Physical Therapy Physical therapists are licensed healthcare professionals who are trained in evaluating and treating a variety of diagnoses resulting from injury, disease, muscle imbalance, or inactivity. The first and most important component of the physical therapy experience is a comprehensive examination. This begins with a dialogue with you to determine the history of your condition and to address your personal concerns and goals. The examination continues with the assessment of your range of motion, strength, tissues/muscles, and neurological standing. It concludes with functional and specialized testing. Your physical therapist then designs and tailors a treatment program specific for you based on your goals, your tolerance, and the findings your therapist discovers. What does the physical therapy process involve? Performance Physical Therapy’s rehabilitation techniques are based on a manual physical therapy approach. While we recognize the benefits of massage therapy, yoga, modalities, and other therapies, we are of the philosophy that the best treatment we can offer to our patients is focused around the concept of restoring proper joint alignment and working on stabilizing the joint through proprioception, endurance, and strengthening of the muscles around the joint based on each individual’s tolerance. You can expect to exercise when you come to therapy! Your physical therapist will educate you on your specific condition and ultimately put you in control of managing your rehabilitation which may be a life-long event. Our entire staff provides the personal attention you deserve. Our facilities are equipped with the best functional cervical and lumbar spine unweighting systems available, pulley systems to meet each patient’s needs, a wide variety of exercise equipment, multiple modalities, specialized strength testing equipment, and aquatic/pool therapy (at our Harahan location). We treat a variety of patients on a regular basis - from high school and college athletes to week-end warriors, heavy laborers, and office workers. Others may proclaim to offer the quality services we do, but we feel we are unrivaled in our treatment approach. Once you have been treated by us, you become part of our growing family. How can I see a physical therapist at Performance Physical Therapy? Most of our patients have seen their physician, are prescribed physical therapy, and subsequently call our office to schedule an evaluation. We promise to schedule your first appointment within 24 hours of calling our facility. You have waited long enough, and we need to get you on the road to recovery. We prefer to work with your physician; however, physical therapists can perform evaluations without a prescription. According to recent state legislation, physical therapists can design and implement your treatment without a physician’s referral as long as your condition has been diagnosed within 90 days and we advise your physician of your plan of care. In any case, we will coordinate your plan of treatment with your physician. If you do not have a physician, or if you are unsure of whether you need to see a physician, our physical therapists will be happy to talk with you and provide you with a free consultation. This free consultation will give you the basic information you need to determine if there is something that can be done to address your particular problem or to achieve your goals. Sometimes this involves simply making suggestions for minor modifications in your exercise routine. Other times it may be suggested that you participate in formal physical therapy. Formal physical therapy empowers the therapist to use all the tools at his/her disposal to help you. If you do not have a specific injury but are looking for general strengthening, conditioning or seeking to improve your physical performance for sports, we can perform a detailed evaluation and set up a specific wellness program to meet your needs. You do not need a prescription from your physician to participate in our wellness program. What are some common conditions treated with physical therapy? Physical therapists treat the signs and symptoms caused by an injury or disease by addressing a patient’s physical impairments, functional limitations, and goals. Some of the more common conditions for which physical therapists examine and provide intervention and treatment include the following: - Spinal injuries or conditions: neck pain, low back pain, degenerative disc disease, osteoporosis, scoliosis. - Joint and soft-tissue injuries: ligamentous sprains, muscle strains, fractures, dislocations, pre-and post-surgical. - Sports-related injuries: overuse injuries, direct trauma in athletes, weekend warrior. - Workplace injuries: industrial injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome, cumulative trauma, stress disorder. - Arthritic conditions: osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, joint replacements. - Specific strengthening, stretching, general cardiovascular conditioning - Wellness programs: improving strength and conditioning for life’s everyday challenges