Classification of Hands-on Treatment
By Dr. Etienne DuBarry · Original document · 7 pages
This document presents a classification of hands-on treatment based on the velocity and amplitude of the movement and the patient's active or passive participation.
It describes high-velocity, low-amplitude procedures (HVLA), low-velocity, high-amplitude procedures (LVHA), and low-velocity, low-amplitude procedures (LVLA), with illustrated examples.
Three characteristics used to describe manual treatment
The framework groups hands-on techniques by physical characteristics rather than relying only on a technique name or the profession of the practitioner. It considers the speed of the movement, its amplitude, and whether the patient participates actively.
Velocity and amplitude
- HVLA — high velocity, low amplitude: a fast movement with a small amplitude.
- LVHA — low velocity, high amplitude: a slower movement through a larger amplitude, as in the mobilization examples described in the document.
- LVLA — low velocity, low amplitude: a slower procedure with a small amplitude, including the pressure-based examples in the document.
Active and passive participation
In passive procedures, the practitioner produces the movement or applies the contact while the patient remains passive. In active procedures, the patient contributes movement or muscle activity, including assisted or resisted movement. The original PDF illustrates how this distinction applies to different treatment families.
From a treatment family to a precise technique description
A classification identifies the family of a procedure. A technical chart adds the positions, contacts, and movements that distinguish an individual technique. Read the DuBarry technique standardization framework for that next level of description.