Joint manipulation curricula in physical therapist professional degree programs

Area of Science:

• Physical Therapy Education
• Manual Therapy
• Curriculum Development

Background:

• Manual therapy and joint mobilization are evolving components of physical therapist education.
• Limited information exists regarding the specific inclusion of joint manipulation in physical therapist curricula.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the current status of joint manipulation curricula in physical therapist professional degree programs across the United States.
• To identify faculty qualifications, attitudes, and future plans related to teaching joint manipulation.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive, observational survey was conducted.
• Primary faculty teaching manual therapy at 199 US physical therapist programs were surveyed.
• The survey collected data on joint manipulation content, faculty expertise, and program intentions.

Main Results:

• 75% of responding programs (87 out of 116) currently teach or plan to teach joint manipulation.
• Joint manipulation is often integrated into required clinical science courses (75% of teaching programs).
• Reasons for not teaching manipulation include perceived lack of entry-level skill (45%), time constraints (26%), insufficient faculty (71%), and doubts about efficacy (7%).

Conclusions:

• A significant majority of physical therapist programs are incorporating joint manipulation into their curricula.
• This study provides a benchmark for evaluating existing manual therapy education.
• Findings can guide the development of new or updated curricula in physical therapy programs.