Physical Therapy Specialist

What is physical therapy?

Physical therapy encompasses a variety of treatments that focus on improving your overall quality of life while minimizing pain. The focus of physical therapy is to strengthen, stabilize, or restore joints and muscles to their maximum range of motion. Physical therapy treatments often include the careful manipulation of joints, tendons, muscles, and bones by an experienced health care professional. Whether your pain is the result of an accident, sports injury, repetitive use, or a chronic condition, physical therapy can help improve your quality of life at any age.

Can physical therapy replace pain medication?

Many families want to avoid taking over-the-counter drugs or potentially addictive prescription pain medications. Physical therapy is an effective, proven alternative to pain medication. Instead of masking or minimizing pain with drugs, Dr. Cavallo and Dr. Altieri offer natural pain relief through active physical therapy methods. These techniques strengthen and stabilize injuries or chronic conditions that are causing discomfort or intense pain.

Depending on your individual diagnosis, your treatment plan may may include one or more of the following therapies:

• Physical exercises
• Mechanical traction
• Manual manipulation of spine, muscles, arms, or legs
• Moist heat therapy
• Cold/ice therapy
• Therapeutic massage
• Postural correction and training
• Electric nerve stimulation
  

Are there any side effects from physical therapy?

Generally, when you choose qualified, trained health care professionals like the ones at AC Spine & Wellness Center, physical therapy is safe and effective with minimal or no side effects. Not every method is right for each person, so Dr. Cavallo and Dr. Altieri determine which ones are best for your specific condition. Once you’ve been evaluated, they and their staff explain the appropriate treatments or exercises that will help relieve your pain.

How successful are physical therapy treatments?

When it comes to pain management, research consistently shows that physical therapy is an effective treatment for a wide variety of conditions, especially low back pain. Additionally, there is a high success rate when you choose physical therapy as your first strategy of combating chronic back or joint pain. Consistency is the key to making the most out of your physical therapy treatments so your body can adjust and stabilize.

If you’d like to know more about how to manage your pain safely with physical therapy, call us today, or schedule a consultation online.