Balance Physical Therapy, Inc.

Services
General Rehabilitation \| Performing Arts \| Exercise \| Balance and Vestibular Rehabilitation Women's Health \| Pre and Post Natal Care \| Foot and Ankle/Orthotics
GENERAL REHABILITATION Do you suffer from any of the following? General aches, pains and injuries including neck, back, shoulders, hands, hips, knees and ankles Headaches and TMJ Overuse injuries All forms of arthritis including fibromyalgia Pre/post surgery A motor vehicle accident An on the job injury
How can Physical Therapy help you? A physical therapist is a licensed medical professional who provides services aimed at preventing the onset and/or slowing the progression of conditions resulting from injury, disease, and other causes. A physical therapist treats people of all ages who have functional conditions resulting from back and neck injuries, sprains/strains and overuse injuries, arthritis, surgery, pre and post partum issues, balance problems, stroke, and injuries related to work, sports, and life. With the goals of reducing pain, improving function, and preventing re-injury, your physical therapist will thoroughly evaluate you and create a treatment plan specifically for you. During your treatment, your therapist may use a variety of approaches including pain relieving techniques such as massage, ultrasound, and electrical stimulation. Your therapist may perform gentle joint mobilization to improve range of motion and function, as well as provide exercises and education about your problem and ways to manage it in every day life. Drawing upon their large tool box of techniques, our therapists practice myofascial release, soft tissue mobilization, joint mobilizations in the spine and extremities, muscle energy techniques, cranial sacral methods, and more. Return to Top of Page PERFORMING ARTS Are you a Performing Artist who experiences any of the following? Muscle and joint pain related to dance, gymnastics, singing, or playing a musical instrument Is pain preventing you from performing or rehearsing Are you frustrated by a lack of understanding of your art and how urgently you need to return to full capacity Physical Therapy can help you. Improve or resolve your current injury or musculo-skeletal problem through hands-on techniques, exercise, and specialized movement re-education Analyze and develop your technique Evaluate how to modify things ranging from your footwear, to costuming, to warm up, to music positioning in order to reduce overuse problems or other injuries Understand the nature of your problem and how to safely modify direction from your coach, choreographer, or director. At Balance Physical Therapy many of our therapists are current or former performing artists. We understand the pressures of returning to performance level functioning as quickly as possible. We also understand the unique demands on a performing artists ranging from the physical to the emotional. We work to resolve your current injury, but we also address your technique in your art to decrease re-injury and generally improve your performance. Return to Top of Page EXERCISE Do you experience any of the following symptoms? Low back, hip or buttock pain? Back ache which prevents activity more than 3 times a year? A frequent feeling of fatigue and weakness in the back and hips? Increased back soreness after activity or sports? Increased back or leg pain after sitting for long periods of time? Neck and shoulder pain after sitting or working at a computer? (Experience of severe pain, muscle spasm, restriction of basic movement, numbness, tingling, or symptoms into the legs, may necessitate an assessment by your primary care physician before initiating exercise program.) Physical Therapy can help you. Improve your abdominal strength and trunk stability. Increase strength and support through the legs, hips and back. Provide you education about proper body mechanics, posture and exercise technique. Teach prevention techniques to avoid future injury or strain. Learn Pilates, Feldenkrais based, resistive, and cardiovascular exercises. Core stabilization involves an exercise program with concentration on strengthening the abdominals, gluteals, and back. With a stronger 'core', your back is more effectively supported, leading to fewer episodes of back pain. The program consists of a thorough evaluation, then one on one treatment with your therapist to develop an exercise plan to achieve your goals. Treatment can also consist of hands-on manual therapy for proper muscle control, maintenance of proper alignment, and avoidance of excessive strain. Muscular re-education will be a part of your exercise program. You will learn how to functionally apply your strength and flexibility to every day life. Your therapist will guide you in new ways of safely moving your body. Return to Top of Page BALANCE AND VESTIBULAR REHABILITATION Do you experience any of the following symptoms? Dizziness or vertigo, a violent whirling sensation? Imbalance or difficulty walking a straight line? An abnormal sensation of movement, rocking or floating? Difficulty reading, blurred or double vision? Continual or intermittent nausea? A history of falls, or fear of falling? Motion Sickness? Physical Therapy can help you. Eliminate or decrease complaints of dizziness and vertigo. Increase balance function and stability. Increase overall activity level and safety. According to studies from the National Institute of Health, 90 million Americans (42 percent of the population) will complain to their doctors of dizziness at least once in their lifetime. Dizziness and vertigo are often associated with postural imbalance and falls. The New England Journal of Medicine, 1989, reported that "Every year one third to one half of the population age 65 and over experience falls. Half of the elderly that fall do so repeatedly." If these are common complaints for you, then you may benefit from Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy. There have been research studies done that have shown a reduction in complaints of dizziness and a decreased risk of falls through Vestibular Rehabilitation therapy. Otolaryngology Neurotology, September 2004, reported that “Both older and younger adults showed significant reductions in fall risk with vestibular rehabilitation. People appropriate for this program include those who have acute or abrupt loss of vestibular (balance) function, or those with unresolved inner ear disorders, age related balance and strength deficits, and lastly those who have had surgery for vestibular problems. Vestibular rehabilitation is an individualized exercise based program designed to eliminate or reduce disequilibrium (dizziness), and vertigo associated with inner ear disorders. The program consists of a thorough evaluation to make a treatment plan that is unique to your needs. A physical therapist will work one on one with you to develop a regiment of exercises targeting posture, balance, movement re-education, and compensatory strategies. Return to Top of Page WOMEN'S HEALTH Do you experience any of the following symptoms? Trouble making it to the toilet when you have the urge to go? Needing to urinate more than every two hours in the daytime? Episodes of urine loss with coughing, sneezing, or during activity? Needing to rush to the toilet to empty your bladder? Inability to stop the flow of urine? Having "triggers" that make you feel like you can't wait to go to the toilet? Pelvic pain? You may be suffering from "incontinence" Physical Therapy can help you. Explain the anatomy and function of the pelvic floor muscles. Determine the type of incontinence you have to direct appropriate treatments. Instruct you in healthy bladder habits. Help strengthen the pelvic floor muscles with a variety of methods including biofeedback. Women's Health is an area that focuses on unique issues including incontinence (inability to hold urine), pre and post natal care, and pelvic pain that may affect women at various stages of life. The program consists of a thorough evaluation and a specific treatment plan for you. Your treatment plan may include diet and lifestyle changes. Your physical therapist will design an exercise program to fit each woman's individual needs and lifestyle. State of the art biofeedback is available to assist you in learning how to relax and to do your exercises correctly. Return to Top of Page PRE AND POST NATAL CARE During pregnancy, you may experience one or more of the following symptoms: Low back pain Hip pain Neck and shoulder pain Leg or foot pain Tingling in the arms, hands, or fingers These can result from the physical and hormonal changes brought on by pregnancy. But just because these symptoms are "normal" during pregnancy doesn't necessarily mean you have to put up with them! Physical therapy can help you. Explain the physical changes that occur during pregnancy, and teach you how to manage them. Teach you about exercise during pregnancy - why it's important, which EXERCISES are safe, and what precautions to observe while exercising. Give your body mechanics tips that will make your daily activities during pregnancy - and your baby care activities - safer and more comfortable. Offers hands-on care to address specific areas of discomfort and dysfunction. Return to Top of Page FOOT AND ANKLE/ORTHOTICS Do you experience any of the following symptoms? Aching in your feet and ankles Knee or low back pain especially after being on your feet Numbness in your feet with activity or exercise Excessive wear and tear on your shoes Chronically spraining your ankle(s) Difficulty finding shoes to fit your feet Physical Therapy can help you. Evaluate how your foot placement and movement is affecting your ankles, knees, hips, and low back Test specific muscle strength in your feet, ankles, leg, and low back Improve motion in your feet and ankles through hands on techniques and home exercise Guiding you on proper footwear for work, exercise and casual wear that suits your feet Teaching you specific exercises to improve your strength and balance, from your foot to your hips Creating low cost, custom modifications to over the counter orthotics to support the structure of your foot Proper evaluation and correction of foot and ankle problems can often greatly improve problems in your knees, hips, and low back. Your therapist will thoroughly evaluate you, including your gait on a treadmill, your current footwear, and a full musculoskeletal exam. If needed, we are able to make custom modifications to over-the-counter orthotics in the office. By properly supporting your foot, you help all the other parts of your body line up correctly. Return to Top of Page