Focus Areas
Physical therapy is a great first-line treatment for most muscle and joint problems. Clinically proven to reduce pain and dysfunction, physical therapy also saves you time and money too. Although other kinds of practitioners will offer some of these treatments as “physical therapy,” it’s important for you to know that physical therapy can only be provided by qualified and licensed physical therapists.
The cornerstones of physical therapy treatment are:
- Patient Education
- Therapeutic Exercise
- Functional Training
- Hands-on Manual Therapy
Depending on the particular needs of a patient, physical therapists may also “mobilize” or “manipulate” a joint (that is, perform certain types of movements at the end of your range of motion) or perform certain soft tissue techniques to muscles to promote proper movement and function.
Many women have unique pelvic floor conditions that significantly impact their lives and don’t know where to turn. In many cases there is a solution.
Our experts have helped many women with pelvic pain and dysfunction by implementing our unique treatment methodology of patient education, manual techniques, therapeutic exercise, and modalities to achieve fast and long-lasting results for our patients.
We understand and have successfully treated a variety of pelvic floor conditions affecting women. We specialize in the comprehensive evaluation and treatment of the following:
- Pelvic Pain/ Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
- Abdominal Adhesions/ Pain
- Chronic Low Back Pain/ Sciatica
- Coccydenia (Tailbone Pain)
- Dyspareunia (Painful Intercourse)
- Interstitial Cystitis
- Piriformis Syndrome
- Vulvodynia, Vestibulitis, Vaginismus
- Pre-Natal/Post Natal Care
- Back Pain
- Bladder Dysfunction
- C-Section/ Episiotomy Scar Pain
- Hip Pain
- Piriformis Syndrome
- Sciatica
- Tailbone Pain
- Bladder Dysfunction
- Urinary Frequency/ Urgency/ Incontinence
- Urinary Retention
Manual therapy is a hands-on treatment by clinicians to treat muscle aches, joint pain, and limited range of motion. It encompasses a variety of techniques including soft tissue mobilization of muscles, specific joint mobilization, and joint manipulation.
The three most notable forms of manual therapy are:
- Manipulation is the application of a rapid force into a joint(s). Manipulation is often associated with an audible popping sound called cavitation.
- Mobilization is a slower, more controlled process of articular and soft-tissue stretching intended to improve joint mobility.
- Massage is typically the repetitive rubbing, stripping or kneading of muscle and fascia tissues to facilitate healing.
Manual therapy has been proven to be an important part of an overall conservative treatment plan for a variety of conditions including:
- Adhesive Capsulitis
- Shoulder Impingement
- Shoulder Stiffness/Limited Range of Motion
- Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)
- Golfers Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis)
- Pinched Nerves
- Limited Joint Range of Motion
- Capsule Tightness
- Postsurgical Stiffness
- Much More
Every day you have a choice on what level of effort you want to put into your wellness. This full body focus affects your daily activity, nutrition, and hydration and takes a role in your active wellness.
Physical therapists are uniquely qualified to prevent injury and disability, and we fully support role that healthy lifestyles, wellness, and injury prevention play in your daily life. There are a couple of options that we offer in terms of wellness that might benefit you:
- Wellness can be important as you make the transition from no longer needing physical therapy services regularly, but still want guidance on what to do next.
- Wellness can be a great alternative to a person who might not need regular physical therapy services. Instead you might need a little bit of help with daily activities or nutrition.
For more ways that we can help with wellness, request a wellness appointment below to meet with a member of our team.
Dry Needling is also known as intramuscular stimulation (IMS) and trigger point dry needling (TDN). It is a safe, effective and efficient treatment used to:
- Relax myofascial trigger points, and
- Restore normal muscle tones, muscle length, coordination, function and strength
Dry needling involves the insertion and repetitive manipulation of a “dry”, solid filament needle in a trigger point in order to produce an involuntary spinal cord reflex, also known as a local twitch response (LTR). This results in lasting muscle relaxation due to the release of shortened bands of muscle fibers for overactive (tight) muscles or the activation of under-active (weak) muscles. Deactivation of the trigger points can bring immediate relief of symptoms, so the therapist can immediately train the muscles to work with the newly gained pain-free range of motion (ROM).
Dry needling has successfully been used to treat a variety of conditions including:
- Head and Neck Pain – including whiplash and headaches / migraines, degenerative joint disease, degenerative disc disease or osteoarthritis
- Shoulder Pain – including rotator cuff muscle tears, bursitis, adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder), tendonitis and impingement syndrome
- Elbow Pain – including lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) and medial epicondylitis (golfer’s elbow)
- Hand and Wrist Pain – including gamekeeper’s thumb, DeQuervain’s syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome, degenerative joint disease and osteoarthritis
- Back Pain – including lumbar degenerative disc disease, arthritic changes and herniated discs
- Hip Pain – including iliotibial band syndrome (IT band syndrome), piriformis syndrome, sciatica and arthritis
- Knee Pain – including sprained or strained ligaments, cartilage tears, tendonitis and osteoarthritis
- Shin / Ankle / Foot Pain – including shin splints, gout, metatarsalgia and Morton’s neuroma
- Plantar Fasciitis (Heel Pain)
- Acute and Chronic Tendonitis
- Athletic and Sports-related Overuse Injuries
- Post-surgical Pain
- Post-traumatic Injuries, Motor Vehicle Accidents (MVA), and Work-related Injuries
- Other Chronic Pain Conditions – including osteoarthritis and myofascial pain / myofascial pain syndrome (MPS)
Many are involved in or are interested in starting a Pilates exercise program. Indeed, one of the advantages of the Pilates method is that it works so well for a wide range of people.
Athletes and dancers love it, as do seniors, women rebounding from pregnancy, and people who are at various stages of physical rehabilitation.
Pilates was created with a specific focus on the following:
- Strength
- Flexibility
- Breathing
- Posture
- Increased mind/body awareness
While no exercise results in drastic improvements immediately, if you do it on a regular basis, you will definitely notice great changes in both your body and lifestyle.
The purpose of yoga is to build strength, awareness and harmony in both the mind and body.
While there are more than 100 different types, or schools, of yoga, most sessions typically include breathing exercises, meditation, and assuming postures (sometimes called asana or poses) that stretch and flex various muscle groups.
The relaxation techniques incorporated in yoga can lessen chronic pain, such as lower back pain, arthritis, headaches and carpal tunnel syndrome. Yoga can also lower blood pressure and reduce insomnia. Other physical benefits of yoga include:
- increased flexibility
- increased muscle strength and tone
- improved respiration, energy and vitality
- maintaining a balanced metabolism
- weight reduction
- cardio and circulatory health
- improved athletic performance
- protection from injury