Treatments
Many treatment options are available for patients who need physical therapy. Physical agents and modalities are often used by your physical therapist to help achieve rehab goals. They may be used to decrease pain and inflammation. Exercises may be prescribed to help improve endurance, strength, or range of motion.
We at DOC, will ensure we explain to you the reason for using each therapeutic modality and what to expect from each treatment.
Aquatic Therapy
If you need low impact physical therapy to relieve pain or recover from an injury, Aquatic Therapy is a great option to promote strength and flexibility without over exerting yourself. DOC is unique in having a swimming pool to help with your recovery and helping you regain strength.
Neuromuscular and Balance Training
Neuromuscular training is a technique used to restore normal body movement patterns. Your nerves and muscles work together to produce movement. When nerves or muscles experience damage or injury resulting from trauma and various medical and neurological conditions, muscle movement patterns can be negatively affected. Neuromuscular training and balance training is method used to help patients return to normal body movement patterns.
Flexibility Exercises
Exercise is a controlled physical stress applied to the body to help improve flexibility.
Taping
Tape may be applied to the skin, and it can be kept in place for a few days. The tape is made of a flexible fabric that stretches and pulls as you move. It may be used for various functions, which may include: muscle inhibition, muscle facilitation, bruising and swelling management and pain relief.
Manual Therapy
Your physical therapist passively moves the joints of your body in specific directions. This can help to decrease pain and improve mobility.
Strength and Endurance Training
Increasing power, endurance, and muscle strength are vital to good balance and stability, as well as bone and joint health. Resistance and endurance exercises are designed to increase muscle strength without injury.
Gait Training
Gait training commonly involves walking on a treadmill and completing muscle strengthening activities. You may wear a harness while walking on the treadmill or doing other exercises. Your therapist may also ask you to practice stepping over objects, lifting your legs, sitting down, standing up, or other activities.
Nerve Mobilization
Nerve mobilization is technique used to treat nerves that may be adhered, irritated, or compressed. Many patients that have been unresponsive to other physical therapy and present with a chronic history of referred symptoms like pain, numbness, or tingling into the arms or legs may respond to this technique.
Modalities
- Ice: Cold packs or ice may be applied to your body to help decrease pain and control inflammation. Ice is usually used during the acute or initial phase of injury to limit localized swelling around tissues.
- Heat: Moist heat, or hot packs, may be applied to your body if you have an injury. Heat helps to increase circulation to the injured tissues, relax the muscles, and provide pain relief.
Traction
Traction is used commonly in treatment of lower back pain and neck pain. Traction can help to separate the joints and disc spaces in the low back or neck, which in turn helps to decrease pressure on spinal nerves. Traction may be applied while you are sitting or in a lying position.