MANUAL THERAPY IN PAIN

Abstract

Manual therapy is a vital part of physiotherapy and has become one of the most popular methods in treating pain and movement disorders. Modern pain sciences show that the therapeutic effects of manual therapy are not limited to biomechanical correction and rather operate through the mechanisms of neurophysiology, neuroimmunology, and psychosocial factors. Besides, manual therapy causes stimulation of the mechanoreceptors in the periphery, changes pain signaling in the spinal cord, activates the descending inhibitory system, and increases patient's trust in movement. Thus, this chapter presents the overview of the underlying mechanisms of manual therapy-induced pain relief and shows how the leading techniques of manual therapy can be used for clinical purposes. The chapter highlights the need for the integration of manual therapy with therapeutic exercises and pain neurophysiology education to achieve long-term treatment outcomes. Finally, it contains a brief review of current data and future perspectives for making evidence-based decisions in the modern physiotherapy practice.