Let’s Talk
Every visit will be with a licensed physical therapist or physical therapist assistant. We try to keep you with the same therapist for all of your visits, or between two therapists for schedule flexibility. At your first visit, the therapist will ask about your medical history. They might ask things that you do not think are relevant to the problem that brings you to our clinic. However, you may have an old injury from 20 years ago that could be contributing to your pain or problem. The therapist will also ask about your daily routine, including work, exercise, hobbies, and house/yard work. We will ask you what your pain is keeping you from doing, and what your goals are for physical therapy.
Let’s Move
The professional physical therapist will then evaluate your posture and how you move. Posture gives your therapist a lot of information about where you may be restricted. This may include walking, running, throwing, lifting, or getting up from a chair. Your range of motion, strength, flexibility, alignment, fascial mobility, nerve mobility, and joint mobility will also be assessed.
Let’s Make a Plan
The therapist will then discuss their findings and treatment recommendations, answer any question you have, and work with you to develop a plan of care. The better you understand your problem and why we have chosen a given treatment, the better your outcome will be. We love when our patients ask us questions because it gives us an opportunity to help you understand more about how your body works and how we can improve your mobility and function.
Let’s Treat You
Treatment can include many different physical therapy exercises, activities, and interventions including manual therapy. Some types of manual therapy we utilize are myofascial release, muscle energy techniques, strain-counterstrain, craniosacral therapy, visceral mobilization, neural tissue tension, Integrative Manual Therapy, joint and soft tissue mobilization, range of motion, stretching, and dry needling. We may also perform neuromuscular reeducation, proprioceptive training, vestibular therapy, body mechanics training, self-care training, and functional training. Each treatment plan is designed individually for you, and is modified based on how you respond to treatment. You will be instructed in exercises to do at home as well as strategies to reduce your pain. Patient education is a very important part of what we do. It may include desk or workstation setup, postural re-education, proper footwear, body mechanics, and energy conservation or activity pacing. We may teach you manual therapy techniques that you can use on yourself, such as foam rolling or other types of instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization.
Let’s Work Together
All visits are one-on-one with your physical therapist or physical therapy assistant. You can count on your appointment starting and ending on time. We value your time and we do not want you to waste it sitting in the waiting room. If you were referred to our physical therapy clinic by your doctor, we will communicate our evaluation findings to them as well as send regular progress notes. If you are not improving in PT or we have concerns that something else may be wrong, we will refer you back to your doctor. The best way to get better is to work together as a team: doctor, physical therapist, and patient all in communication with each other.
If you are experiencing pain, please contact one of our offices today to schedule an appointment. We do things differently, and are honored to be able to help so many people get back to doing the things they love.
Andrea Myers, PT, DPT, OCS is a Board Certified Orthopedic Specialist. She graduated from St. Ambrose University in 2006 with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy. Andrea has a strong background in treating patients with a variety of orthopedic diagnoses, including sports injuries, back and neck pain, and patients who have undergone orthopedic surgery. She has extensive training in manual therapy, including myofascial release, Integrative Manual Therapy, craniosacral therapy, and Kinesiotaping. She is also certified in vestibular rehabilitation for the treatment of vertigo and balance disorders. Andrea is a former professional road cyclist with multiple top-ten placings in international competitions. She is a certified bike fitter and is well known for her knowledge and experience in treating cyclists and multi-sport athletes of all levels.
