Manual Therapist Austin TX – Physical and Massage Therapy Near Lost Creek – Physiotherapy

Manual Therapy is currently one of the main therapeutic options in the field of rehabilitation and more specifically in the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders.  In recent years, the advent of evidence-based medicine has led to the publication of several studies on Manual Therapy, thereby enabling a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying its effectiveness in clinical settings.

However, this method originated in ancient times. Indeed, testimonies show that it was applied in very distant times and places and in very different forms, contexts, and cultures, such as by shamans in Central Asia and bone setters in Mexico, Nepal, Russia, and Norway.  We have direct evidence by Hippocrates (ca. 400 BC) who described the use of manipulative and physical therapy for the treatment of scoliosis and vertebral dysfunctions. Similar techniques were described by Galen, a roman surgeon (ca. 150 CE), and illustrated in his treatises.

In the Western world, modern Manual Therapy dates back to the seventeenth century and has undergone a progressive evolution that has led to current manual practices in physiotherapy, osteopathy, and chiropractic.

Most of the current clinical practice and manual techniques used by the majority of practitioners defined as “experts in manipulative treatments,” are based on biomechanical assumptions at the root of the patient’s symptoms, with palpatorily identifiable dysfunctions, that can be treated by means of specific techniques aimed at joint tissue, myofascial tissue, or nervous tissue. (https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/70681)