Manual physiotherapy

Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy OMT (also called Orthopaedic Manual/Manipulative Therapy) is a specialisation within physiotherapy that offers conservative techniques for the treatment of pain and other symptoms of neuro-musculoskeletal dysfunction of the spine and extremities. This concept of physiotherapy treatment is based on the information and experience of classical physiotherapy, osteopathy, chiropractic, orthopaedic and sports medicine, and the subsequent innovations that have taken place in the area of Manual Therapy.

It is based on clinical reasoning, available scientific and clinical evidence and the biopsychosocial approach to each individual patient. It uses highly specific assessment and treatment approaches including manual techniques and therapeutic exercises.

Mulligan concept

It is a technique developed by New Zealand physiotherapist Brian Mulligan since the 1970s. Mulligan took existing mobilisation techniques and gave them a new approach: introducing active movement by the patient while the physiotherapist performs the technique, these are also carried out in a functional manner i.e. standing or sitting, which are the positions in which most injuries are caused. The basic principle is to look for the joint position in which the pain disappears and, once found, ask the patient to perform the movement that caused the pain for a number of times determined by the experience of the physiotherapist.