Physical Therapy / Occupational Therapy

What is physical therapy?

Physical therapy is a noninvasive treatment designed to ease pain and improve mobility. It uses strengthening exercises, stretches, and manual therapies to help patients return to function, and the activities that make life worth living, following musculoskeletal injuries and surgeries. Physical therapy can also help prevent injuries, so many athletes use it to prepare for races, games, and other competitive events.

During physical therapy, you work one-on-one with a licensed physical therapist. They monitor you throughout recovery to prevent reinjury and ensure healing goes as planned.

Which medical issues can physical therapy treat?

The Sports Medicine Oregon team uses physical therapy to treat various medical issues, including:

• Sports injuries
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Hip bursitis
• Meniscus injuries
• Ligament ters/ruptures
• Hammertoe
• Achilles tendon injuries
• Frozen shoulder
• Rotator cuff tears
• Fractures
• Knee injuries
• Post-surgical rehabilitation
• Return to sports training
• Wrist and Digit/Thumb fractures
• TFCC Ligament per/post operative
• Edema Management
• Hand Restoration
• Joint arthroplasty
• Arthritis
• Nerve Pain
• Dupuytren's Release
• Flexor/Extensor tendon repair

Sometimes, the team prescribes physical therapy for concussions. A personalized treatment plan can help restore balance and ease common side effects like dizziness and headaches.

What does physical therapy involve?

Physical therapy is highly customizable to your symptoms, health history, and needs. 

Before developing a treatment plan, your Sports Medicine Oregon provider reviews your health records, completes a physical exam, and asks about your symptoms. Tell them about the injury or medical condition that caused you to seek treatment and answer their questions honestly. 

An in-office assessment is typically enough to start, but your provider may also order diagnostic imaging if they suspect broken bones or soft tissue injuries. 

After obtaining a complete picture of your symptoms, goals, and needs, the team creates a physical therapy treatment plan. This could include:

• Stretching
• Strengthening
• Ice and heat therapy
• Manual therapy
• Functional training
• Sport specific training
• Neuromuscular rehabilitation
• Bloodflow restricition
• Splinting
• Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)

Most people recovering from musculoskeletal injuries benefit from several types of treatment. 

How long will I need to participate in physical therapy?

The time you need to participate in physical therapy depends on your injury, the severity of your symptoms, and their effect on your quality of life. Some people experience a significant improvement within a few weeks of starting treatment, but the Sports Medicine Oregon team typically recommends at least three months of physical therapy.

Most people start by attending two or three physical therapy sessions weekly. However, as pain eases and mobility improves, that number is often reduced to weekly sessions.

Call the nearest Sports Medicine Oregon office today to schedule a physical therapy consultation.