Physical Therapy

These programs are designed to improve your cardiovascular endurance and ability to function after a heart attack or stroke. The comprehensive program may include:

• Structured exercises and training
• Emotional support
• Guidance and training with assistive devices
• Assistance with making heart healthy lifestyle changes, such as resources to help a patient quit smoking, eat a healthy diet, etc.

Electrical stimulation (e-stim) is a method of artificially stimulating the muscles and nerves in the body to create a healing effect.

Two common e-stim procedures our therapists use are EMS and TENS. Both methods use a machine to deliver mild electrical impulses through sensors placed on top of the skin. One or both of these methods may be used during physical therapy, depending on a patient’s needs.

• Electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) stimulates key muscle groups, so that the muscles repeatedly contract and release. This can improve circulation, which aids healing and can help improve a patient’s range of motion. EMS may also be used to improve muscle strength.
• Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) stimulates target nerves to disrupt their pain signaling – which can relieve a patient’s pain due to a variety of muscle, bone, or joint problems.

Our therapists regularly assess patients’ current physical functioning to identify which therapies might be needed to improve their fitness during rehabilitation. For patients who require adaptive equipment – any device used to help accomplish daily tasks after an injury – our therapists identify, recommend, and train patients on recommended devices. Adaptive equipment may include canes, walkers, bath railings, shower chair, specialized eating utensils, and/or a mechanical lift.

Functional capacity evaluations are typically required in workers’ compensation claims. Before an injured person can return to work after an on-the-job injury, an FCE is used to determine when it is safe to do so. It includes standardized tests that evaluate a person’s ability to perform their job. Our physical therapists are experienced and credentialed to perform FCEs.

Gait refers to how you walk. You might need gait training by a physical therapist after an injury to your hips, legs, or feet. In this case, your therapist may design assisted exercises to improve your ability to stand and walk properly. This type of training may also include therapy that helps build strength and endurance in affected muscles and joints.

Physical therapists are specially trained in massage therapy used as part of a patient’s rehabilitation plan. It is typically used in just a target area of the body.

The therapeutic benefits of massage therapy performed by a physical therapist include:

• Improved blood circulation, which aids healing
• Guided stretching to improve range of motion
• Relief of muscle tension and pain
• Improved joint flexibility
• Reduced levels of stress hormones in the body

This therapy is used to treat patients with myofascial pain syndrome, a chronic condition in which sensitivity and tightness in the fascia – the thin membrane that surrounds muscle tissue – leads to the formation of trigger points. This can cause pain throughout the muscle, even in a distant area of the body.

Myofascial release is a hands-on therapy, often performed by a physical therapist during massage therapy. Your therapist will relieve trigger points in various areas of the body until the tension is released.

If you’ve had joint replacement surgery, chances are that your surgeon recommended physical therapy as part of your rehabilitation. In many cases, you will be asked to perform certain movements or exercises multiple times a day for several months. The specific exercises and their frequency will depend on the type of joint replacement you had, your health, and other factors.

Physical rehabilitation immediately following joint replacement surgery is critical to being able to restore your ability to move and function with the new joint. Otherwise, scar tissue may build up, restricting your range of motion. Your muscles may also weaken and atrophy if not strengthened with specific physical therapy treatments.

This type of therapy is especially important for patients who suffered a stroke or other condition that affected their ability to move properly and think clearly. It may involve:

• Exercises and other physical therapy techniques to improve movement
• Speech therapy
• Fall prevention
• Guidance and training on assistive devices
• Balance training
• Stress management
• Strength training

In some cases, you may need a physical therapist trained in assessing and helping patients correct improper body mechanics, including your posture.

Posture training involves retraining how you hold and move with your body, so that your spine is better aligned and you’re able to move with the least amount of strain on your muscles and joints. This type of physical therapy can help relieve symptoms such as back and neck pain, as well as improve organ function.

Therapeutic exercises and a home exercise program are the foundations of good physical therapy.

These exercises are designed to restore a patient’s function and are part of a treatment plan that is customized for each patient, depending on their injury, severity of their symptoms, overall health and fitness, and therapy goals. Therapeutic exercises, whether done alongside a physical therapist or carried out at home, tend to focus on improving muscle strength, flexibility, range of motion, and relieving a patient’s pain or other symptoms.

For the best possible results, it is important to follow the exercise regimen as set forth by your physical therapist.

Ultrasound technology uses harmless, high-frequency sound waves, which bounce off internal tissues and structures to create a moving image of the inside of your body. Most people are familiar with this noninvasive, diagnostic use of ultrasound – but there’s also a therapeutic use for this technology.

Therapeutic ultrasound uses sound waves to warm soft tissues under the skin, such as muscles, tendons, and ligaments. This can help promote blood circulation, aiding in healing the area. It can also help relax tight tissues to relieve a patient’s pain. Therapeutic ultrasound has been used to treat muscle spasms, sprains and strains, tendonitis, frozen shoulder, and more.

This therapy is used to address problems with balance, dizziness, or vertigo. With vestibular rehabilitation, specialized exercises are performed. These exercises are designed to adjust a patient’s gaze, gait, posture, and more to adapt to, compensate for, or overcome issues creating dizziness or imbalance.

Post-rehab wellness programs act as a combination of physical therapy and personal training. It is intended to bridge the gap between the end of physical therapy and the beginning of the rest of your life. Post-rehab wellness programs are designed to set physical therapy patients up for success, allowing them to continue to safely build their strength and flexibility – without reinjury.