Physical therapy is the correction and alleviation of movement disorders/injuries that cause pain; the determination of a person's potential capacity for effective body movement; and the prevention of movement problems/injuries.
Minor aches and pains should get better with time. If your pain lingers for more than a few days, you need to start physical therapy. Also, if you have a symptom that starts re-occurring, it is possible that you have a movement disorder or musculoskeletal imbalance, and you should see a physical therapist for a full structural analysis.
Some PPO's require a prescription from a doctor for physical therapy. We will be glad to check with your insurance plan to see if a prescription is needed for billing. Medicare and Worker's Compensation patients must have a prescription from their doctor. Cash visits do not require a prescription.
All private insurances cover physical therapy. However, each insurance company sets their own benefits and limitations. Please call your customer service representative for an explanation of the specifics of your policy. For more information regarding health insurance, please go to Insurance Plans.
Yes. However, a prescription is needed from your doctor and new Medicare laws will not allow for a long duration of physical therapy, which is considered "maintenance therapy."
Treatments will vary depending on your particular needs. However a typical treatment is made up of one or more sessions, each approximately one hour long. The number of session will be determined after your initial evaluation. Your physical therapist will be able to judge how much treatment time and how many days of treatment you will need.
Ice and heat both cause vasodialation that increases blood-flow to the injured area.
Ice causes a few minutes of vasoconstriction prior to vasodialation, making ice the preferred modality for acute injuries (that have recently occurred) to decrease or prevent inflammation. Frequent icing is usually more effective than just one prolonged treatment. When using ice, be careful to check you skin because ice, like heat, can cause burns. After the first 48 hours of an injury, you may try heat or ice to see which provides the greatest relief.
In general, heat is used for stiffness, chronic swelling, or limited range of motion (ROM), and can be used for up to 20 minutes. When using heat, please also be sure to check your skin frequently. Many patients find the most relief with heat such as a hot shower, bath or whirlpool followed by ice to decrease swelling.
When you continue to exercise or play on an injury, you can aggravate your injury or cause additional symptoms that could make it impossible to play or exercise.
By favoring an injury, other anatomical structures around the original injury will be under increased stress, possibly increasing your risk of a secondary injury. Our therapists can help you modify your exercise program to allow your injury to heal. Our goal is to return you to your activity/exercise as quickly as possible.
Stretching should not be painful or cause an increase in symptoms in a different or extended area.
It is best to stretch when your body is warm and each stretch should be initiated slowly and progressed within your range of motion, and only to the point in which a gentle "pull or stretch" (not "pain") is felt.
A correct stretch decreases some in intensity as the stretch is held. The intensity of the "pulling" should not increase and bouncing is not recommended.
Our therapists will evaluate your body's specific needs for flexibility and create a safe and effective stretching program for you.
Chronic pain is generally defined as pain lasting more than six months.
It involves symptoms that persist beyond a normal and expected course of recovery.
Chronic pain can range from being a mild nuisance, causing one to modify or avoid certain activities, to a severely intense pain, resulting in an inability to work.
Our team of therapists are specialists in the treatment and reduction of chronic pain.