Physical Therapy
OccuSport Physical Therapy is dedicated to providing patients with the highest level of health care possible. We maintain a friendly, helpful attitude while we design personalized rehabilitation programs intended to enhance or restore the patient's quality of life, and safely return the patient to a normal or optimum state of health and function.
Our staff of highly trained clinicians continue to advance their skills through continuing education and specialized training. Our focus is to provide each patient with individualized, hands-on care.
Hand Therapy
The OccuSport Physical Therapy Hand Rehabilitation Program is focused, one-on-one care performed by certified hand therapists. We treat surgical and non-surgical injuries to the elbow, wrist, and hand. The goals of our program are to restore range of motion, restore strength, decrease pain, and return patients to normal hand function for employment, daily living, and recreation.
Our services include:
- Custom splinting
- Manual therapy
- Modalities
- Patient education
Women's Health Services
Women’s Health Services addresses specific conditions affecting women of all ages. These conditions include pelvic and abdominal pain (including vaginal and rectal areas), discomfort related to sexual relations, discomfort due to pregnancy (prenatal and postnatal), osteoporosis, and incontinence. Treating these conditions requires specialized education and thorough knowledge from our therapists.
TMJ
Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) treatment is rendered under the direction of the referring physician. TMJ protocols are followed for post-surgical patients, with each patient receiving a comprehensive evaluation of patient medical history, lifestyle, and posture, and a muskoskeletal evaluation of the TMJ, cervical spine, and related structures. Treatment can include:
- Patient education
- Therapeutic modalities to control pain and inflammation
- Exercise to improve and in some cases reduce mobility
- Manual mobilization of the TMJ and surrounding structures
- Treatment of related cervical spine conditions and posture education
- Breathing and relaxation techniques
- Communication with the referring physician
Lymphedema
The failure of the lymph drainage system can often lead to chronic swelling. The goal of the OccuSport Physical Therapy Lymphedema Program is to reduce this swelling, control symptoms, and minimize complications. Through specialized techniques and medical management, patients and their families are able to enjoy more independent lifestyles with improved senses of well-being.
Depending on the severity of the edema, the individual needs of the patients and the direction of the referring physician, lymphedema therapy can include treatment from one to five days a week.
Active Release Technique
Active Release Technique® (ART) is a new, state-of-the-art, and highly successful hands-on approach to treating injuries resulting from overused muscles.
This technique has proven extremely effective for conditions such as muscle strains, rotator cuff tendonitis, tennis elbow, achilles tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, headaches, back pain, shin splints, sciatica, plantar fascitis, and knee problems.
ART is applied by hand to abnormal tissues using very precise pressure and tension on the involved muscle while moving the muscle underneath the contact. There are more than 500 specific moves unique to ART, allowing ART providers to identify and correct the individual problems affecting each patient. As a result, the ART approach is different for each patient and for each injury.
Strain/Counterstrain
Strain/Counterstrain is a manual technique that places the body in a comfort position for 90 seconds while the patient remains still. The body is able to “reset” its muscles to normal tension, allowing healing to begin. This return to normal tension in the muscles sets the stage for healing. Therapeutic uses for Strain/Counterstrain range from acute injuries to chronic pain.
McKenzie Method
The McKenzie Method involves exercises that stretch the spine backward or flex it forward. The physical therapist uses these repeated movements and positioning to identify patterns of pain response, helping him or her determine what works and what doesn’t. In fact, research has shown that in finding the source of the problem, the initial McKenzie assessment can be as reliable as costly x-rays and MRIs.
Once the assessment is complete, the therapist will design a completely individualized program of exercises and McKenzie strategies to best treat the back and/or neck pain. Over several weeks, this program may be tweaked as the pain decreases and the range of motion increases.
In addition, the physical therapist will make sure the patients become very comfortable with their exercise programs. This way, they are equipped with hands-on knowledge that will allow them to “self-treat” their current aches and pains and to quickly manage any recurring pain.
OccuSport Physical Therapy employs clinicians who have advanced skill in the McKenzie technique and in other one-on-one approaches to help assist patients in full recoveries.
Graston Technique
The Graston Technique is used to detect and treat areas of scar tissue adhesions in muscles that can lead to pain and dysfunction. This technique is extremely effective for overuse injuries such as tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, patellar tendonitis, plantar fascitis, and achilles tendonitis.
Most OccuSport locations have qualified clinicians who can effectively perform this unique technique.