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Mechanotherapist: how many are there, and how many are in private practice?

Mechanotherapists assess the musculoskeletal system through verbal inquiry, hands-on examination, and visual observation, then use methods such as supervised exercise, massage, manipulation, stimulation, or other physical therapies. This page reports 2,251 active NPI records nationally with Mechanotherapist as the primary NUCC taxonomy, along with sole-proprietor status and geographic and enumeration-year patterns.

National totals

Active NPI records2,251
Registered sole proprietors1,566 (69.6%)
NUCC taxonomy code172M00000X
GroupingOther Service Providers

What this specialty covers

A practitioner of mechanotherapy examines patients by verbal inquiry, examination of the musculoskeletal system by hand, and visual inspection and observation. In the treatment of patients, mechanotherapists employ the techniques of advised or supervised exercise; electrical neuromuscular stimulation; massage or manipulation; or air, water, heat, cold, sound, or infrared ray therapy.

Reading the sole-proprietor share

For this specialty, 1,566 records, or 69.6%, are flagged as sole proprietors in NPPES. This self-reported NPPES field can indicate an individual ownership structure, but it is an imperfect proxy for private practice and does not by itself establish how a practice is organized or who employs the practitioner.

By state

StateActive NPIsSole proprietorsShare
Washington45731969.8%
Oregon26819974.3%
Florida22917174.7%
Ohio1198168.1%
California1096862.4%
New York1048480.8%
Colorado935660.2%
Michigan704462.9%
Texas684363.2%
New Mexico594372.9%
Arizona503162.0%
Massachusetts453271.1%
Illinois402665.0%
Pennsylvania372464.9%
South Carolina291655.2%
Georgia292172.4%
North Carolina261557.7%
Hawaii262180.8%
Minnesota261661.5%
Louisiana262076.9%
Maine252496.0%
Alaska211885.7%
Idaho191473.7%
Missouri181372.2%
Tennessee18<11not reported
New Hampshire171482.4%
New Jersey16<11not reported
Utah151173.3%
Montana141178.6%
Arkansas14<11not reported
Kentucky13<11not reported
Rhode Island1212100.0%
Maryland11<11not reported
Wisconsin11<11not reported

New NPI registrations by year

Year first enumeratedNPIs
2016136
201755
201819
201917
202021
202124
202221
202334
202448
202546

Counts reflect the year each NPI was first issued, among records still active today. The final year is partial: this data covers through 2026-01-11.

Data notes

Source: CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) Data Dissemination file, FOIA-disclosable public data under CMS-6060-N. Aggregated by Hero EMR on 2026-08-03; deactivated NPIs excluded; specialty assigned from the primary taxonomy code (NUCC 25.1). Counts below 11 are suppressed. Individual providers are never published. All provider data pages.

Common questions

How many mechanotherapists are there in the United States?

The database shows 2,251 active NPI records nationally with Mechanotherapist as the primary taxonomy.

How many mechanotherapists are in private practice?

NPPES flags 1,566 records, or 69.6%, as sole proprietors. This is not a direct count of private-practice mechanotherapists because the field is self-reported and is only an imperfect proxy.

Which states have the most mechanotherapists?

Among the largest state counts are Washington with 457, Oregon with 268, and Florida with 229.

How many new mechanotherapist NPIs were enumerated recently?

The most recent full years available show 34 NPIs first enumerated in 2023, 48 in 2024, and 46 in 2025.

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