What is a manipulation? Following a joint surgery, most often a total knee or shoulder, sometimes that joint gets stiff due to scar tissue formation. If this does not release after some time and/or physical therapy or if it is too painful to obtain full range of motion, your surgeon may recommend a manipulation. This involves moving the joint through the restricted range while the patient is under anesthesia. This allows the surgeon to stretch and break adhesions in the joint without pain. Normally, the surgeon will then require you to attend physical therapy frequently, if not daily, for a few weeks to ensure that it does not stiffen again. -Jason Allred, DPT
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