Physical Therapy

Heat boosts the flow of blood and nutrients to an area of the body. Cold slows blood flow, reducing swelling and pain. Cold therapy slows circulation, helping to reduce inflammation, muscle spasms, and pain. It's often best for short-term pain, like that from a sprain or a strain. Our physical therapists usually alternate between hot and cold therapies to achieve the best recovery results. 

Traction is a therapeutic method to relieve pain by stretching and realigning the spine. Placing a stretch on the spine separates the vertebrae and helps to relieve direct nerve pressure and stress on the vertebral discs. Traction is a form of decompression therapy. It relieves pressure on the spine and alleviates pain from joints, sprains, and spasms.

Paraffin treatment is a form of deep heat therapy that uses a warm, oil-based wax to provide pain relief to the hands, feet and other painful joints and muscles in the body. It acts like a form of heat therapy and can help increase blood flow, relax muscles, and decrease joint stiffness. Paraffin wax can also minimize muscle spasms and inflammation as well as treat sprains.

Infrared therapy is an innovative light-based method to treat pain and inflammation in various parts of the body. Unlike ultraviolet light, which can damage the skin, infrared light enhances cell regeneration. One of the characteristics of infrared light is its ability to penetrate below the skin layers, providing a much greater depth which is able to effectively provide pain relief. 

Electrical stimulation is a type of physical therapy modality or treatment used to accomplish various tasks in physical therapy. Applying an electrical current helps strengthen muscles, diminish inflammation, block pain signals, improve blood circulation, improve muscles that are weak or not functioning correctly, and help decrease pain or spasms.

A contrast bath is a type of therapy that involves taking baths in warm and cold water. You alternate the hot and cold baths in sessions. This technique may help to improve blood circulation throughout your body. Some of the benefits of contrast therapy include: Improved circulation, decreased swelling, reduced inflammation, improvement in muscle strains, increased range of motion, reduced muscle soreness, increased energy & alertness. 

Ultrasound is used to heat tissues and introduce energy into the body. Ultrasound can provide deep heating to soft tissue structures in the body. Deep heating tendons, muscles, or ligaments could have the following benefits: Increase circulation to tissues, speed the healing process, decrease pain, and increase elasticity. 

Your therapist will teach you various exercises to work on your strength and improve range of motion. Your physical therapy program is individualized, taking into consideration your health and history. You will learn how to correct your posture and incorporate ergonomic principles into your daily activities. Whereas therapeutic exercises involve one parameter being measured at most (such as strength, flexibility, or endurance), therapeutic activities involve multiple. Instead of performing a single, specific, physical movement, the patient will be engaging in a functional task such as throwing a ball, pushing a cart, or even activities like cooking.

Neuromuscular re-education is a technique used by physical therapists to restore normal body movement patterns. Your nerves and muscles work together to produce movement. Nerves send signals between your muscles and your brain about where, when and how fast to move.

Gait training is a type of physical therapy. It can help improve your ability to stand and walk. Gait training is a set of exercises that are specifically implemented by your physical therapist to help you walk better. The exercises involve improving motion in your lower extremity joints, improving strength and balance, and mimicking the repetitive nature of your legs that occur while walking.

Manual physical therapy is a specialized form of physical therapy delivered with the hands as opposed to a device or machine. In manual therapy, practitioners use their hands to put pressure on muscle tissue and manipulate joints in an attempt to decrease back pain caused by muscle spasm, muscle tension, and joint dysfunction.

Laser therapy is a non-invasive technique that utilizes a therapeutic dose of light to promote cellular healing and decrease inflammation. It provides a deeper, more targeted effect that reduces pain and restores the normal range of motion to the dysfunctional area.