look to find the origin of the cause of dysfunction – which can often be an area distant from the location of a patient’s pain. When there is dysfunction in one area, restrictions in the tissues can affect the blood flow to an area, which will further affect the tissue quality in the area. Deteriorated tissues can restrict mobility, which may cause pain and eventually impaired function. When one area is not functioning well, other areas have to compensate, which can lead to problems farther away as well. The techniques I use during treatment are gentle and hands-on. There are three basic areas addressed during treatment: musculo-skeletal, cranial, and visceral. These areas are treated through various techniques including: |
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- Boney mobilizations - gentle techniques to restore proper alignment - Soft tissue techniques - myofascial release, strain/counter strain, reciprocal tension - Muscle energy techniques - actively using the patient’s movements to restore proper mobility to an area - Visceral mobilization - working with the organs and their attachments to restore proper position and function - Cranial techniques - working with cranial rhythms to free up the skull and its contents.
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Manual physical therapy is not an alternative to conventional medicine but can be a beneficial adjunct to modern medicine.
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