What Manual Therapy Is

Manual therapy is the hands-on portion of physical therapy where a trained clinician uses their hands to work directly with your muscles and joints to reduce pain, loosen tight areas, and improve how your body moves. Rather than relying on machines, manual therapy techniques aim to influence soft tissues and joint mechanics in a targeted way, helping restore normal movement patterns and ease discomfort linked to stiffness or restricted motion.

Physical therapists use clinical reasoning and palpation to assess tissue quality, joint glide, and muscle tone before applying specific techniques that support healing and functional improvement.

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Why It Matters

Many patients feel relief even after the first few sessions. Manual therapy is particularly helpful when pain or stiffness limits everyday movement — reaching for objects, turning in bed, climbing stairs, or simply walking without discomfort. By improving joint mobility, muscle flexibility, and soft-tissue quality, manual therapy can make daily activity easier and less painful.

Manual techniques also increase circulation to targeted tissues, which can support healing and decrease muscle tension, reinforcing gains made during active exercise and movement training.

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What We Do with Manual Therapy

During a session, your therapist may employ one or more hands-on techniques to address your specific areas of limitation:

Joint Mobilization
This involves skilled, passive movements applied to a joint to restore normal glide and decrease stiffness, often improving range of motion and reducing discomfort.

Deep Tissue and Soft Tissue Work
Hands-on pressure and manipulation of muscles, fascia, and connective tissues help release tight areas, improve tissue flexibility, and reduce soft-tissue restrictions that contribute to pain.

Trigger Point Release
Focused pressure is applied to tight bands within a muscle to reduce localized tension and referred pain, helping the muscle relax and move more freely.

Gentle Stretching
Therapist-assisted stretching works to lengthen tight tissues, improve flexibility, and support increased joint range of motion that enhances comfort and functional movement.

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Session Details

• Session Length: 30–45 minutes
• Typical Price: $90–$130 per session

Sessions include hands-on work combined with assessment, direction, and often instruction on safe home stretches or movements to reinforce gains between visits. Manual therapy plays a vital role in decreasing barriers like stiffness and pain so that therapeutic exercises and functional training can be more effective.

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What You Can Expect

Manual therapy is most often used to:

• Ease muscle tightness and stiffness
• Reduce pain and discomfort during movement
• Improve joint range of motion
• Support soft-tissue healing and blood flow
• Enhance flexibility and functional mobility

Patients frequently notice improvements in comfort and movement early in care, and manual therapy is typically paired with active exercise to support lasting change.

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Manual therapy is a practical, evidence-informed component of physical rehabilitation. By combining skilled hands-on techniques with therapeutic exercise and movement retraining, this approach aims to help you move more comfortably, reduce pain, and build toward your daily goals with confidence.