A therapeutic technique involving the skilful use of the hands to move a part of the body, joint, or muscle to treat certain disorders. Manipulation is important in orthopaedics, physiotherapy, osteopathy, and chiropractic.
Manipulation may be used to treat deformity and stiffness caused by bone and joint disorders, to realign bones in a displaced fracture, to reposition a joint after a dislocation, or to stretch a contracture.
Occasionally, manipulation is used to help treat frozen shoulder.
The passive movement (frequently forceful) of bones, joints, or soft tissues, carried out by orthopaedic surgeons, physiotherapists (see PHYSIOTHERAPY), osteopaths (see OSTEOPATHY) and chiropractors (see CHIROPRACTOR) as an important part of treatment – often highly e?ective. It may be used for three chief reasons: correction of deformity (mainly the reduction of fractures and dislocations, or to overcome deformities such as congenital club-foot – see TALIPES); treatment of joint sti?ness (particularly after an acute limb injury, or FROZEN SHOULDER); and relief of chronic pain (particularly when due to chronic strain, notably of the spinal joints – see PROLAPSED INTERVERTEBRAL DISC). Depending on the particular injury or deformity being treated, and the estimated force required, manipulation may be used with or without ANAESTHESIA. Careful clinical and radiological examination, together with other appropriate investigations, should always be carried out before starting treatment, to reduce the risk of harm, or disasters such as fractures or the massive displacement of an intervertebral disc.
n. the use of the hands to produce a desired movement or therapeutic effect in part of the body. Both physiotherapists and osteopaths use manipulation to restore normal working to stiff joints.
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