Integrating Person-Centered Concepts and Modern Manual Therapy

SYNOPSIS: Person-centered care places the whole patient at the center of the assessment and treatment plan. This includes an appreciation of the biological, psychological, and social contributors to the patient’s status; use of shared decision-making to arrive at a feasible, person-centered care plan; and planning beyond the clinical encounter. Whereas person-centered care has been trending among musculoskeletal pain care, the application of this concept in a management plan that incorporates manual therapy (MT) has yet to be explored. Traditionally, MT has involved a practitioner leading the treatment session and providing the technique; however, recent advances in the MT literature and training are more reflective of a person-centered care model. The objectives of this clinical commentary are to outline our vision of person-centered MT, including support on why and how it should be applied. We endeavor to answer What is person-centered MT? Why should person-centered MT be adopted? How should person-centered MT be utilized? We present literature answering each of these questions and present a clinical framework to link evidence to practice in which we outline person-centered MT-based assessment and intervention. JOSPT Open 2024;2(1):60-70. Epub 13 November 2023. doi:10.2519/josptopen.2023.0812