Physical Therapy
What is physical therapy?
Physical therapy is a health care specialty involved with evaluating, diagnosing, and treating disorders of the musculoskeletal system. The ultimate goal of physical therapy is to restore maximal functional independence to each individual patient.
Benefits of Physical Therapy
Pain Relief
Most people seek out treatment once they have reached a level of pain that interferes with their daily activities. Physical therapy can provide you with pain relief through the use of hands on treatment of soft tissue mobilization and joint mobilization, modalities such as electrical stimulation and cryotherapy, education for positional and/or postural relief.
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Pain often inhibits the ability to gain range of motion, strength, and function. Our goal is for our patients to walk out feeling better than when they came in on their first visit.
Restoration of Range of Motion (ROM), Strength, and Function
The ultimate purpose of physical therapy is to restore independent function of the patient. By addressing limitation in range of motion/flexibility as well as strength deficits we are able to increase the function of the patient according to their goals. Programs are individualized to meet the goals of each patient.
Self Management/Independent Maintenance
As your goals are being met in physical therapy, the physical therapist will continually educate you in how to be an active participant in your therapy by teaching you key information that will enable you to help manage your condition.
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Home exercises, ergonomic positioning, activity of daily living positioning such as sitting, sleeping, standing, lifting..., and postural awareness are just a few examples of what may be included. As you reach your goals and it is time to discharge you from physical therapy care, we make sure that you have all the tools you need to be independent with a maintenance program. Of course we are always here for a "tune up", but we want to make sure you feel that you can go on and live your life without being dependent upon constant care.
Increased Awareness of Your Body
It is important to us that you gain an increased sense of your body in space, how it moves when you participate in certain activities and what you need to do in order to prevent future injury. Injuries can often move up and down the kinetic chain, meaning from one area to another.
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This is due the ability of the body to compensate. If you tell your body that you want to do something, it will find a way. If it cannot get the range or strength from the needed area it will go to the next area to pull from. An example is if you were to come in with knee pain and we found that you used to sprain you ankle all the time. The lack of stability in your ankle forces your knee to work too hard, thus developing pain. The same goes for your spine. You may start with a mild back ache. If this is not addressed eventually it will go up or down the chain. You may develop neck pain/stiffness or sciatica as a result of compensation.
Improved Posture and Efficiency of the Body
I often tell people that physical therapists are mechanics of the body. We are trained to look at how each part of the body works in relation to the other.
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So when we evaluate your condition, we are thinking what doesn't move or isn't strong? How is that affecting the rest of your body and your pain levels? And what do I need to do in order to restore normal mechanics? Take for example you car engine. The better care you take in making sure the oil is changed and regular maintenance is done, the longer it will last you, and you greatly decrease the chance of breakdown. Physical Therapists are trained to help you obtain the best postural alignment for optimal recruitment of strength and flexibility so that your body runs as efficiently as possible with your daily activities as well as higher level physical demands. Unlike a car you are not able to trade your body in so it is important that we make the one you've got be as efficient as possible.
