Tag Archives: VA

concussion treatment

Concussion Treatment and What to Expect

concussion treatment

Concussion Treatment and What To Expect

Physical Therapy Appointment

  • Our goal is to alleviate all concussion-related symptoms so that you may return to a normal, symptom-free life.
  • Vestibular, oculomotor, cognitive, and cardiovascular exercises will be incorporated into your treatment. Some exercises will bring on symptoms, which is normal. By introducing symptoms in a controlled manner, we are retraining the brain to adapt to these demands.
  • To monitor your symptoms while you are here, imagine that when you come in you have a “gas tank” or work capacity of 100%. We would like to work until your brain is at 50%. The goal is to fatigue your brain to make it stronger, not to make it hurt.
  • In the first 24 hours after therapy, you may experience an increase in symptoms, fatigue, and emotional changes.
  • Routine activities such as work and school may bring on symptoms. you should work until symptoms appear, then rest until they are gone. Finding your limit and not going beyond it will contribute to your success.
  • Symptoms can be limited at home, school, and work by minimizing screen time, especially at night and learning when your body and brain need to rest.
  • Exercises will slowly increase in duration and intensity as your treatment progresses and your brain begins to heal.

This information about concussion treatment was written by Rehab Associates of Central Virginia, they are dedicated to working with one another as a team across their sub-specialty practices and their physician partners. For more information click here.

More PTandMe concussions articles can be found here:

 

concussion physical therapy   

   

Physical Therapy Appointment

PT News

This Month in PT News. Featuring articles from PTandMe partnering clinics!

fall

1. Ways to Avoid Taking the Fall?
Written by the Therapy Team at the Jackson Clinics – Northern Virginia

Each year, injuries from falling afflict many adults— the majority of whom are senior citizens—causing painful fractures and leaving them with severe mobility problems. Read more

aging

2. Healthly and Graceful Aging – Throw Out the Rocking Chair
Written by Colleen Cleves B.S., ACSM Certified Personal Trainer, the Center for Physical Rehabilitation – Grand Rapids, MI

“Getting old isn’t for sissies.” “Good enough for my age and stage.” “There is no gold in the golden years.” “I shouldn’t be doing that for my age.” Read more

Quality PT

3. Quality of Care in Rehab
Written by Ian M. Campbell, DPT, Intermountain Physical Therapy & Hand Rehabilitation – Boise, ID

What Quality Care Means in Rehabilitation. One can drive through their city and likely notice multiple physical therapy (PT) clinics. Read more

PT News

This Month in PT News. Featuring articles from PTandMe partnering clinics!

back

1. My Back Pain Always Returns! What Can I Do?
Written by the Therapy Team at the Jackson Clinics – Northern Virginia

After the common cold, the most common reason Americans miss work is back pain. Unfortunately, once you have experienced back strain or injury, it can easily become a recurring problem. Read more

uncommon

2. Uncommon Injury and Treatment Process
Written by Steve Retan AT, ATC, the Center for Physical Rehabilitation – Grand Rapids, MI

Having worked as an athletic trainer for the last 23 years, I have treated and rehabilitated countless injuries.  However there are times that athletes sustain injuries that I have not seen before.  One such injury occurred to a high school hockey player after colliding with an opponent during a game. Read more

ankle

3. Tips for Improving Your Ankle Mobility
Written by the Therapy Team at Momentum Physical Therapy – San Antonio, Texas

It’s important for a physically active body to achieve a stable balance between each active joint for maximum performance. In order for all of this to happen, ankle mobility is essential and is the root for several exercises or workouts! Read more

PT News

This Month in PT News. Featuring articles from PTandMe partnering clinics!

ski

1. Skiing and Thumb Injury
Written by the Therapy Team at the Jackson Clinics – Northern Virginia

Skiing falls can often cause injury to the inner ligament of your thumb, caused by the force of the pole against this area of the hand during a fall. This area, a band of fibrous tissue connecting the bones at the bottom of the thumb, is known as the ulnar collateral ligament. Read more

crash

2. Amazing People Make A Difference: Megan and Earl’s Story
Written by the Therapy Team, ARC Physical Therapy+ – Topeka, Kansas

Earl Bayless was riding in his work truck on December 21, 2016 when his driver fell asleep, causing a major accident. Their truck flipped several times in the air and skidded a block down the road before coming to a stop and leaving Earl to wonder what just happened. Read more

rowing

3. 6 Benefits of Rowing
Written by the Therapy Team at Momentum Physical Therapy – San Antonio, Texas

If you are looking for a low-impact workout that targets multiple areas of the body while getting your heart rate up, rowing might be the right exercise for you! Read more

shin splints

PT News

This Month in PT News. Featuring articles from PTandMe partnering clinics!

flu

1. Resuming Exercise After the Flu Bug
Written by the Therapy Team at the Jackson Clinics – Northern Virginia

Flu season is in full swing, and along with the regular flu, the new H1N1 virus is infecting thousands of people. Influenza can be a serious illness. Symptoms include fever, chills, headache, body aches, sore throat , runny nose, dry cough and a general feeling of exhaustion and sickness. Read more

New Year Resolution

2. The New Way to Resolve
Written by Allison Whitteberry, PTA at the Center for Physical Rehabilitation – Cascade

According to Statistic Brain, 41% of Americans usually make New Year resolutions. However, after six months, less then half of those American’s have maintained their resolutions. Read more

Shin Splints

3. What You Need to Know About Shin Splints
Written by the Therapy Team at Momentum Physical Therapy – San Antonio, Texas

Shin splints is one of those old health terms that pop up from time to time, like “lumbago.” Lumbago refers to low back pain, which actually can be caused by different things. Read more

PT News

This Month in PT News. Featuring articles from PTandMe partnering clinics!

2. Don’t Let Your Asthma Freeze You Out of Winter Workouts
Written by the Therapy Team at the Jackson Clinics – Northern Virginia

Avoiding asthma attacks while exercising in winter is best accomplished by preventing cold, dry air from getting into your bronchial airways. One way to do this is to exercise indoors when it is cold. Read more

3. Living Our Mission Statement: Being a Catalyst of Change In 2018
Written by Colleen Norris, Partner/Practice Administrator – Overland Park, KS

I have been in healthcare for almost 40 years and the changes that have occurred over that time have been tremendous. I’ve seen everything from patient care innovations, new payment methodologies, advancing technology, improved workflow processes, and my personal favorite… a focus on outcome data. Read more

PT News

This Month in PT News. Featuring articles from PTandMe partnering clinics!

1. How to Deal with Chronic Joint and Muscle Pain
Written by the Therapy Team at Cornerstone Physical Therapy – Gahanna, OH

All of us have experienced pain and discomfort in the muscles and joints at some point, especially with age. In most cases, the use of over the counter medications, hot/cold packs and rest help resolve the problem. Read more

2. Pain at the Mall
Written by the Therapy Team at the Jackson Clinics – Northern Virginia

As the outside temperatures drop, people contemplating undertaking an exercise program often consider walking at the mall. Benefits include a controlled climate, an absence of traffic, security and easily available restrooms and water. Read more

3. Quality of Care in Rehab
Written by the Ian M. Campbell, DPT at Intermountain Physical Therapy – Boise, ID

What does quality care mean in rehabilitation? One can drive through their city and likely notice multiple physical therapy (PT) clinics. Some may be privately owned and operated, others run by local hospitals. Read more

PT News

This Month in PT News. Featuring articles from PTandMe partnering clinics!

1. Age Appropriate Strength & Performance Training
Written by Joe Chiaramonte AT, ATC, CSCS at The Center for Physical Rehabilitation and Therapy – Grand Rapids, MI

In recent years there has been much discussion on training for our adolescent athletes and what is appropriate, whether it be how much, how soon, how specialized? Read more

2. Breast Cancer Rehabilitation
Written by the Therapy Team at the Jackson Clinics- Northern Virginia

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is an annual campaign to increase awareness of the disease. Physical Therapy is an integral part of breast cancer rehabilitation. Read more

3. Show Hope Video Shares Impact of STAR Physical Therapy
Written by the Therapy Team at STAR Physical Therapy – Tennessee

STAR Physical Therapy’s mission, To Serve, knows no boundaries. Read more

lumbar physical therapy

The Phases of Cervical, Thoracic and Lumbar Physical Therapy

A great cervical, thoracic and lumbar physical therapy program is very important for patients who have experienced surgery. Rehabilitation will be modified based on body region and type of surgery.

Pre-Operative Phase
Prior to surgery, your physical therapist will perform a comprehensive evaluation to assess your mobility, strength, coordination, and function in order to create a customized home exercise program to perform in preparation for your surgical procedure. This program will be important for you to perform until you have surgery to help improve your recovery after surgery.

NON-FUSION PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PROGRAM

Phase 1 Post-Operative (0 – 4 Weeks Post-Op)
During this phase, you will undergo light activities, like walking. During this time, it is imperative that you perform the home exercise program your physical therapist taught you to improve muscle function, and help improve healing. During this time, you may exhibit pain and soreness due to the surgery. This is a normal part of the healing process.

  • Immediately following your surgery, you will be allowed to perform very light, gentle, activities of daily living around your home. However, do not lift more than 10 pounds (a milk jug), and go slowly when bending or twisting.
  • Walking is important to perform consistently as well. Move around your house, ensuring that the area is free of any obstacles which can cause you to fall. Walking around the block should be the limit to what you do in the first 2 weeks. This duration can be increased but should stay under one quarter of a mile for the first 4 weeks.

  • Healing is most important during this phase and post-surgical pain and soreness is normal.

Phase 2 Post-Operative (4 – 6 Weeks Post-Op)
During this phase, you will start physical therapy. Physical therapy during this phase will involve exercises to improve your mobility, strength, and stability. Due to an increase in activity during this time, it is normal to exhibit increased muscle soreness with physical therapy. The soreness will resolve as your muscles get stronger.

  • Formal physical therapy as prescribed by your surgeon will start.
  • Physical therapy will include a comprehensive evaluation to determine the appropriate treatment to improve mobility, strength, stability, and coordination.
  • It is normal to experience muscle soreness during this time with your program. Each person’s body has a different activity threshold that needs to be reached to make physical improvements and muscular soreness is a healthy, safe response to working in this threshold.
  • As your activity threshold level improves, the soreness will resolve.

Phase 3 Post-Operative (7 – 10 Weeks Post-Op)
During this phase, physical therapy will focus on dynamic exercises and activities emphasizing multiple planes of motion. During this time, you can expect more complicated exercises to challenge your coordination and stamina for reaching your goals.

  • During this phase, physical therapy will increase intensity in regards to your appropriate activity threshold.
  • Exercises and activities will become more challenging, more dynamic, and will involve multiple planes of motion to simulate and retrain muscles to complete your daily or recreational activities.
  • Your custom physical therapy program will include specific activities and exercises to prepare you for return to your functional goals.

Information provided by PT and Me physical therapy partner, Rehab Associates of Central Virginia. R.A.C.V. has 13 locations throughout central Virginia. More information about Rehab Associates of Central Virginia can be found on their website at www.racva.com.

PT News

This Month in PT News. Featuring articles from PTandMe partnering clinics!

1. Foot Pain in Dress Shoes
Written by the Therapy Team at the Jackson Clinics Physical Therapy – Northern Virginia

Have you ever had a long anticipated night on the town spoiled by sore feet? The source of your discomfort just might be those pretty shoes you have chosen to wear. Read more

2. Knee Pain… Could it be Patellar Tendinitis?
Written by the Therapy Team at Denali Physical Therapy – Anchorage, AK

What is Patellar Tendinitis?
The patellar tendon is a ligament that connects the shin bone to the patella that helps the muscles extend the knee. Read more

3. ARC Physical Therapy+ Expands with a New Clinic in Urbandale, Iowa
Written by the Therapy Team at ARC Physical Therapy – Urbandale, IA

ARC Physical Therapy+ is pleased to announce the opening of a new clinic in Urbandale, Iowa on September 25th, 2017. This makes the third ARC Physical Therapy+ clinic in Iowa and the 18th clinic across Iowa, Missouri and Kansas. Read more