What is Manual Therapy?
Manual therapy is a hands-on approach to pain relief and musculoskeletal health that focuses on how the body moves, adapts, and compensates over time. Through skilled assessment and hands-on treatment, manual therapy addresses muscle tension, joint restriction, connective tissue imbalance, and nerve entrapments.
Rather than treating symptoms in isolation, this approach looks at how the body functions as a whole system. Assessment guides treatment, and techniques are selected based on what the body presents—not applied by default.
Clinical Approach
Manual therapy sessions begin with careful assessment and hands-on evaluation. This may include movement observation, orthopedic testing, and neuromuscular evaluation to better understand how joints, muscles, connective tissue, and the nervous system are interacting.
The goal is not simply to reduce symptoms, but to clarify why they are present and determine what type of input will best support meaningful, lasting change.
Manual Therapy Techniques Used in This Practice
I use several complementary manual therapy approaches, each selected and integrated based on your individual presentation. These techniques are not applied in isolation, but combined thoughtfully within a session as appropriate.
The Hendrickson Method
An integrated manual therapy approach that blends joint mobilization, soft tissue techniques, and wave-based mobilization with orthopedic and osteopathic principles. This method supports improved joint mechanics, tissue health, and nervous system regulation while addressing movement patterns that contribute to pain or limitation.
Learn more about The Hendrickson Method >>
Muscle Energy Technique (MET)
A gentle, active technique that uses your own muscle engagement to help reduce tension, improve joint mobility, and support neuromuscular coordination. MET also helps integrate changes during a session and can make manual therapy more efficient and easier to receive. Learn more about Muscle Energy Technique >>
NeuroKinetic Therapy (NKT)
A movement-based assessment and treatment approach used to identify compensatory patterns and inhibited muscle function. NKT supports clearer communication between the nervous system and muscles, helping restore more efficient and coordinated movement.
Learn more about NeuroKinetic Therapy (NKT) >>
Myofascial Release
A hands-on approach focused on addressing restrictions within the fascia and connective tissue system. By allowing these tissues to soften and glide more freely, myofascial work can support improved movement, reduced strain, and greater ease throughout the body.
Learn more about Myofascial Release >>
What Manual Therapy Can Support
Manual therapy may help support a wide range of concerns, including:
- chronic or recurring pain
- joint stiffness and limited mobility
- nerve-related symptoms
- postural strain and movement inefficiency
- recovery from injury or overuse
Each situation is approached within the context of how the whole body is functioning. View the full list of conditions treated
What to Expect During a Session
Sessions include both assessment and hands-on treatment. Depending on your needs, a session may involve varying degrees of joint mobilization, soft tissue techniques, neuromuscular re-education, and gentle active participation.
The pace is deliberate and responsive. Techniques are chosen based on how your body responds, with the aim of supporting clarity, comfort, and lasting change.
Is Manual Therapy Right for You?
Manual therapy is well suited for people seeking a thoughtful, individualized approach to pain and movement issues—especially when symptoms have been persistent or difficult to resolve.
This work can be adapted across a wide range of ages and physical conditions. Techniques can be very gentle without losing their effectiveness, making Manual Therapy accessible and easy to receive for older adults or those with more sensitive systems. At the same time, it is equally valuable for active individuals and athletes who place higher demands on their bodies—and who appreciate taking an active role in their healing process.
The approach is always guided by assessment and the body’s response, allowing the work to meet the body where it is rather than pushing it toward a predetermined outcome.
If you’re unsure whether this work is the right fit, please feel free to reach out for a brief conversation. Even if we decide it’s not the best match, I’m happy to help point you in a direction that feels more supportive.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many manual therapy sessions will I need?
It depends on what’s happening in your body, and it’s difficult to predict without a proper assessment and conversation. Everyone’s history, patterns, and goals are different.
That said, there are two things I do expect. First, you should notice some measurable level of relief or meaningful change within the first one to two sessions. If that doesn’t happen, it tells us something important.
Either there’s more to uncover—in which case we slow down, reassess, and look more closely at what may be contributing to your symptoms—or I’m not the right practitioner for what you’re dealing with. If it’s the latter, I won’t keep guessing. By the second or third visit, I’ll know whether a referral to another provider would better support you, and I’ll help point you in that direction.
Is manual therapy the same as massage?
While both involve hands-on work, manual therapy is distinct from relaxation-based massage. Manual therapy is assessment-driven and focuses on understanding how joints, muscles, connective tissue, and the nervous system are interacting.
Techniques are selected based on clinical findings and integrated to support movement, function, and lasting change.