Many people are told they need weekly, fortnightly or monthly tune-up treatments to stay ‘aligned’, ‘loose’ or ‘maintained’.
You can absolutely feel better after hands-on treatment.
But it is important to understand why.
The most plausible explanation is usually not that a clinician has physically put a joint back into place, broken up scar tissue or released fascia. Rather, the benefits are more likely due to changes in the nervous system and pain perception. In other words, manual therapy can help, but its effects are generally better explained as neuromodulatory rather than structural.
For example, one mathematical modelling study estimated that producing even 1% compression of the plantar fascia would require about 8,359 N of force (852 kg) – an enormous amount, far beyond what a clinician could realistically apply with their hands. The authors concluded this is far beyond the physiologic range of manual therapy for dense tissues.1 So even when hands-on treatment feels intense, it is not physically deforming tissue in the way people are often told.
Humans are not cars. Your body does not need routine tune-ups to stay in working order.
If you are reading this, you are alive (probably). A living body has remarkable capacity to heal, adapt and become more resilient. Good healthcare should support that process, not make you feel dependent on someone else to keep ‘fixing’ you.
That does not mean manual therapy is useless. It can still be helpful for short-term symptom relief and to help someone move with less pain. But for most people, it is best viewed as an adjunct, not something they need indefinitely.
TL;DR
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Manual therapy can help you feel better, but its benefits are usually better explained by changes in the nervous system than by physically deforming tissue or putting joints back into place.
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If you enjoy hands-on treatment, you may still choose to have it. But it is more of a preference than a necessity.
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The aim of good healthcare should be to build your tolerance, confidence and independence, not long-term reliance on passive treatment.
