[Orthopaedic manual therapy : definition, characteristics and update on the situation in Belgium]

Although orthopaedic manual therapy (OMT) has existed for decades, and although a recent Belgian Royal Decree, published in 2014, recognized it as a particular professional qualification in physiotherapy for the treatment of neuromusculoskeletal dysfunctions, OMT remains little known by patients, but also by healthcare professionals. Yet, this professional qualification, based on clinical reasoning, using highly specific treatments, guided by the best available scientific and clinical evidence and the specific biopsychosocial characteristics of each patient, is the subject of a growing number of scientific studies pointing out its effectiveness. This article summarizes the knowledge related to OMT (definition, history, characteristics, techniques, indications, access and reimbursement) and describes its situation in Belgium.