An Introduction to Manual Therapy for the SLT with Walt Fritz - 8th January 2026 Details

An Introduction to Manual Therapy for the SLT with Walt Fritz - 8th January 2026

An Introduction to Manual Therapy for the SLT with Walt Fritz - 8th January 2026

Overview of topics discussed:

  • Defining manual therapy;
  • Evidence supporting manual therapy in the SLT literature;
  • Historical vs. modern models of manual therapy;
  • Shared decision-making as a core condition of manual therapy
    intervention;
  • Examples of manual therapy techniques for voice, airway,
    swallowing, and oral motor-related issues.

Learning objectives:

The clinician will:

  • Understand the extent that manual therapy concepts have been included in the SLT literature, making it an appropriate treatment choice.
  • Appreciate how shared decision-making can add potential value to manual therapy (and other) interventions.
  • Through real-time demonstrations and individual practice during the webinar, the clinician will be exposed to samples of manual therapy as it applies to various patient diagnoses and concerns.

Speaker Bio:

Walt Fritz, PT, has worked as an educator in the manual therapy field since the mid-1990s and expanded into voice, swallowing, oral motor, and airway issues in 2013. He is considered a content expert and teaches his Foundations in Manual Therapy: Voice and Swallowing Disorders internationally. Though manual therapy is historically described as a passive modality that remediates local tissue-based problems, by aligning with newer research, Walt has evolved the manual therapy model into an active one, incorporating strong movement-based components. Walt's approach leans strongly on shared decision-making rather than one-sided clinician perspectives, with the principles it embodies applicable across the spectrum of therapeutic models. His workshops challenge learners to look beyond what they were taught and know the potential of multifactorial impacts and drivers throughout the therapeutic process. In addition to teaching, Walt maintains a physical therapy practice in Upstate New York, USA.

Publications:

  • "The mechanism of action for laryngeal manual therapies: the need for an update." (2024) Current Opinion in Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery. Doi: 1097/MOO.0000000000000966.
  • "Manual Therapy in Voice and Swallowing: A Person-Centered Approach," by Compton Publishing Ltd (2023).
  • Contributing author for The Oxford Handbook of Voice Pedagogy, which will be published by Oxford University Press (2026 release).
  • Contributing author for The Vocal Athlete, published by Plural Publications (2024).

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