What is Orthopedic Physical Therapy?
Orthopedic physical therapists are medical professionals who specialize in physical therapy relating to the bones, joints, ligaments, and musculoskeletal system.
If you’ve been injured – whether from a fall, sports injury, or repetitive stress on a joint – you could benefit from orthopedic physical therapy. With orthopedic physical therapy, we will prioritize conservative techniques in efforts to avoid surgery altogether. If you are considering surgery, we can help you build your strength to improve post-operative outcomes and recovery.
Our physical therapists will help you improve flexibility, range of motion, and strength. This treatment is tailored specifically to your needs and includes prescriptive exercises and therapeutic modalities designed to get you back on your feet again and appreciate life once more.
Modalities
At ValePT, we use modality interventions as part of our treatment plan to help relieve pain, improve circulation, decrease swelling, and reduce muscle spasms. The modalities we may use include:
At Vale Sports Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy, we take a unique approach to fixing musculoskeletal injuries and complex pain conditions. Our experienced staff is committed to helping you overcome symptoms that limit your daily movement or functions.
Methods used in Orthopedic Physical Therapy:
According to the Academy of Orthopedic Physical Therapy, prescriptive exercise is a non-invasive treatment method in physical therapy used to treat specific musculoskeletal problems. Exercise can help to improve a patient’s strength, flexibility, and range of motion, allowing patients to regain their functional mobility and independence. Some exercise treatment programs include:
Passive exercises are performed without active muscle contraction, meaning you do not exert any effort with the limb being exercised or moved. You may sometimes hear these described as passive range of motion (ROM) exercises. These exercises help move your joints through the full range, or extent, of their motion in all available directions.
Movements performed by the patient, either independently or with some form of manual or mechanical assistance. These exercises can include active range of motion, like self-stretching, or general stroke rehabilitation exercises where you move your muscles through therapeutic movements for strengthening. Generally these are used to increase or restore normal joint mobility and to prepare for more vigorous exercise.
Active movements performed by the patient, in order to produce muscle contraction that will ultimately result in increased muscular strength. This form of exercise can be used at various stages of tissue healing, as guided and directed by the physical therapist. There are many types of resistive exercise, each having its own main benefit and precautions. Using your own body weight, external weights, elastic bands or exercise machines, your Scerbo physical therapist will determine which exercises are appropriate for you and in which way to start and progress or change them.
Exercise is almost always incorporated into a physical therapy program, and usually involves activities that the patient will be instructed to perform at home on their own, in addition to the clinical setting with a therapist.
Patient Education
Many injuries and disorders that we treat are sustained due to overuse, incorrect body mechanics, or the unique stresses employed in certain sports, occupations, or everyday activities. Vale physical therapists are trained to teach patients the underlying causes of these disorders. We routinely discuss, educate, and train patients accordingly.
Our clinicians are focused on helping patients like you feel better and returning them to the activities they love. If you’re experiencing pain or discomfort, we can help you improve your overall health while preventing future injuries.
