Evaluation
Your first visit will consist of an evaluation where your physical therapist will perform an in-depth physical examination consisting of verbal history and diagnostic test explanations, range of motion and strength measurements, postural and body mechanics analysis, and special tests to assist with determining a treating diagnosis. Your follow up sessions will customized to your objective and functional needs and may consist of any of the following based on your individualized plan of care.
Manual Therapy
Manual therapy or hands-on treatment is a specialized skill utilized by physical therapists. Manual therapy may consist of soft tissue mobilization, joint mobilizations, manual traction, manual stretching, passive range of motion, scar mobilization, instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization (Graston), Kinesio/Rock taping, and McConnell taping techniques. Coastal PT is a manual based clinic, meaning that in addition to exercise, manual techniques with very frequently be utilized concurrently.
Modalities
Modalities can be used to increase/decrease circulation, decrease edema, modulate pain, and re-educate muscles after surgery or injury. Modalities consist of tools such as ultrasound, electrical stimulation, Laser, hot packs, and ice packs.
Therapeutic Exercises/Activities
These may include strengthening exercises with resistance bands/cable column/ or ankle/hand weights, body weight exercise, Blood-Flow Restriction training, core strengthening exercises, agility exercises, endurance conditioning, functional retraining, balance, sport specific conditioning, body mechanics, postural alignment, and soft tissue stretching.
Sport Specific Training/Injury Prevention
There are a multitude of exercises specific to each sport, that can enhance a player’s abilities within that sport. With knowledge of the sport, Physical Therapists are specialists in knowing which muscle groups are most important to strengthen and to stretch specific to the athlete’s sport. In addition, many youth athletic injuries can be avoided through proper injury prevention knowledge and training based on the sport and the athlete’s body type. The goal is to work with the athlete, educate in sport and body specific exercises to assist these athletes with optimal performance while reducing their risk of injury.
Dry Needling
Muscles sometimes develop knotted areas called trigger points. These trigger points are highly sensitive and can be painful when touched. They are also often the cause of referred pain (or pain that affects another part of the body). Clinicians push thin solid needles through the skin into trigger points and may or may not utilize electrical currents to “reset” the muscle. The needles are used to stimulate the tissue, not to inject medication. Pain affects how your body moves. It is thought that dry needling changes the way the brain and muscles talk to each other to let the system return to a more normal movement pattern.
Golf Swing Assessment
Through training from the Titleist Institute, specific tests are performed to help determine physical limitations in the body that may be affecting the golf swing. Once identified, these limitations can be addressed through an appropriate exercise plan proven to enhance your golf swing.
Balance/Vertigo/Vestibular
Balance issues are very common especially among our aging population. Like any other weakness, with practice and repetitive performance, balance can get stronger and greatly reduce a patient’s risk of falling. Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) is a fairly common cause of dizziness/balance impairment when symptoms are associated with positional changes or head movements. Physical Therapists are trained in diagnosing and treating BPPV and other causes of dizziness.