Is it a science at all?

I have re-read the posts above.

I accept that others like electrotherapy and others (like me) don't.

In context, I think a thorough assessment, examination, diagnosis and classification will lead you towards the most appropriate treatments.

Next, how many of us have actually done post-graduate training (e.g. Masters in Sports pHysiotherapy or Manipulative Therapy)? Perhaps we all should consider improving our skills in this way - i started my masters last year after 10 years of clinical practice. I should have started a little sooner!

Lastly, it is hard to provide research in a double blind RCT for manual therapy because a good manual therapist doesn't apply the one treatment in isolation, nor do they apply only one treatment technique to ALL subjects. Also, you cannot "blind" the therapist to what treatment technique the patient is having. Nor can you have a manual therapist provide a placebo without being blinded.

Obviously for electrotherapy, it is not used in isolation (although you do hear lots of stories about electro without much else...), it forms part of the overall management of the patient. But with these studies, you can have both the patient and therapist blinded because you can just make the machine LOOK like it is working when it is not, especially U/S. So theoretically, the studies on electro should be of a higher standard because the therapist never knows if the machine they are using is actually working or not.

Anyway, more food for thought!