Manual Therapy
What is manual therapy?
The manual therapist is an expert in examining and or limitations to and around joints. The goal is to increase joint mobility and thus decrease pain. Examples of complaints that this treats pain conditions and can treat include pain or restrictions in the neck, back, shoulder and headaches.
What does a manual therapist do?
The manual therapist uses techniques with the goal of helping you move better with less pain. In addition, the manual therapist supplements this treatment with exercises and advice on exercise. The effect of manual therapy is often immediate.
When manual therapy?
In daily life, pain can result from restrictions in the joints or spine. Treatment by a manual therapist can then produce a sharp reduction in pain and an improvement in mobility.
The manual therapist can treat the following complaints:
- Head and neck pain with poor movement of the spine
- Neck and shoulder complaints with radiation to the arms
- High back pain, including in combination with rib and chest pain
- Low back pain, also with radiation to the legs
- Headaches due to muscle tension and stiffness in the neck
- Certain forms of dizziness
- Hip complaints
- Pain and stiffness in the shoulder
More information can be found here: Dutch manual therapy association.
Manual therapy at VMfsio
Our manual therapists are all Master of Science graduates, which enables them to properly interpret and apply the latest scientific information during their treatment. Their treatment average is lower than average within physical therapy.
Reimbursement
You can visit a manual therapist for treatment without a doctor’s referral. Health insurance reimburses treatment of certain chronic conditions from basic insurance starting from the 20th treatment. For non-chronic complaints, you need supplemental insurance to receive reimbursement.
Intake
At a screening or intake, our manual therapist will examine whether he can help you with this technique. Good to know: the result of treatment also depends on your own efforts.
Manual therapists
Physical / manual therapist :
Maarten Melief, MSc

Physical / manual therapist :
Robert Vlek, MSc

Physical / manual therapist :
Bouke Hepkema, MSc

Physical / manual therapist :
Marten Elzinga, MSc
