Welcome to the website of the Orthopaedic Manual Physiotherapy Group [OMPTG]!

We are a Special Interest Group of the South African Society for Physiotherapy [SASP]. The OMPTG is affiliated with the International Federation of Manipulative Therapists [IFOMT], which is a non-government federation representing international collaboration in Manipulative Therapy. IFOMT is a recognized sub-group of the World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT), which in turn is a part of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Orthopaedic Manipulative/Manual Therapy (OMT) is a specialization within Physiotherapy, which is concerned with the prevention and conservative management of pain and other symptoms of neuro-musculoskeletal (NMS) dysfunction in the spine and extremities. Assessment and intervention is based on clinical reasoning. OMPT encompasses, and is driven by available scientific and clinical evidence, and the biopsychosocial framework of each individual patient.

Orthopaedic Manual Physiotherapists can act as the principal provider of patient care or as a member of an interprofessional team within our health care system. Clinical decisions are established following consideration of the patient's clinical and physical circumstances to establish a diagnosis and treatment options, thus describing a patient-centered model of practice.

The application of OMPT is based on a comprehensive assessment. This examination serves to define the presenting dysfunction(s) in the articular, muscular, neural and other relevant systems; and how these relate to any disability or functional limitation, as described by the WHO's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). Equally, the examination aims to distinguish those conditions that are indications or contraindications to OMPT / or demand special precautions.

OMPT includes a large range of therapeutic procedures such as passive joint movements (mobilisation and/or manipulation), soft tissue mobilization, nerve gliding and rehabilitative exercises, as well as other interventions and modalities. The main aims of OMPT are to relieve pain, to optimize the patient's functional ability and to prevent NMS dysfunction.