Touch After Trauma: A Practical Guide for Manual Therapists

Western medicine remains dominated by paradigms that separate physical and mental wellness, as if they were unrelated. This artificial boundary poses a challenge for manual therapists, as we see increasing signs of traumatic stress in the patients we serve.

Modern research concedes that the mind and body are interdependent - they work seamlessly in tandem. This is especially evident in those who have experienced trauma: Psychological trauma is often expressed in physical signs and symptoms, and physical trauma often bears psychological echoes.

What if we, as manual therapists, could integrate this research into our practices? What if we can better support trauma survivors within our scope of practice?

Manual therapists include a diverse roster of health-care professionals: from chiropractors, osteopaths, massage therapists and physiotherapists to reflexologists and craniosacral, shiatsu, and reiki practitioners. Adjacent to these are other professionals who regularly work within a patient’s personal space: dentists, midwives, nurses, paramedics, and more. A trauma-informed approach can only serve to benefit the patients who seek our support.

Touch After Trauma offers manual therapists a new clinical framework, presenting the neuroscience of trauma in plain language and weaving in principles of trauma-informed care. This forms the foundation for discussing novel treatment approaches to support a more comprehensive recovery for trauma survivors. While practical techniques are discussed in detail, this guide does not aim to be prescriptive, but rather encourages clinicians to seek alternative, creative, and collaborative solutions to support patients in their healing journey.