What is Manual/Musculoskeletal Medicine?

Specially trained physicians perform Manual/Musculoskeletal Medicine. Based on a general medical physical examination, a neurological examination and a manual/musculoskeletal examination, these physicians come to a normal medical diagnosis and a manual/musculoskeletal diagnosis. The latter can lead to specific manual/musculoskeletal treatment.

The manual/musculoskeletal diagnostic procedure looks for general motion restriction in both the spine and the extremities (legs and arms), and segmental motion restriction of the spine (between two vertebrae). The latter is known as segmental dysfunction or, less frequently, as segmental blockage.

Based on a normal medical diagnosis and a manual/musculoskeletal diagnosis, the physician decides on whether there is any indication for manual/musculoskeletal treatment, or whether there is a medical reason to refer you to a hospital specialist.

This means that any abnormalities found during the manual/musculoskeletal examination do not necessarily form a reason for manual/musculoskeletal treatment.

Characteristic manual/musculoskeletal treatment consists of manipulation and mobilisation of the joints of the spine and extremities, whether or not in combination with exercises.

In principle, the manual/musculoskeletal physician first carries out a test treatment in order to be able later to control the effect on the previously found motion restrictions and/or complaints.

Before any further treatment is carried out, the manual/musculoskeletal physician, as well as inquiring about any changes in your pain pattern, always performs a fresh manual/musculoskeletal examination. Based on the results of this examination, he will decide on any further manual/musculoskeletal treatment.

Should there be total recurrence of your pain, or should the manual/musculoskeletal physician find the same motion restrictions as those found before the first treatment, he will discontinue treatment. He will then perform a further extensive manual/musculoskeletal examination to discover the reason behind the recurrence of you pain.

The reason for the recurrence of your pain could just as well be located inside (slipped disc, inflammation, arthritis, etc.) or outside (internal medicine, neurological or gynaecological diseases) the spine and/or extremities.

In order to trace these diseases, as the reason for the recurrence of your pain, the manual/musculoskeletal specialist must always be a physician.

Based on the renewed examination, a decision will be taken regarding additional treatment (injections) or further examination by a hospital specialist.

Manual/Musculoskeletal Medicine mainly consists of a continuous diagnostic process. In particular, tracing the reasons for the recurrence of such pain complaints and motion restrictions is of the utmost importance in Manual/Musculoskeletal Medicine.  The characteristic treatments performed, although always correctly and safely performed, are only a small part of the manual/musculoskeletal medical profession.