Manual physical therapy is a specialized form of physical therapy delivered with the hands as opposed to a device or machine. In manual therapy, practitioners use their hands to put pressure on muscle tissue and manipulate joints in an attempt to decrease back pain caused by muscle spasm, muscle tension, and joint dysfunction.

While all physical therapists have the option to use manual therapy in their practices, many don't spend the time or the resources to become efficient in this area of practice. Patients should be aware that it is a lesser known physical therapy technique among physicians and may not be as commonly prescribed. Also, many of the conditions that practitioners treat with manual therapy are not demonstrated with imaging or lab tests but rather during motion testing and treatment, and therefore insurance company reimbursement may be limited.

Manual therapy can be helpful for the treatment of joints that lack adequate mobility and range of motion in certain musculo-skeletal conditions. This limitation can cause discomfort, pain, and an alteration in function, posture, and movement.

Manual physical therapy involves restoring mobility to stiff joints and reducing muscle tension in order to return the patient to more natural movement without pain. Thus, manual physical therapy may provide back pain relief both for patients with chronic back pain involving joint problems.