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- Issue 87
- Integrated manual therapies: IASP taskforce viewpoint
Integrated manual therapies: IASP taskforce viewpoint
Key Points
- A diverse group of clinical professionals including chiropractors, osteopaths, physiotherapists and remedial massage therapists employ a range of hands-on interventions termed Manual Therapy.
BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE
The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) organises themes for discussion when they meet yearly, at which time an expert taskforce reviews research and discusses issues in relation to the topic of interest. In 2023 the overall theme was “Integrative Pain Care”. One topic covered by a group of USA and UK experts was manual therapies (MT).
To date, there has been a lack of synthesis of the current thinking and evidence on MT in relation to its mechanisms, effectiveness and how it can be used in an integrative model of care. This clinical update aimed to synthesize current evidence into a clinical viewpoint.
Manual therapy appears to be effective for a variety of conditions with low safety concerns.
METHODS
Preclinical and clinical researchers, pain clinicians and patient advocates formed the MT taskforce. Experts examined recent and key articles in their area of expertise, which were then appraised within the team for quality and suitability. Following an iterative process this