Physical Therapy
Injuries can impair your function and disrupt your daily routine, but it doesn’t have to hold you back. With physical therapy, we can help you take control of your life again.
Overcome Pain and Improve Function
When an injury happens, it can feel like you have to put your life on pause. It can become more difficult to complete normal tasks like putting on your clothes or even getting out of bed. It’s understandable to feel frustrated or discouraged as if you’ll never be able to regain the mobility you’ve lost, but there is a way to manage your struggles. At Essential Chirocare, we strive to provide the best care for all of our patients so they can move forward and move better, one way we can do that for you is through our physical therapy treatment.
What is
Physical Therapy?
Physical therapy is a form of treatment that helps patients regain their function and improve their quality of life after a severe injury has disrupted their everyday routines. Anyone who has been injured, or has lost some degree of movement, can benefit from physical therapy. The benefits could include pain relief, improved function, disability prevention, preventing and recovering from surgery, and healing from a sports injury. Physical therapy can also be a great option to manage and overcome your pain without relying on medication.
You do not need to be injured to receive physical therapy, as physical therapy can be preventative care too. The purpose of physical therapy is to help you move better by providing you with the right tools to overcome pain and limitations. However, if you seek treatment for an injury, we are here to help you overcome it. Our physical therapists have credentials in neurology and experience in orthopedics. With their professional background and expertise, they can help you target and eliminate your source of pain.
Physical Therapy Treatment Areas
Physical therapy can treat any area of the body, including the spine, knees, hips, shoulders, and extremities that are affected or related to the following:
Orthopedics
The treatment of any injury or disease that affect the musculoskeletal system
Brain injuries
Any trauma to the head that impairs function
Acute injury
An injury that happens suddenly, like a fall, strain, sprain, or blow to the body
Pre-op or Post-op Surgery
To help improve your function and support your recovery before and after surgery
Our Techniques
The purpose of physical therapy is primarily to restore function, but it can also do more than that. Physical therapy helps you regain:
- Balance
- Strength
- Endurance
- Coordination
- Flexibility
We help you improve these areas through exercises, stretches, core work, and muscle strengthening. Your physical therapist will work with you to target which areas you need to improve through your specialized treatment plan.
Your unique treatment could include a combination of any of the following techniques:
Aerobic Exercises
We often combine aerobic exercises with physical therapy to support mobility and health. A physical therapist can perform passive exercises while the patient is relaxed, or the patient will use their strength to complete active exercises.
Edema Control
Also known as dropsy, this technique helps improve your circulation to promote healing, reduce pain, and decrease inflammation.
Hot and Cold Therapy
This technique alternates hot and cold treatments to ease pain, reduce inflammation, and promote healing. The hot and cold method may be done with your physical therapist or at home to treat the injury.
Floor Exercises
Floor exercises are designed to accompany orthopedic exercises to improve function, flexibility, and movement.
Gait Training
If you have trouble walking, gait training can help you relearn the skill. It also helps patients rebuild their strength and endurance after a long period of inactivity.
Manual Therapy
This technique is a hands-on method that targets the source of pain and relaxes the muscles in the area. Manual therapy is beneficial for easing discomfort and improving circulation.
Weight Training
Exercises with light weights that increase over time help rebuild lost muscle strength and improve endurance.
Vestibular Therapy
Loss of function can also impair the body’s ability to balance. Vestibular therapy is designed to help restore your balance through various exercises and training.
Physical Therapy for Traumatic Brain Injuries
At Essential Chirocare, our physical therapy service includes treating traumatic brain injuries. As our brains control and regulate our movement, nerves, and other areas of the body, it’s not uncommon for a head injury to affect your function. These head injuries often include strokes or tumors, but they can also be a result of something as mild as a concussion. Whiplash and concussions are the most common head injuries and are often overlooked because most people believe they can heal on their own. However, they can still impair function like any other injury.
Traumatic Brain Injury Treatment
Some common side effects after a head injury can include loss of motor skills, speech impairment, loss of balance, decrease in function, and other physical limitations. Impairment after a head injury may be permanent or temporary, but in either case, we can help you manage and eliminate the effects of your injury with physical therapy. Our physical therapist will work alongside you to help you restore balance, regain motor control, improve function, increase endurance, rebuild strength, and more through various exercises in your unique traumatic brain injury treatment.
What to Expect for Your PT Consultation
If you’ve never been to a physical therapist before, or this is your first time working with us at Essential Chirocare, you might not know what to expect for your consultation, but we’re here to guide you every step of the way. At your consultation, your physical therapist will evaluate your range of motion and function and how the pain disrupts your daily life. These disruptions include being unable to reach for things, get dressed, walk without aid, and more. Once we understand the extent of your injury, we can work with you to create a custom treatment plan that will help you regain your quality of life.
Our physical therapy services are mostly one-on-one, which means you’ll work directly with our physical therapist to treat your injury. Along with excellent physical therapy care, you can also expect to be treated with compassion and respect at your consultation. As with all patients and all treatments, we listen to your concerns and answer all questions with patience and understanding. We want all patients to feel comfortable and reassured throughout our time working together.
Physical Rehab v. Physical Therapy v. Chiropractic Care
If you are seeking treatment for pain or a loss of function, you may come across a few options like physical rehab, physical therapy, or chiropractic care. At Essential Chirocare, we offer all three services, and we can help you understand the differences between the three and determine which one is right for you.
Physical rehab
Physical rehab, or rehabilitation, primarily restores function after an injury impairs your ability to perform daily tasks. Most patients seek physical rehab to regain the skills they need to complete day-to-day activities.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is a more specific form of physical rehab. While physical therapy improves function, it also focuses on improving movement and mobility. Most patients seek physical therapy to regain the skills they need to complete day-to-day activities.
Chiropractic care
Chiropractic care is different from physical therapy and rehab as it focuses on relieving pain associated with the joints, the spine, the back, and soft tissue. Chiropractic techniques are centered around restoring the body. Most patients seek chiropractic care to realign or readjust to reduce pain and improve mobility.
Our physical therapy, physical rehab, and chiropractic services can be used on their own or in combination with another for a holistic approach to your pain. We tailor every treatment to address your unique needs and concerns. At your consultation, you and your physical therapist will determine the best course of action to treat your injury.
Life Without Pain or Limitation
Injuries to the body or head can be traumatic and disrupt your everyday routine, but it doesn’t have to be life-altering. With our licensed physical therapists and team of certified professionals, our physical therapy treatment can help you improve your function and reclaim your body’s mobility. At Essential Chirocare, we aim to help you towards a life without pain and without limitations, so you can focus on the things that matter.
Schedule Your Consultation
Don’t let your injuries hold you back; regain control over your life. To overcome your pain and restore your body’s function, contact us at Essential Chirocare and schedule your physical therapy consultation.
