Joint Replacement Therapy
Joint Replacement Physical therapy plays a key role in the rehabilitation of people who have received a total joint replacement of the knee, hip, or shoulder. Joint replacement physical therapy can also benefit people who are limited in their daily lives due to joint pain from all types of arthritis.
Joint Replacement Physical therapy helps restore range of motion, strength, mobility, flexibility, endurance, self-care skills, and the ability to perform prior activities. A physical therapist can provide you with the education needed to walk and climb stairs, get in and out of a chair or car, tie your shoes, and other daily activities. Assistive devices such as canes and walkers are also common with joint replacement surgery, and our therapists can identify the correct device to meet your specific needs.
Often, total joint replacement surgery is recommended when people have:
- Severe joint damage due to osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis
- Avascular Necrosis (AVN) of the hip
- Congenital malalignment or dislocation
- Severe knee, hip, or shoulder pain causing difficulty with mobility, daily activities, or occupational requirements
- Severe trauma to the joint that cannot be addressed through less invasive methods
Women’s Wellness
Pelvic Pain Conditions, Pelvic Floor Tension Myalgia, Levator Ani Syndrome, Chronic Pelvic Pain, Coccydynia (tailbone pain), Prenatal and Postpartum Rehabilitation, Women’s rehabilitation prenatal and postpartum, Symphysis Joint, Hip, Low Back or Sacro-lliac Joint Pain, Sciatica, Cesarean Scar Pain
Back and Neck Pain
Fortunately, most episodes of back pain will heal with time: approximately 50% of patients will feel relief from low back pain within two weeks, and approximately 90% within three months, regardless of the treatment. The majority of episodes of acute back pain are due to a muscular strain and these will usually resolve with time because muscles have a good blood supply to bring the necessary nutrients and proteins for healing to take place.
For patients with low back pain that lasts longer than three months, or patients with predominantly leg pain, a more specific and definable problem for the pain should be sought. There are several very common causes of low back pain and leg pain:
In younger adults (20-60 year olds) the disc is likely to be the pain generator and conditions may include:
- Lumbar disc herniation
- Degenerative disc disease
- Isthmic spondylolisthesis
In older adults (over 60 years old), the source of back pain or leg pain is more likely to be the facet joints or osteoarthritis, and back conditions may include:
- Facet joint osteoarthritis
- Degenerative spondylolisthesis
- In addition to the above, there are several miscellaneous causes of back pain.
While neck pain is less prevalent than lower back pain, there are several cervical spine conditions that may cause neck pain, arm pain and other symptoms, including:
- Foraminal stenosis
- Stenosis with myelopathy
- Cervical osteoarthritis
- Cervical degenerative disc disease
Additionally, there are several miscellaneous causes of upper extremity pain related to conditions of the cervical spine.
Work Related Injuries
Helping individuals with work injuries is one of our specialties. People who have been injured on the job have a unique set of circumstances. They need to overcome injury and return to normal work and home life as soon and as safely as possible; often the well-being of the patient’s family depends on that. At First Physical Therapy we understand what is involved and we will be your coach in your successful return to work.
Your physical therapist will develop, with your input, a treatment plan that is custom designed for your condition and circumstances. Goals are set up; you and your physical therapist work together to accomplish these goals. Often our physical therapists will include specific exercises and training similar to activities you perform at your job so you will be better prepared for a safe return to work. If necessary we will work with your Doctor and employer to make sure our combined goals are met and you can return to work as soon, and as safely as, possible.
Chronic Pain
First Physical Therapy integrates traditional, evidence-based and alternative approaches for the management of long term pain and chronic conditions. Our goals are to offer the most effective treatment options for people suffering from long term pain through physical therapy; thereby reducing our patients’ pain level, to allow them to return to their normal activities without continuous dependency on pain medication.
Assessment: Your treatment plan is individually designed based on your pain consultation, which will include an assessment of your pain history, relevant medical history, and a comprehensive examination of constitutional, musculoskeletal, and neurologic systems. Treatment recommendations may include one or several of our pain management programs. If you have any risk factors, our team will diligently work around them to create treatment plan that meets your needs.
Treatment: During treatment, your progress will be closely monitored and periodically reviewed. If you are not progressing satisfactorily, recommendations for change of treatment modality will be considered.
Re-evaluation: Depending on the extent and severity of your condition, we re-evaluate. Progress is evaluated using your subjective report of improvement and objective measures found during your re-evaluation. Recommendation for further treatment or possible changes will be based on your measured improvement and residual pain.