PHYSICAL THERAPY

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Physical Therapy in Austin, TX and the Surrounding Areas

Physical therapy is the rehabilitation and recovery of optimal body movement. No matter your age or condition, physical therapy clinics in Austin, TX are focused on proper body mechanics during static and dynamic movements. Physical therapy is also defined based on the setting, condition, and patient’s age.

Some common types of professional physical therapy include:

AGE:

Pediatric physical therapy is for teenagers, children, toddlers, and infants.
Geriatric physical therapy is for older adults.

CONDITION:

Orthopedic physical therapy is for musculoskeletal conditions such as ligament tears, muscle strains, and post-surgery recovery.

Neurological physical therapy focuses on conditions of the central nervous system such as the spinal cord, brain injuries, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and more.
Occupational therapy is specifically for the hands. Physical therapists are also trained to treat conditions of the hands, but the public is usually unaware of this.
Cardiopulmonary is focused on people with cardiovascular or pulmonary conditions.
Integumentary therapists treat conditions of the skin such as burns and wounds.
Sports physical therapy is orthopedic physical therapy (assuming no neurological conditions involved) with a focus on athletes. It’s a dynamic physical therapy that restores strength, agility, and movement. The general public often confuses orthopedic and sports physical therapy as being different and this is not the case.
Pelvic floor or genitourinary therapists specialize in the condition of the pelvic floor.

SETTING:

Inpatient physical therapy is in a hospital setting.
Outpatient physical therapy is in a clinic, gym, or office.

Rehabilitation and recovery from a surgery or an injury is usually the only recognized service of physical therapy. However physical therapy is also used to prevent injuries and excel performance in the case of sports physical therapy. If you’re having pain or trouble moving, consult with a physical therapist who specializes in services that are appropriate for your age and condition.

Apex Manual Therapy is an outpatient physical therapy clinic specializing in orthopedics, sports, and pediatric physical therapy in the Austin area.

Call 512-298-3903 to request a free consultation or book a physical therapy appointment online today!

How Do I Find a Quality Orthopedic Physical Therapy Clinic in the Austin, TX Area?

One of the first things people do when looking for a physical therapist is to search the web for “physical therapy near me” without knowing how physical therapists vary in education and specialty. Up until the 1990s a bachelor’s in physical therapy was the education level required for practicing as a physical therapist.

Today, one must obtain a doctorate degree to sit for the licensure exam. Those who hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree are currently not required to advance their education, leaving varying levels of educated therapists. Therefore, searching for “physical therapy near me” is not the best way to find a quality therapist when there are several other factors to consider.

Doctorate programs consist of 3-4 years training in neurology, orthopedics, pediatrics, cardiovascular, pulmonary, integumentary, and genitourinary. Physical therapists can choose to take their education further into a residency or fellowship program. This is recommended because physical therapy school, even at a doctorate level, covers a vast amount of specialties, leaving one with an enormous amount of knowledge but no expertise in a specialty.

Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy (FAAOMPT) is the highest level of credentialing for professional physical therapy in orthopedic therapy and ensures the highest level of musculoskeletal care. FAAOMPT credentialing consist of 1,000 hours of post-graduate training. To assure you are getting the highest quality orthopedic care, look for a physical therapist with FAAOMPT credentials.

What Happens During a Physical Therapy Session?

In today’s standard physical therapy setting, patients are co-treated with 1-3 other patients within their treatment session. Patients generally spend their time, with an assistant or a tech, performing exercises or treatments they can perform on their own at home.

At Apex Manual Therapy, patients spend the entire visit one-on-one with an FAAOMPT credentialed therapist. This assures the highest quality of care. To experience our advanced approach and learn how our expert therapists will address the root cause of your problem, schedule a free consultation.

Call 512-298-3903 to request a quote or book a free consult online today!

Why Chose Physical Therapy and How It Can Help?

To answer this question, we will be discussing outpatient orthopedic physical therapy.

The need for physical therapy breaks down into three main reasons:

Sustained postures
Repetitive movements
A single major incident such as a fall or collision

Have you ever watched a toddler or young child move? They move without thinking of body mechanics. As we begin to develop habits our bodies begin to adapt. This is the reason people have varying postures and movements. Start looking at people and you’ll notice how each person has a different posture and dynamic movement.

Sustained postures and repetitive movements are the most common mechanism of injury requiring physical therapy for recovery. It is less common that people suffer from a single major injury. If the structures of the body are not being used properly, they begin to stress and strain, tissue breaks down, pain and inflammation sets in. The injury could present in many different forms such as a bulging disc, torn ligament, muscle strain, rotator cuff tear, or sciatica. If you address the faulty movement, stress and strain is then taken off the structures, pain and inflammation decrease, and tissues heal.

Now you might be saying, “I have a bulging disc so how can correct movement help me?” Did you know that findings on an image do not correlate to pain and majority of people over 30 have an image finding on an x-ray or MRI? This means that some people have pain and others don’t yet both groups of people may have the same finding on an image.

So yes, if you have a bulging disc and believe this is the cause of your pain, you can return to moving pain free by learning to move correctly.

Physical therapists are the movement experts. When the body can move correctly, as it was designed to do, the body can begin to heal. Sure, a massage or adjustment may relieve symptoms (which physical therapist also do) but it must be followed by correcting the faulty movement or it’s only a matter of time before the pain returns.

Look at the patient video below. The video on the left was taken prior to any physical therapy treatment. This patient was unable to stand greater than 1 minute without having severe numbness down both legs. Physical therapy focused on correcting the faulty movement. The patient returned to his labor-intensive work and had full resolution of all symptoms.

At Apex Manual Therapy patients spend the entire visit one-on-one with the highest level of orthopedic trained therapists (FAAOMPT credentialed) who address the root cause of the problem. We are an advanced physical therapy clinic, located in Pflugerville, TX, and we guarantee you’ll see the difference in our approach and your pain.