Exercise
Exercise is an important part of physical therapy. As movement experts, we will carefully assess which area may need exercise to improve range of motion or flexibility and which areas need to be strengthened or stabilized. Manual therapy will help to decrease pain, however it is movement or exercise that will likely provide long term relief from your ailment. We will provide a targeted exercise plan for you to complete based on our detailed assessment.
We will probably start with manual therapy first to reduce your pain. We will then guide you through gentle exercises to introduce some movement. As you continue to feel better, we will gradually increase your exercise intensity until you are able to resume your activity without pain. Before you are done with your treatment with us, we will ensure that you understand all your exercises and teach you to move in different positions and patterns to prevent your pain from returning.
You have probably heard of core stability. These are exercises that strengthen your abdominals as well as your lower back and hip muscles. All of these muscles work together to provide a solid foundation so you can lift or squat without injuring yourself. Stability exercises are also done in the shoulder, such as rotator cuff and shoulder blade exercises so you can reach or lift away from your body or overhead. A combination of these exercises will be needed depending on your injury and your goals.
Yes, there are specific exercises that we can prescribe whether it is gaining speed or gaining strength in a specific motion or activity. Many sports require a combination of speed, agility and power. We will assess your sport specific movements and make you a targeted exercise regimen to reach your goals. Want to be able to run faster or improve your slapshot? We’ve got you covered! Want to chat with a physical therapist about your goals? Contact us by phone or email and we will be happy to discuss specifics on how we can help you.
There are plenty of ways that we can help get you moving better. Sometimes manual therapy is needed to loosen tight tissue or scar tissue or to help loosen a stiff joint or spine. We can provide stretching exercises or a more dynamic program designed to get the body warmed up and the muscles and joints working. We can also teach how to use foam rollers and balls to release tension and trigger points on your own.
We are glad you are here. If you are new to exercising we will be happy to guide you every step of the way. We know exercise or physical activity can be intimidating at first. We will teach you how to move correctly so you can return to living life without pain. It is important to recognize that exercise will likely make your muscles sore temporarily and it’s important to know the difference between muscle soreness and pain. We will adjust your exercise plan as needed if you are too sore.
