Physical Therapy

Joints are needy of space and optimal movement patterns. I use numerous techniques to improve the function of joints that are not working well for you.

Some of these techniques include, manipulation, mobilizations, muscle energy techniques, localized joint traction, etc.

Restrictions in skin, fascia or muscle can impact comfort and joint mobility.

Many techniques are available to address these issue and they include:

• intramuscular dry needling. I like to describe this as an internal muscle release technique, using a filiform needle—actually just a thin guage wire. There is just no way to get deeper than this. People tell me that nobody has ever touched what hurts or what is tight before this treatment.

• Myofascial release: This is an externally applied bodywork. I think of MFR as a multilevel release of tissue and tightness from fascia and connective structures that surrounds and supports muscle. MFR improves flexibility, tissue length and can restore range of motion.

• Cupping: Another externally applied treatment that I refer to as a negative pressure modality. I utilize silicone cups to apply the negative pressue which captures skin and underlying tissues to help improve bloodflow and promote length and healing.

• Graston technique: an soft tissue external application of tools to elongate tissue, increase bloodflow and improve range of motion. These tools have beveled edges and various curves that compliment the shapes of our bodies. Some also refer to this as Instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM).

There are many forms of strength training, I work with Pilates principles along with good old-fasioned weight training and body weight exericses to address weakness.

Musle does more than help you move, it acts like a powerful organ that helps control blood sugar, hormones, and even how your body ages. Also, the stronger you are, the better bone you possess. Lets build some muscle!!

Normal nerve function requires that they can tolerate tension, glide through muscle and fascia, and need space and blood flow. The nervous system is said to be collectively 45 miles long!!!! Keep in mind that your brain is a part of that system and when you are stressed, you have 45 mlles of irritated tissue. And also know that, when you have a area of your body that has experienced trauma or overuse in combination with pain, this becomes a well learned pattern and this pattern can be replicated easily when the nervous system is aggitated by having a bad interaction with someone, being hypervigilent, talking down to yourself, etc.

What is good posture? Well, what I do know is that we all come in different sizes and postures. Posture can be impacted by what we do for a living, or from the sports or leisure activities that we are involved in. I also know that we are designed with 207 bones, 400 joints, 600 muscles and 45 miles of nerves. So you can imagine that postural control is complicated. But, all of those tissues have a common denominator, and that is movement. We are designed for movement. Not for sitting at a computer all day or sitting on a couch for long periods of time. So, you will often hear me say that the next posture is the best posture. I ask my patients to live tall. Iive with a lengthened spine. Stay mobile and strech the opposite direction that you slouch into during the day. And if you can’t get there, I can help.

Pain isn’t just about injury; it’s also about how your brain and nervous system respond to stimuli. It’s interesting to note that pain does not come from the injury itself. The injured site has nociceptors that send danger signals to your brain and the brain decides if pain is warrented. Our nervous system is a very quick learner and, based on many factors, the brain can continue producing pain even when there is fully healed tissue. PNE helps you understand what is really happening with pain and this may lessen the fear and allow the nervous system to calm.

Balance can be quite complicated. It’s like a juggling act. We juggle 207 bones, 400 joints, 600 muscles, and 45 miles of nerves, so it’s not a stretch to believe that balance is super complicated. We need to look at strength, reflexes, proprioception, rapid movement capacity etc. Medications, vision and semicircular canals are also a part of this equation. Furthermore, I think we all realize that falling is just a part of life on planet Earth. Gravity can be relentless. So, I feel that, not only do we need to address ways to lessen the chance of falling, but we need to develop fall resilience.

Muscle-tendon complexes can be short and can develop into shorter structures depending on how they are used. The best example of what this means is to consider what happens when we sit. Sitting causes hamstrings, Iliopsoas, Iliotibial bands, and to a lesser extend, quadriceps to become to short. I can’t fully relay to you how detrimental this cascade of tension can have on connected regions like the lumbar spine. This is only one example. Muscle lengthening techniques can include:

• Contract relax techniques

• reciprocol inhibition

• trigger point release

• intermuscular dry needling

• cupping

• etc

There is no other pracitioner who can safely stretch your body better than a Physical Therapist.

I am proficient in post-surgical rehabilitation of many surgeries.

• rotator cuff repairs

• bicep tenodesis

• subacromial decompression

• spinal fusions

• spinal laminectomies

• total knee arthroplasties

• total hip arthroplasties

• total and reverse shoulder arthroplasties

• ACL reconstructions

• meniscal repair and non surgical rehab

• etc