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Danville Orthopedic & Athletic Rehab

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What are the benefits of aquatic physical therapy?

Aquatic physical therapy, as the name implies involves utilizing water to achieve physical therapy goals. Water can be excellent environment for patients who have difficulty with weight bearing activities due to arthritis, recent fracture, sprain/strains, or excessive weight. There is no other method of exercising available that creates a near zero gravity setting. For instance, a 200 lb person would only weight 100lbs in waist deep water and if you increase the water dept to shoulder level that same person would only weigh 20 lbs, a mere 10% of their weight on land.

Aquatic therapy can facilitate healing to the site of the injury. By exercising in water, vasodilation of blood vessels occurs. This will increase blood flow to the injury site, which results in increased oxygen and nutrient delivery as well as waste product removal. All of which will promote the healing process.

The hydrostatic pressure exerted by water is yet another reason aquatic therapy can be beneficial. When patients are almost completely submerged in water, blood circulation improves drastically. This can facilitate decreased swelling in the lower extremities of the body.

A rather obvious benefit of aquatic therapy is the added resistance that the patient experiences while in the pool for therapy. Air resistance is much less than water resistance, so patients in water use many more muscles and have stronger muscle contractions than they would by exercising on land. I am quite sure most people, even if they cannot swim, have experienced this phenomenon, if not try and walk as fast as you can in chest deep water and see how fast you become fatigued.

Temperature can also have a beneficial effect. Aquatic therapy is performed in a heated pool with temperatures normally between 92 and 96 degrees. The heated water helps aching muscles and joints to relax and improve blood circulation. Patients suffering from back pain and muscle spasms really benefit the most from the heat.

Other beneficial attributes associated with water physical therapy include, increased range of motion, improved balance and coordination, normalization of muscle tone, protection of joints during exercise, and reduction of stress.

As a physical therapist at Danville Orthopedic & Athletic Rehab, I incorporate aquatic therapy whenever it would be beneficial to the patient. After injury or surgery, patients receive individualized exercise programs that help patients re-learn skills of daily life activities in a reduced gravitational setting in a pool, then incorporate these skills back to land where gravity is reintroduced. By utilizing both water and land therapy concurrently patients achieve incredible results in improved functional ability and accelerated recovery time. Our combined therapy emphasizes correct movement patterns with proper posture and total body fitness, which not only increases functional ability, but also reduces the possibility of re-injury.

Learn more about aquatic physical therapy here

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What are some physical therapy treatments for tendonitis?

Although tendonitis can result from an acute injury, it is usually the result of a repetitive muscle force, placing persistent strain on a tendon. Some of the more common forms of tendonitis include laterl/medial epicondylitis, patellar tendonitis achilles tendonitis, rotator cuff tendonitis and plantar fasciitis.

So now that we know what we are dealing with, how do we treat the symptoms? Initially, the individuals can do two things to treat themselves: 1) identify the aggravating factor and stop doing it, and 2) ice, ice and more ice (10-15 min at a time or until “numb”).

However, most people, including fellow healthcare workers, tend to ignore the initial symptoms and push onward. After all, no one wants to stop a favorite hobby or take a sick day from work. So tendonitits usually progresses to a more chronic issue, an these indivudals become patients. Physician-prescribed teratemnts often begin with anti-inflammatory medications and possibliy injections to the involve region. If these are no sufficient, patients may be referred to physical therapy.

As a physical therapist, my plan of care for tendonitis usually involves treating the symptoms and again, identifying and modifying the aggravating factor(s). Adaptations may include ergonomic changes, body mechanics re-training, or an unloading brace. Referencing the tendonitis protocol, I use continuous ultrasound to penetrate and heat the tendon restrictions followed by cross friction massage to release these adhesions. We then reinforce the proper tendon gliding by stretching the involved soft tissues and initiating gentle strengthening with isometrics and/or eccentrics.

Once symptoms decline, I usually add isotonic strengthening and develop an individualized home program of stretching and strengthening to minimize the risk of recurrence. If you have questions or concerns about this or any related topics, please contact one of our physical therapists.

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Linda’s Physical Therapy Story

Linda is a past physical therapy patient and current Alumni Program member at  DOAR Chatham. For Linda, physical therapy opened the door to a more active lifestyle. Here is Linda’s story, in her own words:

I am actually quite irritated with the staff at Chatham… they shot down all my great excuses for NOT exercising!!! I started as a patient, a patient in great pain. After six weeks, I finished feeling as though I had found new physical techniques as well as new friends. The entire staff is so helpful that I always feel better after my workouts. The equipment is up to date, but… talking laughing, sharing experiences, trying to figure out how to make bacon a health food – these are the thing that keep you off the couch and on the treadmill.

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Staff continuing education: Strength Training and Movement Re-education for Mobility

This Halloween weekend, the staff at Danville Orthopedic & Athletic Rehab was busy enhancing their skills and knowledge through a continuing education course, “Geriatric Strengthening and Movement Re-Education for Mobility.” Our physical therapy, occupational therapy, and athletic training team members participated in the course, which was provided by North American Seminars.  While the course focused on treating the geriatric population, our staff believes they will be able to apply key course concepts to a wide range of conditions and diagnoses, across all ages.

Below is a description of the course:

Geriatric Strength Training and Movement Re-education for Mobility is a two-day interactive seminar designed to enhance the ability of clinicians to treat older patients with various disease processes in improving mobility, including gait. The medical complexity of the typical geriatric patient can complicate the rehabilitation process. Regardless of diagnoses, a common deficit seen in all geriatric patients is weakness that can be linked to functional decline. Muscular weakness can be successfully treated with specific prescribed exercises. The participant will leave this course with progressive, safe, and a thorough understanding of evidence-based approaches to optimal functional strength building and mobility improvement for geriatrics.

Traditionally, rehabilitation has focused on isolating and training muscles using single planes of motion. Muscles and joints do not work in isolation. We know that functional activities like transfers and gait are triplanar and require acceleration, deceleration, and dynamic stabilization. This course will emphasize training movements, not muscles. Participants will develop an evaluation process and learn tests that allow assessment of kinetic chain movement patterns to detect quality of movement and neuromuscular efficiency. One such test, named the Overhead Squat Test, assesses the closed kinetic chain mobility and stability of patients ankles, knees, hips, core, thorax and shoulders during a fundamental movement pattern. Mobility and gait also utilize basic fundamental movement patterns that will be assessed/corrected. Based on movement pattern findings and applying neuromuscular physiology, the participant will learn to inhibit and lengthen specific overactive muscles, facilitate under active muscles and prescribe corrective exercises utilizing evidence-based, optimal strength training parameters. Attendance at this course will immediately increase clinical skill in obtaining positive functional outcomes in an efficient manner in all settings of geriatric practice.

Source: www.healthclick.com