I'm not one to subscribe to a lot of toys or gadgets to provide treatment and help my clients reach their goals but I do get excited when I find one that works and works really well.  Thanks to fellow physical therapist, Erson Religioso, I now have in my possession an excellent new tool, The Edge, that makes my job easier and more effective which is great news for my clients.  It may not look like much (or it may frighten some people) but it is an excellent all around tool for Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM).

As much as I enjoy using my hands, there are times when a tool or instrument can really be a huge advantage and difference maker.  There are also some tissues in the body that fingers and hands simply cannot have as much of an impact on like metal or other hard objects can.  Since The Edge is a 'Jack of all trades' with its variety of edges, it can be implemented in many ways depending on the specific needs of each client and situation.  That means having the ability to match the appropriate edge for treatment and truly target the particular issue at hand.  The beauty of it is just like many soft tissue techniques, it can be utilized for both prevention and/or treatment for injuries.  Admittedly, it saves my hands for other treatments and techniques as well.

With its versatility, The Edge can be used for a wide range of issues like tendonitis/tendinosis, muscle strains, trigger points, etc.  It can be used for acute or chronic scar tissue formation especially following surgical procedures so that movement and mobility can be restored.  Persistent or chronic muscle tightness (think calf and upper trapezius) tends to respond quite well to IASTM.  Any type of restriction in connective tissue like the plantar fascia, iliotibibial band, and joint retinaculums are also prime candidates for tools like The Edge.  As you can see, there are many applications for IASTM as it can be the perfect adjunct to other techniques and treatments to help you move better, feel better and live better.  Sometimes it can the missing piece to help you get over the final hurdle that has been a challenge to get over otherwise.

If you have any soft tissue issues or just want to stay ahead of the game with preventative treatment, don't miss out on this opportunity.  It really can be a game changer!

Knowledge = Power; Share The Power:

After graduating from my physical therapy program I took it for granted that the general public truly knows what physical therapy is.  I assumed (first mistake!) most people knew the basics since it is a common and relatively mainstream intervention for injuries...or so I thought.  It also seems like most people have sought care from a physical therapist or know someone that has and yet there still seems to be a lot of misinformation out there.  Now that I've worked with hundreds of clients and have been talking to many people within my community as I build my practice I have found that there is a huge spectrum of knowledge about what physical therapy is and who it can help as it relates to an outpatient style clinic.

Here are some of my favorite thoughts I've heard over the past several years about physical therapy:
    You only work with people after they've had surgery.
    It's just a bunch of exercises.
    Chiropractors take care of the spine, you do everything else.
    You use cool gadgets like ultrasound and electrical stimulation.
    I thought physical therapy is hot/cold packs, massage and a couple of exercises.
    It's kind of like personal training, right?
    This is PT?  This is a lot different than I expected!

While there is some truth to a few of these statements, they are pretty amusing if you ask me because there is so much more to physical therapy than these ideas.  I especially like the last one.

The most common definition(s) you will see for physical therapists is something along the lines of someone who is licensed to evaluate, treat and/or prevent pain, disability, injury, movement dysfunction, disease and functional limitations using physical, mechanical or chemical means including but not limited to therapeutic exercises, mobilizations and/or manipulations, and modalities (cold/hot packs, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, etc.).  The definition I prefer to use is physical therapists are neuromusculoskeletal experts (not to be mistaken with gurus), movement educators and performance enhancers (the legal kind).  This means we are specialists in the human body, how it moves and how to address issues like pain, injury, strength deficits, dysfunction, disease progression and performance optimization among many others.  No matter what exact definition you use for physical therapy they are very open ended which is great because it means we can work with virtually anyone.

Through our training we have the knowledge to analyze and understand each component of the neuromusculoskeletal system including the brain, spinal cord, nerves, muscles, bones, joints, tendons, ligaments and connective tissues.  More importantly, we understand how each of these components interacts with each other to influence and allow the human body to function.  In order to address any and all of these components and their impact on the whole system, we have an extremely diverse skill set at our disposal.

To begin with, we perform a thorough physical examination and assessment as it relates to a client's specific situation and complaints.  We have a wide variety of tests and measures that reveal valuable information which is interpreted to develop a diagnosis, a treatment plan and a prognosis.  As far as treatment is concerned there are several interventions we can choose from in our skill set.  The specific mix of interventions will vary from clinician to clinician and from client to client depending on each individual case.  They include:

Education: This is quite possibly the most important part of treatment.  First and foremost, it is our job to listen so that we know what to teach and explain.  It is our job to teach anatomy and physiology, pain science, biomechanics, relaxation techniques...whatever is necessary to help our clients understand their bodies better.  It is our job to dispel myths and fears so that the brain and body isn't in a constant state of stress and exacerbating any issues.  It is our job to develop a plan and strategies for our clients so that they are able to help themselves and reach their goals.

Manual Therapy: More often than not, physical therapists will be using their hands at some point.  It is here that you will see many different philosophies and schools of thought.  It is impossible to list all of the manual therapy variations but some of the general categories they would fall under are soft tissue mobilization like trigger point therapy, various styles of massage, active release technique and instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization to name a few, nerve mobilizations, joint mobilizations including chiropractic/thrust manipulations (depending on the state; legal in NY), stretching, and facilitation of movement to retrain motor control and movement quality.  How each of these is performed and accomplished will differ from clinician to clinician.

Exercise: This can be broken up into two subgroups even though they overlap quite a bit.  The first being neuromuscular re-education which is a fancy way of saying movement retraining.  Think balance, control, reaction and technique.  Single leg balance is a perfect example of an exercise that would be considered neuromuscular re-education.  The second group is therapeutic exercises and functional activities.  Traditionally you can think of strength training, flexibility and range of motion exercises fitting into this category as well as activities of daily living like walking, stair climbing and carrying objects.  You would obviously need good technique and control in order to accomplish these more traditional types of tasks.  With any of these exercises, what sets physical therapy apart is they are prescribed and progressed very specifically to achieve certain goals that can be tested and measured.  It is much different than a general fitness plan.

Modalities: This is where the gadgets can be listed like electrical stimulation (my favorite), ultrasound and mechanical traction.  It would also include things like heat and cold therapy.  In many cases, these passive modalities are used for pain control which is very helpful and a good adjunct to treatment but they will rarely ever resolve the underlying issues.  That is what the education, manual therapy and exercise is for.  There are other times when modalities are used therapeutically like electrical stimulation to improve activation (and strength) of the quadriceps after knee surgery or cold therapy to reduce swelling and inflammation.

Long story short, physical therapy is an extremely versatile and comprehensive solution to issues related to the neuromusculoskeletal system.  You might even consider physical therapists to be jacks of all trades as we have a wide array of skills to choose from in order to help our clients reach their goals.

So if you have neck or back pain, we can take care of you.  If you just had surgery, come on in.  If you feel like you have balance issues, we've got that covered.  If you can't play your favorite sport, we would love to fix that.  If you have pain/chronic pain and you can't figure out why, we'll figure out why.  I could keep going.  As you can see, physical therapy is an excellent first option if you have pain, suffered an injury, have functional limitations, etc. and you want to resolve these issues so that you can move better, feel better and live better.

Knowledge = Power; Share the Power: