Injury Recovery Physical Therapy

Work hardening training

When you get injured and can’t work, it takes a toll on you mentally and physically. The goal of a work hardening program is to simulate work activities to restore physical, behavioral and vocational functions. Work hardening looks at productivity, safety, worker behaviors and physical tolerances to get you back to your normal strength and back to work sooner.

Return-to-play rehabilitation

Returning to activity too quickly is risky and can cause further injury if your body isn’t ready. Getting back to pre-injury level after recovery can be a slow process.

Immediately following an injury while you are practicing RICE recovery, using a brace or potentially preparing for surgery, your physical therapist may recommend you stay active by doing exercises that safely work around the injury.

In the next phase of recovery, the goal is to regain full motion and strength of the affected body part. Your physical therapist will develop a treatment plan that will gradually build this up. 

When your strength returns, your physical therapist will start functional drills to imitate pre-injury movements. Once you have progressed to your normal range of motion, strength and endurance, you can try sport-specific movements. When you can practice at a hard level consistently, you can return to play.

AlterG® anti-gravity rehabilitation

AlterG® anti-gravity rehabilitation treadmills help patients regain and improve mobility, provide a fall-safe rehabilitation environment and reduce patient discomfort and risk of injury during walking or running.

The unweighting technology of AlterG® anti-gravity rehabilitation allows athletes to reduce the weight of their body by as much as 80 percent to maintain and develop fitness levels while recovering from an injury.

Trigger point dry needling

Trigger point dry needling, also referred to as intramuscular manual therapy, is an effective treatment option for patients with muscular tension and spasm related to conditions such as arthritis, nerve irritation, muscular strain, ligament strains and herniated discs. 

In a trigger point dry needling procedure, a physical therapist will insert solid filament needles you’re your muscle to release myofascial trigger points. The goal of dry needling is to relieve pain and improve movement by releasing or inactivating trigger points in deep tissue. Typically, dry needling is used as a part of a comprehensive treatment plan.

Hand therapy

Patients who are experiencing pain in the hand, wrists or arms may need specialized hand therapy. Hand therapists use specialized skills to restore function or potentially reverse the progression of conditions in the hand, wrist and elbow joints in order to enable you to fully function at your highest capacity.

Manual physical therapy

Manual physical therapy, also known as manipulative therapy, is a specialized form of physical therapy performed with only a physical therapist’s hands as opposed to a device or machine. The therapist will use their hands to manipulate your joints in an effort to decrease back pain caused by joint dysfunction, muscle tension or muscle spasms.

Pre-rehabilitation

Pre-rehabilitation physical therapy is a program designed for surgical patients to help them mentally prepare for surgery, reduce pain and inflammation, maintain as much range of motion as possible prior to the procedure and develop an understanding of the types of exercises needed after surgery.

Post-rehabilitation 

Post-rehabilitation physical therapy is often prescribed to you after a procedure to help facilitate a quicker recovery. Your physical therapist will work in tandem with your surgeon to develop a treatment plan catered to your condition and needs.

Without specific exercises and treatments, your body will not return to normal function, so post-operative physical therapy is a crucial step in the recovery process in order to restore your range of motion, stability and strength.