Four Ways Manual Therapy Can Help You Recover from a Work-Place Injury
Leave a CommentRecovering from a workplace injury is often a difficult and frustrating journey. Whether you’re dealing with chronic pain from repetitive tasks or recovering from a sudden accident, the path back to full function can feel long and uncertain. One proven method to accelerate healing and improve recovery outcomes is manual therapy, a hands-on technique performed by licensed physical and occupational therapists.
What is Manual Therapy?
Manual therapy involves the use of skilled hands-on techniques to manipulate joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Unlike exercises or machines that require active participation, manual therapy is a passive approach where the therapist performs movements and applies targeted pressure to reduce pain, improve mobility, and restore function.
In a workplace injury context, manual therapy often complements other rehabilitation strategies, such as therapeutic exercises and modalities such as heat, ice, or electrical stimulation.
How Manual Therapy Helps Recover from Work Injuries
1. Relieves Pain and Improves Range of Motion
Workplace injuries like lower back strain, shoulder impingement, or carpal tunnel syndrome often limit your ability to move comfortably. Manual therapy techniques such as joint mobilization and soft tissue manipulation help release muscle tension, decrease joint stiffness, and increase pain-free range of motion—getting you back to work-ready status faster.
2. Reduces Nerve Sensitivity and Promotes Natural Pain Relief
Manual therapy stimulates your nervous system in a way that decreases pain signals. When pressure is applied to certain areas, touch receptors override pain receptors, which helps “turn down the volume” on discomfort. Additionally, this interaction prompts your brain to release natural pain-relieving chemicals—supporting faster healing.
3. Addresses the Psychological Stress of Injury
Pain can lead to fear, anxiety, and avoidance of movement, especially in cases where an injury occurred on the job. Manual therapy provides a gentle reintroduction to movement without the fear of reinjury. It builds trust between patients and therapists and helps reshape how you perceive pain, reducing anxiety and improving treatment outcomes.
4. Enhances the Effectiveness of Other Treatments
Manual therapy is not a standalone solution—it’s most effective when combined with heat application, therapeutic exercises, and ergonomic education. When used early in the rehab process, manual therapy prepares your body for movement and allows you to perform exercises with better form and less discomfort.
Who Can Benefit?
Workplace injuries that commonly respond well to manual therapy include:
- Repetitive strain injuries (e.g., carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis)
- Traumatic injuries (e.g., falls leading to back, neck, or joint pain)
- Overuse syndromes (e.g., shoulder impingement, muscle fatigue)
If your job requires repetitive motion, prolonged sitting or lifting, or awkward postures, manual therapy can be a valuable part of your recovery.
Key Takeaway
Manual therapy plays a vital role in helping individuals recover from workplace injuries by reducing pain, restoring motion, and easing psychological barriers to movement. It enhances the overall rehabilitation process and helps injured workers return to daily and job-related tasks more quickly and confidently.
Still Dealing with Pain from a Work Injury?
Athletico offers free assessments by licensed clinicians who specialize in treating workplace injuries. Don’t wait, take the first step toward recovery today by contacting a clinic near you.
*Per federal guidelines, beneficiaries of plans such as Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare, VHA and other federally funded plans are not eligible for free assessments.
The Athletico blog is an educational resource written by Athletico employees. Athletico bloggers are licensed professionals who abide by the code of ethics outlined by their respective professional associations. The content published in blog posts represents the opinion of the individual author based on their expertise and experience. The content provided in this blog is for informational purposes only, does not constitute medical advice and should not be relied on for making personal health decisions.
References:
1. “Outcomes Associated with Manual Therapy for Workers with Non-Chronic Low Back Pain” Dongchun Wang, Kathryn Mueller, Randall Lea. Workers Compensation Research Institute, September 2021, https://pennchiro.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/WCRI-manual-therapy-outcomes-study-7736-9-13-21.pdf
2. Chin B, Rundell SD, Sears JM, Fulton-Kehoe D, Spector JT, Franklin GM. Intensity of physical therapy services: Association with work and health outcomes in injured workers with back pain in Washington State. Am J Ind Med. 2023 Jan;66(1):94-106. doi: 10.1002/ajim.23440. Epub 2022 Nov 12. PMID: 36371638.
3. “How Manual Therapy Improves Workers’ Compensation Outcomes” Upstream Rehabilitation, April, 2024, https://urpt.com/blog/how-manual-therapy-improves-workers-compensation-outcomes/
4. Jiménez-Del-Barrio S, Cadellans-Arróniz A, Ceballos-Laita L, Estébanez-de-Miguel E, López-de-Celis C, Bueno-Gracia E, Pérez-Bellmunt A. The effectiveness of manual therapy on pain, physical function, and nerve conduction studies in carpal tunnel syndrome patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int Orthop. 2022 Feb;46(2):301-312. doi: 10.1007/s00264-021-05272-2. Epub 2021 Dec 3. PMID: 34862562; PMCID: PMC8782801.
5. Steuri R, Sattelmayer M, Elsig S, Kolly C, Tal A, Taeymans J, Hilfiker R. Effectiveness of conservative interventions including exercise, manual therapy and medical management in adults with shoulder impingement: a systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs. Br J Sports Med. 2017 Sep;51(18):1340-1347. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2016-096515. Epub 2017 Jun 19. PMID: 28630217; PMCID: PMC5574390.
