What is Physical Therapy?

Physical therapy is utilized to treat a variety of conditions and issues that include: musculoskeletal injury, acute/chronic pain, reduced function, weakness, range of motion or flexibility loss, deconditioning, swelling/lymphedema, balance loss/falls, headache, postural syndromes, work ergonomics, safe return to activities, sports enhancement and more…..

Our goal is to return people back to enjoying life, activities, sport, and work without pain. We utilize a variety of tools that may include exercise, manual therapy, soft tissue work, education, and modalities (such as heat, cold, electrical stimulation, traction, Graston) as well as other treatment options.

When patients are painful with activity, we often create exercise programs, improve work postures to reduce sustained tissue stress, and provide self-treatment options that can be performed at home. We also address improving biomechanics, technique, and training for a variety of athletic/sport activities (e.g., running, throwing, swimming, golf) to improve performance, eliminate the cause of pain and reduce risk of reinjury.

Depending on the injury or condition involved, physical therapy may include work on improving flexibility, strength, endurance, coordination, and balance. In addition, treatment may include focus on injury prevention, in addition to treating existing problems that affect:
  • Your muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones (musculoskeletal system).
  • Your nerves and related muscles (neuromuscular system).
  • Your heart and related blood vessels (cardiovascular system).
  • Your lungs and breathing (pulmonary system).
  • Swelling/edema/lymphedema (lymphatic and vascular system).

When Can Physical Therapy help?

Acute or Post-Surgical injuries
Physical therapy can help you recover from an injury and avoid future injury. Your physical therapist can help you resolve soft tissue pain (muscles, tendons, and ligaments), build muscle strength, and improve function, flexibility, and range of motion. Your therapist can also evaluate how you perform an activity and make suggestions for doing it in a way that is less likely to result in an injury.

Chronic Conditions
Physical therapy can help you better manage chronic pain or ongoing health conditions such as spinal stenosis, arthritis, chronic pain, and neurological conditions (to name just a few). Your physical therapist will work with you to establish your goals, and based on those, create a safe program that may include flexibility, strengthening, and general conditioning activities that allow you to improve function without provoking symptoms. And if pain occurs, your physical therapist can provide a variety of self-treatment options that can be done independently at home, in addition to pain relieving techniques performed in the clinic.

Is Physical Therapy what you need?

If you are unsure if physical therapy is what you need for your condition, call us. Our therapists can chat with you to see if your condition is something that would benefit from physical therapy.

Are you contracted with my insurance and how much does it cost?

Insurance companies do provide benefits for physical therapy. If you are unsure if SLPT is a provider for your insurance company, give us a call and we will be happy to assist you. We will verify your insurance coverage and provide an estimate of what your physical therapy benefits may be before your initial visit. No surprises…….

What if I can’t afford physical therapy?

Talk with us……. We want anyone who needs care to be able to have it. We can setup a payment plan within your budget

What should I wear?

Wear comfortable clothing. Athletic clothing is not required, but the body part being treated should be accessible (e.g., If you have knee pain, shorts would be appropriate). We also have shorts and gowns available at the clinic.

How long will it take for me to get better?

It is impossible for us to predict how long it will take for anyone to get better. Following your initial appointment however, you will have an estimated time frame and know exactly what your plan of care is. In addition to in-clinic care, we strive to provide as many self-care options as possible to speed recovery time and minimize cost.

Do you need a referral from your doctor?

Some insurances require a referral (prescription) for physical therapy, and many do not. You can call your insurance company to verify if you need a PT referral or call us and we will assist you.

Can you contact us to ask a question?

Yes…

Email Call Us

YES, please call us……. We welcome any questions and are happy to assist.