Manual Therapy

Manual Therapy and Your Rehab

Manual therapy is a modern, science-based approach to physiotherapy treatment. It involves using advanced, hands-on techniques to accurately diagnose and treat patients with musculoskeletal issues.

During your one-on-one treatment at Acceleration Physiotherapy Sherwood Park, your therapist will rely on these manual skills, as opposed to machines or devices, to provide relief and improve function within each session.

Manual therapy techniques
To help reduce pain, increase mobility, and/or reduce inflammation, a manual therapist may use the following techniques during treatment:

    • Joint manipulation
    • Joint mobilisation
    • Massage
    • Traction
    • Assisted stretching

Treatable conditions

Whatever your reason for seeking physiotherapy, it’s likely that manual therapy techniques will be used to support your recovery. This includes (but isn’t limited to) complaints of:

    • Jaw pain (TMJ)
    • Neck/back pain
    • Shoulder/rotator cuff pain
    • Hand, wrist, elbow pain
    • Ankle, knee, hip pain
    • Nerve pain
    • Whiplash
Manual hand therapy and wrist therapy Sherwood Park

Why Choose Acceleration Physiotherapy for your rehab?

Therapist with advanced post-graduate master's degree
Trusted by other medical professionals
One-on-one, patient-focused care

Manual Therapy FAQs

What education is required to provide manual therapy?

While most physiotherapists incorporate some form of manual therapy into treatment, some have chosen to complete additional specialised education. Any therapist performing joint manipulations must have the appropriate training and maintain active certification. Acceleration Physiotherapy owner and therapist, James Squire, earned his post-graduate master’s degree in Manipulative Therapy* at Curtin University in 2008.

*James Squire is on the Physiotherapy Alberta College + Association‘s list of therapists authorised to perform spinal manipulation.  

I’ve had physio before and it didn’t help – why will manual therapy at Acceleration Physiotherapy be different?

Starting with a thorough, hands-on assessment, our therapists will prioritize accurate diagnosis to ensure they can create a treatment plan that addresses the root cause, not the symptoms, of your problem.

Your past experiences may have included minimal one-on-one time with your therapist, but you can expect the undivided attention of your therapist for the duration of your time at the clinic.

If you have any other questions or would like to book a physiotherapy appointment at Acceleration Physiotherapy, please get in touch!

What Our Patients Say

  • Brilliant practitioners at Acceleration Physiotherapy. Suffered from a knee/hip issue that was causing significant pain and loss of quality of life. Acceleration’s team put a plan in place to ensure the issue was properly assessed. They told me it would take a few sessions to properly determine the cause. After three sessions the issue was accurately diagnosed and I was given a treatment plan that began to show results and reduce pain immediately. Issue is practically resolved now and Acceleration’s team have given me a clear plan to ensure issue doesn’t reoccur. I also felt a genuine concern for my recovery and desire from the team to diagnose the issue I was facing. That was a nice feeling.

    Dave S

  • Brittney is amazing. Her knowledge is so extensive that she always has an answer and solution to my problems. She has made my life so much better after my foot surgery. I used to go to her at her former work place and was so happy i could find her at Acceleration. I recommend her to all my friends. Thanks so much, Brittney, you go above and beyond in your work.

    Judith G

  • James is hands down the best physiotherapist I’ve ever worked with. I’ve seen him for acute and chronic issues and always have great results. His assessments are thorough, his treatment plans are helpful, and he makes customized adjustments as treatment progresses. No generic treatments and waiting around while your physiotherapist bounces between multiple appointments. You get his full attention the whole time and the space is very comfortable. I wouldn’t go anywhere else!

    Kelsey C

  • Brittney and her team at Acceleration Physiotherapy are professional, courteous and well trained in all aspects of personal physical therapy. My time with Britney was excellent – always cheerful, ready to help, an excellent listener, but most important to me was that she was able to explain what we were doing to fix me, why we were doing it and show how in a simple way to achieve the results I needed. I will definitely come back to Brittney if I need to and would recommend anyone to contact her and Acceleration Therapy to assist them in their recovery.

    Mark G

  • I guess what I really appreciate about Brittney is that she made me better. I’ve been out x-country skiing 3 times over the past 3 or 4 weeks and enjoy it so much because I am simply pain free. No more wobbling and hobbling and I can fully enjoy this wonderful winter sport.  Further, I appreciate Brittney’s professionalism, knowledge and skill as a physiotherapist and I feel valued and treated as an important client.  I will gladly recommend Brittney to any of my family or friends if they are looking for a  physiotherapist. No hesitation whatsoever.

    Keith B

  • I cannot recommend James highly enough. His thorough evaluations and precise, tailored treatments made an immediate and lasting impact to my carpal tunnel related issues. To say IMS has been a miracle would not be a far stretch. With his direct and down-to-earth approach, I am educated on my condition and know I am getting the best physiotherapy treatment possible with each visit. Simply put, there is no one better!

    Stephanie

  • James is the best - from my early days playing hockey to now in my mid-40’s I have had many Physiotherapists work with me for various injuries and none have been as comprehensive, knowledgeable and engaged as James. He is really about getting his patients back to real life as soon as possible, having fun, and no unnecessary clinical fluff. I trust him completely for myself, my wife and young daughters who are athletes themselves. We wouldn’t think to go anywhere else.

    Chad

  • I highly recommend James Squire as a physiotherapist. He offered me exceptional care by using multiple modalities in my treatments to improve my mobility and strength, relieve my pain, and restore my physical function.

    Amanda

  • I recently started to see James Squire about a shoulder injury. My shoulder worked, but certain movements caused a great amount of pain. The biggest issue was my sleeping. I would wake up 5-6 times a night in excruciating pain. After 4 weeks with James, there was a huge difference. Within 8-9 weeks, workouts felt great and I could sleep through the night pain-free. It was a long process, but one I was confident that James could help me with. He was polite, professional, knowledgable, and made it easy for me to comprehend my injury. He made sure I had the knowledge and understanding to continue on my own. I would highly recommend James to anyone with an injury!

    Keagan

  • I came to James after suffering a significant shoulder injury playing football. He was able to accurately identify the cause and severity and prepare a successful treatment plan that allowed me to return to my sport without any symptoms. He is able to combine his medical knowledge with his own sports experience to provide the best service possible for an athlete.

    Tony