Physical Therapists are specially trained to assist you in the recovery from musculoskeletal disorders. Our knowledge of anatomy, posture, and specific treatment techniques are all important tools that help us guide you to recovery. Also, we work closely with your primary care physician or the orthopedic surgeon who referred you to Agility. Patients are often surprised to hear that you do not have to see one of the orthopedic surgeons at Agility to be a physical therapy patient here. We accept direct patient referrals from your regular physician. Your care starts with a 45 minute evaluation with a physical therapist and follow up treatments usually last 30 to 40 minutes.
Your success in physical therapy is really dependent on your willingness to actively participate in treatments both in the office and at home in between formal treatments. Often, treatment includes exercises that either stretch tight muscles or strengthen weak muscles. Sometimes, physical therapy treatments take on forms that you might have never imagined. At Agility Orthopedics, we recently added three new treatment techniques to our repertoire that I would like to tell you about:
- Cold Laser Therapy System
- Game Ready Active Compression and Cold Therapy
- Sound Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization
Cold Laser Therapy System
Agility Orthopedics offers our physical therapy patients the ability to be treated with our state of the art Cold Laser Therapy System. This relatively quick treatment utilizes specific wavelengths of light directed to a painful or acute area. The treatment utilizes the benefit of both laser and infrared light to facilitate the healing of damaged tissues. Although not always necessary, we have specific eyewear to protect both the patient and the clinician during the treatments.
Patients are often surprised to experience how quickly treatments can be delivered with our Cold Therapy Laser System. Usually lasting 30 to 45 seconds, these pain free treatments can be completed as a short but effective part of your physical therapy visit. Patients do not feel anything specific during the treatment and the benefit is often experienced over a period of 3 to 6 treatments.
It is important to understand that the effectiveness of this treatment technique is magnified when used as part of a larger physical therapy plan of care. Patients will still be asked to actively participate in stretching and/or strengthening activities to further stimulate recovery of the inured area.
Game Ready Active Compression and Cold Therapy
The Game Ready Active Compression and Cold System is a great tool to control swelling and inflammation. At Agility Orthopedics, we usually use the Game Ready system on patients after they have completed their therapy session. The device, filled with ice and water, circulates the cold water through a special pad design specifically for the body part it is used on. The therapist has the ability to control how much pressure the device creates. This combination of pressure and cold delivered specifically to where you need it are a wonderful way for you to minimize pain, swelling and inflammation.
The Game Ready system is used by professional athletes who endeavor to return to the field after both minor and serious musculoskeletal injuries. The same technology is available to you at Agility. The device can be used to alleviate the pain and swelling from your acute injury or relieve some of the discomfort associated with your strides in physical therapy.
Sound Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization
Patients with pain often have scar tissue that contributes to their discomfort. Knowing the exact location of the scar tissue can assist your physical therapist in providing you with directed treatments to facilitate recovery. At Agility Orthopedics, our physical therapy staff utilizes specific techniques developed by David Graston; these techniques fall under the name Sound Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization.
David Graston developed hand tools that help clinicians both identify the location of scar tissue and provides a means to directly treat the scar tissue. Coupled with a patient’s active participation in their physical therapy plan of care, these techniques, as quoted by David Graston, “detect and treat fascial restrictions, encourage rapid localization, and effectively treat areas exhibiting soft tissue fibrosis, chronic inflammation, or degeneration”.
In summary, the physical therapy team at Agility Orthopedics is well trained and stands ready to assist you in the recovery of your orthopedic ailment. If you have any questions, feel free to give me a call at 781-279-8433.