2082V - Clinical and Research Comparisons of Manual Therapy Approaches for Individuals With Head and Neck Cancer

This session will review the two most common manual therapy approaches utilized by speech-language pathologists: myofascial release (MFR) and manual lymphatic drainage (MLD), which is included as part of the complete decongestive therapy (CDT) approach to the treatment of lymphedema. The presenters will provide an overview of the history, use, evidence, indiciations, and contraindications for each approach. In addition, examples of hands-on techniques, outcome measures used in therapy, and a summary of suggested training to gain competency in the use of these techniques on patients will be discussed and summarized. Case examples will be included to highlight the differences in the approaches and the impact of manual therapies on function