Manual Therapy
Pain can greatly interfere with a person’s quality of life. Whether you’re suffering from an injury or medical condition, Evolution Physical Therapy provides manual therapy to relieve pain caused by muscle spasms, muscle tension, and joint dysfunction.
Where Can I Get Manual Therapy?
Evolution proudly offers manual therapy for patients at all of our physical therapy clinics. Find your nearest location to schedule an appointment today
West Coast
Mountain Region
What is Manual Therapy?
Manual therapy is a specialized form of physical therapy that uses skilled and highly specific hands-on techniques without the assistance of devices or machines. Manual therapy generally involves two kinds of movement: soft tissue work and joint mobilization/manipulation.
Every movement in our joints consists of a roll component and a glide component. When we start to notice mechanical pain in certain joints, we often find that there’s a significant discrepancy between the rolling and gliding components within that joint.
Overall range of motion can be significantly limited due to a loss of the gliding component of that joint. By using manual therapy techniques, this joint glide can be restored to significantly improve overall range of motion and function.
Benefits of Manual Therapy
Your physical therapist may use manual therapy to improve the mechanics of your joints. Typically, you will be given an exercise program to either stabilize or further mobilize your joint independently, in order to create a lasting improvement. There are several benefits of manual therapy, including:
- Modulating pain
- Increasing range of motion (ROM)
- Reducing or eliminating soft tissue inflammation
- Inducing relaxation
- Improving contractile and noncontractile tissue repair, extensibility and/or stability
- Facilitating movement
- Improving function
Who Should Consider Manual Therapy?
Manual therapy is often utilized for issues stemming from the spine, such as acute and chronic back pain. This technique is recommended for patients of all ages and activity levels. Manual therapy can be implemented as a helpful treatment for a wide range of issues or conditions, including:
- Lower back pain
- Neck pain & stiffness
- Tension headaches or migraines
- Shoulder impingement & elbow pain
- Knee pain or runner’s knee
- Ankle pain
- Fibromyalgia
- Repetitive strain injury (RSI)
- Piriformis syndrome
Functional Movement Screen (FMS) & Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA)
The FMS and SFMA are an evaluative system composed of seven movement tests that require a balance of both mobility and stability. This is a total body assessment. These patterns are used to assess the quality of movements in the body. Weakness, imbalance, asymmetries and limitations in the movement patterns allow clinicians to treat the weakest link. These systems are very helpful during the initial patient examination and can help guide the clinician to choose the most effective treatment option for the individual, to get to the heart of their dysfunction in the quickest manner possible.
Learn More About Manual Therapy at Your Nearest Evolution Location
Our physical therapists will often perform manual therapy techniques as part of your evaluation and diagnosis to help them assess your condition. Contact us today for more information!
We’re Making People Move Again
Experience the difference of a hands-on approach to physical therapy when you partner with Evolution! Take a look at our reviews below and see what other patients are saying.
I came to Evolution Physical Therapy to heal a knee injury so I could get back to training for my next marathon. Dr. Carole Gong has been absolutely wonderful in assessing my weaknesses and teaching me the exercises I need to build strength and heal quickly. She is compassionate and, as a runner herself, understands how important the sport is to me. More importantly, having a reliable physical therapy program gives you the confidence and freedom to know that you are on the path to recovery so you can get back to doing the life activities you love. The patients here come from a wide spectrum of backgrounds in their physical needs, from post-surgery healing to age-related mobility issues to athletic people recovering from injuries. Everyone is welcome. The Evolution facilities in Beverly Hills are clean and well maintained, and the front desk is well organized and efficiently run with scheduling and billing. Highly recommended!
Baolu Lan
1684872356
Jennifer is a life saver. She is kind, patient, methodical and professional. If you need physical therapy, don’t look elsewhere. I have been there and done that.
Daniel Elihu
1684550091
Evolution PT has been excellent for strengthening my neck to return to running.Carol Gong has been my PT therapist. She’s very professional and experienced. I’ve gotten the tools /exercises to become aware of what I can do myself @ home to relieve neck pain, strengthen neck/shoulders/back and continue my running routine. Evolution works with you with exercises @ each session. It gets you into the routine of doing the important exercises!
Sheila Walton
1684421385
One wonderful thing about by terrible bike accident has been getting to work with the best PT in L.A., Dr. Ethan. The charisma he brings to his work is beyond compare. Ethan doesn't just treat his patients he forms relationships with them; you'll feel his support and care from the moment you walk in. Watching him nurture junior staff and help young kids recovering from injuries during their jr. sport career with passion and presence is simply a joy. His slappin playlists, lively personality and humor keep every session fresh and fun. I wouldn't have kept up with my recovery with out this sensational human <3
Melissa Braxton
1682735224
I had the pleasure of working with Lauren Lee and highly recommend her to anyone looking for a PT. From our initial evaluation, she correctly diagnosed my injury (later proven correct through an MRI) that my primary care doctor had misdiagnosed, and she properly designed my treatment plan accordingly. She is also extremely easy to work with, caring, encouraging, and knowledgeable. Definitely 5/5 and would return myself for my next injury.
Joshua P
1681917388
I am having Physical Therapy to help reduce the pain in my shoulder. I am getting great attention... helping me work on better form with everyday exercises (bench press) and simple exercises that help build the smaller shoulder muscles. Carole has been great. I have just started but already seeing improvement in mobility.
Robert Fogarty
1667935522
Great place for PT. Krysia is fantastic.
Raymond Fitzgerald
1665331457
Kara Pilar is a great PT! Very knowledgable and patient--highly recommend!
Kathryn Weber
1665258656
Can't ask for better care. Nick Davis has been nothing but amazing since I've started working with him. I highly recommend him. I've tried other physical therapists before and none of them come close.
meir gohary
1663551583
Great local office for PT. Clean facilities and good therapists.
David Golbahar
1661355710
Working your way back from an injury can be a long and lonely road. And that's why I'm so grateful evolution is helping me back. Parmis greeted me on my first day and immediately put me at ease. She's designed a really smart schedule to get me healed. I actually look forward to coming as I feel better after each session. Parmis is really skilled and knows what you should be doing at various points of healing and makes sure you do exercises right. She also has an intuition of how hard you can push yourself. Her guidance is invaluable as she helps you push yourself to get maximum benefit, but not to the point of doing more harm than good. I'm thankful she's been so patient with me and just a few sessions in, I'm already seeing great results. And I'm confident to make a solid recovery following her plan!
Matt Krantz
1660456102
Great PT
Jeff Selick
1658866573
If you are a professional athlete or athletic hobbyist with an injury – Bo is the PT you need! I am a passionate aerialist who tore my distal bicep tendon (intermediate tear) from an unrelated accident. To say I was devastated is an understatement. I went from flying on silks to not being able to lift a glass! Anyone with a serious injury that may limit your day to day, let alone prevent you continuing with your athletic career or passion, can understand that shattering feeling that your old life is over. My surgeon suggested trying PT before the risk of surgery, and I will admit I was skeptical on what I could get from PT after a lifetime of dance, yoga and aerial has given me a decent knowledge of muscles and fitness - but the tendon injury was another beast and the more I learned about the injury the more depressing it seemed. In researching for PT with aerial-like and athletic expertise, I found Evolution and specifically Bo who is a climber and paraglider in his own time among other athletic pursuits.My experience has been beyond what I could have hoped for. Bo is wonderful for anyone with an injury, but definitely for athletes that need a bit more. Throughout my healing journey, Bo has been such a positive force. He listened so carefully at each session and tailored exercises skillfully to the precise muscles I needed to strengthen (or rest), always adjusting creatively as needed. Evolution also has more advanced techniques like BFR which certainly helped in the early stages of healing. I was amazed how quickly Bo got me back to functionality, and he has not stopped until I regained the strength and confidence needed for the aerial silks, working not just the injury but all of the necessary supporting muscles to get me safely back to flying circus style! There are no words for how relieved and grateful I am to be able to get back to my happy place in the aerial silks – and without surgery!!Evolution in general is outstanding and you can’t go wrong with the PT’s there. The staff are all wonderful, the atmosphere welcoming and the sessions always flew by. They handle all kinds of PT patients of all ages but treat everyone with equal patience and encouragement, whether you are just trying to get back to everyday functionality or more advanced athletic pursuits. But if you are a serious athlete that needs help from an injury or surgery, I can’t recommend Bo highly enough to get you back on your feet…or swinging from your arms 😉
Saraswati Yogi
1658694473
I felt so much better after my first visit.
Jany Davenport
1654787072
Excellent place to go if you need physical therapy. Been working with Parmis and she's great. In fact, all the staff are super-helpful and pros.
Bill Groak
1654125520
After three knee surges over the yrs with different therapists, by far Evolution Physical Therapy (BH) has been a good choice for rehab on my partial knee replacement. Physical Therapist Kara Pilar has exceeded my expectations. . Her pt knowledge, care and attention to your physical requirements is impressive. She cares about healing the injury and controlling your physical pain to best treat the knee, leg and associated muscles and tendons allowing one to quickly gain back the movement and flexibility to the knee. I would highly recommend Kara Pilar as your Physical Therapist at Evolution Physical Therapy (BH).
Kenneth Katich
1653593050
Nick Davis has been my physical therapist at Evolution - which I’m attending for arthritis in one hip and both knees - and he’s been just great. He explains the exercises well, checks carefully at each follow up and makes adjustments and additions, and answers all my questions clearly about what the exercises do for my joints. Most of all, working on the exercises has made a considerable improvement to my comfort level; most of the time I’m totally pain free!
Anthony Elman
1651803184
Evolution PT have a great business ethics, the whole staff from the front desk to the physical therapists and assistance physical therapists are dedicated individuals that care about their customers/patients. Fantastic Team and I would recommend this place to anyone that is going through a physical rehab. Thank you for all you do!
Chicco Falco
1651595084
It was great!
Dalana Lopez
1650943130
Michael and Evolution have been incredible to work with during my running & fitness journey. I started seeing Mike in the summer of 2021 and haven't looked back since. He has brought my running strength and performance to a new level and I am so grateful for that.On top of this, the PT assistants are incredible and the hardworking individuals at the front desk could not be nicer.10/10 experience and I would recommend Evolution to anyone.HUGE thank you to Mike and the Evolution team.
Nicholas Ventura
1648650586
Friendly place with terrific people. I've enjoyed my time here tremendously - getting movement back in my foot and improving my balance.
Terry August
1646235735
Found Ethan to be highly knowledgeable and engaged Physical Therapist. Ethan's care is designed to get me mobile and back to the physical activities that my injuries have prevented me from doing. A world of difference from the place I went to previously.
Leslie Minniti
1646192560
Kara Pilar and her team are excellent! Outstanding PT facility.
Shannon Millard
1643228475
I highly recommend Evolution Physical Therapy and Fitness from my personal experience. I regained faith and hope that my knees will get better with professional guidance from Jennifer and the team at Evolution Physical Therapy and Fitness.
Nina Brody
1642145287
David Monte at Evolution PT and Fitness is a great physical therapist. He got me back on my feet after a bad case of hip bursitis.
Wendy Wright
1641072457
I have only great things to say about the Beverly HIlls branch of Evolution Physical Therapy and Fitness. I am working with a young, talented and truly helpful physical therapist named Ethan. He is really thoughtful and encouraging and I actually look forward to going to PT to work out a tricky problem with my foot. All of the PT Assistants are lovely and supportive. The location is organized well. Very clean. I would say it's managed very well. Great experience overall.
Michele Romero
1637730757
I was seen and evaluated by Jennifer at Evolution PT. As a doctor, I have very high expectations. Jennifer was extremely thorough in her evaluation. She took detailed notes and really took the time to explains things to me.Jennifer is a outstanding therapist and I highly recommend her and Evolution PT.
Sedatedsk8er
1635960171
I came to Evolution because of severe back pain. On my first visit I was impressed by the amount of time my PT, Nick Davis, spent on diagnosing the source of pain and developing a treatment plan which would allow me to do a lot of strengthening work at home and minimize the number of visits. His recommendations were right on the spot and allowed me to reduce pain quickly and eventually become pain free.Nick is thorough, professional and friendly. I can't thank him enough for helping me recover quickly.The office is clean and follows safety protocols. My appointments were around lunch time and I've never had an issue with street parking close to the office.
Mikhail K
1633593753
The team at Evolution is the absolute best! After a year of knee pain that had kept me from some of my favorite activities I finally sought treatment with Evolution after recommendations from multiple athlete friends. My PT, Mike Herrera, is so wonderful to work with. He efficiently identified underlying issues that were contributing to my pain and helped me correct and strengthen them. My knee is now completely pain free and I'm back in the squat rack regularly for the first time in a year. Mike goes above and beyond by making himself available for questions and support between appointments should you have a flare up or encounter issues with your PT homework. Further, every single aid and admin staff member have been a pleasure to interact with as well - shout out to Marisa and Anisha! Evolution's staff are enthusiastic, warm, encouraging and challenging. I cannot recommend them enough!
Lia Beauchemin
1628105329
I never leave reviews, but I can’t say enough positives about Jennifer Unterreiner and Evolution Physical Therapy. I had done physical therapy in the past and it was never successful. Lots of massages and manipulations that felt good in the moment but did nothing to alleviate the pain and problems longterm. Jennifer and Evolution have managed to actually tackle the problems with instructive ways to actually work on fixing my issues — and there have been many from hip, knee, toe, neck and back — and better yet, providing insightful ways to mitigate those problems returning in the future. And Jennifer has also worked in concert with my Drs for a holistic approach that can’t be matched.
Tracey Bing
1624642745
Alison is great!! I've been seeing her for a few months for a combined ankle-knee-hip issue that a few other therapists hadn't managed to figure out, and I'm back to all my sports and managed to avoid surgery. I think the attention she paid to my specific circumstances and goals really made the difference and got me where I wanted to go.If you want strength building focused, evidence based, thoughtful care, this is where you want to go.
Allen Nikka
1622173409
Allison Edwards is my therapist. Competent, caring, kind, attentive.She is great to work with!
Nina Nahmouli
1618503622
If you’re looking for a good PT, I’d go here. Brooke knows what she’s doing and has helped me so much already. Pain levels are down and now I know what I need to work on. Thanks !!!
Re CH
1617242070
David & the team has been incredible. Truly has made a huge positive impact on my healing from injury and in getting strong and confident again.
Alison Freed
1616540959
Everyone is very polite and great! Brooke has been amazing with my recovery. She is very strong and able to assist me with my Physical therapy needs.
Jeremy Boswell
1616467279
David is very personable. He explains his goals and why we are doing certain exercises. He pays attention to me and what I am capable of , pushing me to do as much as I can, but not to the point of more problems.
Barbara Kingsley
1613008032
Bo was super helpful and knowledgeable. i would highly recommend him!
Eric Duffy
1612483676
Five Stars for Dr. Bo! I had a wonderful experience at Evolution Physical therapy. Everything from start to finish was fantastic, and I'd highly recommend this if you're looking for a great physical therapy spot. Dr. Bo was thorough, knowledgeable, and helped me heal a chronic injury. Additionally, I always felt very safe and well cared for in terms of COVID precautions. Also, special thank you / shoutout to PT Aide Sal - he was also wonderful. Thank you, Evolution PT!
Katie
1612413683
Love the 1 on 1 attention and the friendly staff!
Whitney Williams
1610166423
Evolution Physical Therapy is the absolute best for your physical therapy needs. After being hurt in 2 very bad accidents, I'm literally ready to dance! My therapist, Jennifer Unterreiner, is awesome! I've learned so much and performed better under her care. In over thirteen years of recovery, my only regret is not finding them sooner!
Harley Arty
1608729195
Brooke is a wonderful therapist, who works you hard but gets obvious results. I'm recovering from a ruptured bicep and torn rotator cuff and she knows instinctively how far you can go - and then pushes you juuust a bit further. An expert and tuned in practitioner, I recommend her highly!
Fuzzbee Morse
1603245301
Professional, friendly staff. No waiting time with clean and up to dateequipment. A pleasure if you must rehab.Special thanks to Brooke
Damian Hanlon
1596631822
I don't usually leave reviews. Excellent work, effort, and dedication deserve recognition in my opinion though, so here we go.So far, my experiences with my physical therapist, Nick, have been nothing short of outstanding. He is knowledgeable, dedicated, and clearly a talented mind. Maybe most importantly, he is kind, attentive, and seemingly indefatigable. I highly recommend him to anyone in need of quality care!
Gyve Hamidi
1596001368
I had Adelle as my PT and she was great. She took the time to really work on my shoulder and figure out what exercises I needed to do based off of the pain i was having at the moment. She also knew when it was time to focus on certain strength exercises once I was more comfortable/stronger.Overall great experience, friendly staff, and flexible hours.
Oliver Soble
1591918920
Nick and the team at Evolution PT can best be described in one word - AMAZING. Friendly, fun and informative. Best PT I’ve been to.
Jenna Elfman
1588647723
Evolution is a fantastic place for physical therapy, and Nick is a fantastic physical therapist. He really listens to me and adjusts the program accordingly. Highly recommend
Austin Giangeruso
1585449578
Very patient and professional instructors who explained my concerns!Nick and Brook answered my questions regarding healing process.
Terrie Scott
1584233542
Quality service, knowledgeable, prompt, "clean", caring.
Donald Harvey
1584027619
I love this place and working with my PT - Adelle has been amazing! You can tell they know what they are doing. I’ve always been concerned with an injury like mine happening and not finding a physical therapist that pushes me to get to where I need to be. All the staff is great and friendly!
taira hernandez
1583820621
Shout out to an amazing team and a special thank you to Adelle for putting in as much heart as I did during this recovery process. Wouldn’t have made it this far without all the unconditional support.
hanna rashidi
1583280387
I had a mountain biking accident which required a couple of surgeries including an rotator cuff repair. After my shoulder surgery, I went to physical therapy through the hospital diligently, but found that I was having persistent pain even after 6 months. At that point, I decided to try Evolution based on a patient’s recommendation.I couldn’t be happier with the results. After a few months, my shoulder has made stellar progress and is nearly back to 100%. I’ve worked with Brooke who is simply amazing. Every session with Brooke is different — she asks me how I’m doing and evaluates my arm at the start. From there, she tailors the hands-on work and exercises to focus on the area that is holding me back. This has meant that I make progress on every session rather than going through a routine where progress starts to taper off.After seeing Brooke a couple times a week, I’ve now graduated to their weekly classes and check-in with Brooke every couple of weeks. This evolving approach to care is fantastic — it gives me the opportunity to keep improving without sliding back.Everyone at Evolution is exceptional. Most sessions, Marissa and Tyler and coached me through the exercises and always strike the right balance between challenging me and providing encouragement. Allison runs the weekly classes and is wonderful as well. She is so attentive and empathetic, she makes the group classes feel like 1-on-1 sessions.If you are struggling with pain or need help recovering from an injury, I couldn’t recommend Evolution more highly. They are incredibly knowledgeable and will do everything possible to put you on the right path.
Ravi Mehta
1582399769
I had ACL Reconstruction surgery in my left knee and also had my Meniscus trimmed. My Orthopedist recommended Evolution Therapy for my rehabilitation, and I am incredibly happy with his recommendation. Doctor Jennifer Unterreiner and her team have been amazing! I feel that her methods and support are the right balance of pushing an individual to their limits, while emphasizing that its a process. Take it day by day. Don't rush yourself, just push yourself everyday and you'll get to your goals! Thanks again team! Getting back to working out and achieving my goals means everything to me. I highly recommend this clinic!
JohnPaul SanAntonio
1581808766
Highly recommended for ACL injury/surgery recovery!I can't thank Lauren and the rest of the team at Evolution Physical Therapy enough for helping me recover from ACL surgery. This was my second time tearing my ACL in the same knee and though my first tear was over ten years ago, I know that this recovery period was a lot faster and just better overall. Some of this can be attributed to improved surgical procedures and great Orthopedic surgeons, but I feel like the Physical Therapy was what really made the difference.Lauren really took the time to develop a customized program for me and adapted the exercises as my strength grew, and unlike my physical therapy regimens from the past, the exercises and methods that are used at Evolution Physical Therapy are not as isolated - they also work on strengthening and balancing the other muscle groups in the body that help to further lessen the risk of injury. She was also great at recognizing when my body/knee was able to handle more despite my being hesitant (I think she could also tell when I was just being lazy, so don't try to fake it with her!). I believe that extra motivation is another reason for my especially accelerated recovery.I'm honestly amazed at what I was able to accomplish within my twice weekly 1-hour sessions with Lauren and I'm really going to miss the incredible team at Evolution Physical Therapy.
Liene Zemjanis
1577469084
Very friendly and helpful staff, especially my physical therapist, Alison. I've started going here last week and I already love it! I have already started seeing improvements and can't wait to see how much I progress through my physical therapy at Evolution.
Sara Dzigurski
1576360326
Allison brought me back from edge!I never thought too much of physical therapy when I had it in the past. Evolution changed my mind and soul.After a torn tendon in my ankle, I was out of commission, in a boot for months. Already on the wrong side of a healthy life style things didn't look so good.Allison has helped me not only heal and strengthen the damaged area, but she has incorporated a vast array of related therapy to help me avoid re-injuring myself.Everyone I've worked with at Evolution is great and professional.We need more of these people in the world!Thanks again Allison.Christopher
Christopher C
1574113050
Brooke is a wonderful physical therapist. I broke my tibia and fibula, and feel very comfortable and reassured in her care. Evolution is also very well equipped and staffed. Very happy to have found Brooke!
Paula Woods
1572485845
The staff and therapists are all very friendly and caring. I began to feel so much better after just a couple of weeks!
Elizabeth Gebauer
1571941095
Oh my goodness, Jennifer did in 45 minutes what I had not been able to do in two weeks! My rotation in my right arm felt frozen at a specific point and after she (gently, like feather-touch gently) worked that area, I was actually able to remove my shirt without having to bend over. It was AMAZING! 😍 Thank you Jennifer and thank you Evolution Physical Therapy, I am truly looking forward to my continued visits (and who can say that about PT? 😳 🤗).
Kelley McAuliffe
1570890777
Friendly and knowledgeable staff.I broke my humorous bone and was in a lot of pain my physician was very careful with my treatment to make sure that I know what I need to do to make sure that I work on my arm and yet do not feel any pain while doing it.
Anna kreymer
1570754490
Alison and the entire team is super professional and caring- great great great
Fountain Yount
1569685436
Was really appreciative of the experience I had with my first time needing physical therapy. Could not have asked for a better place to visit for what I needed. I’m already referring others because it was really great.
Alexander Woodall
1568999516
Brooke is amazing!
Chava Oved
1567108448
The team at Evolution is just fantastic. Everybody is so attentive and positive as well as knowledgeable about all things PT. It makes going there a couple of times a week a pleasant experience. I love these guys! Thank you Evolution PT!!!
Laurie Trotta
1565467481
Evolution is a clean well staffed and well equipped facility in a convenient location with plenty of 2 hour free parking. I like the therapists and the assistants. The only possible downside is that it is sometimes difficult to get appointment unless you plan ahead
Richard Klug
1563417452
Amazing physical therapists and PTAs! 5 stars all the way—Jen, Brooke, and Lauren have all been fantastic and are steadfastly helping me to recover 💪👌
Nadia Jasmina Dargani
1561608066
Very caring and knowledgeable therapist has made excellent improvements on my mobility following spine surgery.
William Wallace Feuer
1560921358
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