Physical therapy is the science of medicine that seeks to return patients to the highest possible degree of personal physical independence. We work with patients with specific neurological, muscular, and skeletal conditions and provide prevention programs to assist people of all ages in maintaining optimal health and physical fitness.
After extensive evaluation of the patients we plan treatment programs. The evaluation provides crucial information about the patient’s weakness, strength, reflexes, sensory perception, as well as their posture, and work and recreational activities.
Highly individualized treatment programs are administered for the patient; these programs are designed to relieve pain, as well as restore function and athletic performance, and promote healing and recovery. After evaluation, the patient is treated through various forms of exercise techniques to improve flexibility and motion, promote strength, and endurance.
We take great pride in watching patients achieve health and strength they didn’t dream would be possible. Physical therapy and exercise are not just for recovering from disability, but reaching optimum health and athletic performance, as well as protecting yourself from injury in work and sports activities.
Depending on the patient’s needs, the doctor will provide heat and cold therapy, ultrasound, EMS, or intersegmental traction to speed the body’s journey to attain optimum efficiency. These four treatments are briefly described below:
Hot/Cold Packs:
Cold therapy is helpful for reducing swelling and inflammation. Heat therapy helps relieve pain, including localized arthritis pain. Gel packs, designed for heat and cold therapy, replace old-fashioned hot water bottles and electric heating pads.
Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS):
EMS works by stimulating muscles by means of tiny electric impulses. These impulses travel to the body from the EMS unit via electrode pads which are attached to the body. Timers on the unit rhythmically contract and relax the muscles, allowing you to tone or work muscles.
Ultrasound:
Ultrasound is a deep heating treatment that is most effective in heating tissues of deep joints. It is helpful in improving the distensibility of connective tissue, which facilitates stretching. Ultrasound machines utilize high or low frequency sound waves that are transmitted to the surrounding tissue and vasculature, penetrating the muscles to cause deep tissue and muscle warming. This promotes tissue relaxation and therefore is useful in treating muscle tightness and spasms. The warming effect of the sound waves also cause the blood vessels to dilate, which increases circulation to the areas needing healing.
Intersegmental Traction:
This is like a roller massage table which employs heat, vibration and traction. This increases blood flow to the discs, spinal ligaments and musculature. This also stretches and softens scar tissue, ligaments muscles and intervertebral discs which helps the body heal.