How We Treat

Craniosacral Therapy

Craniosacral Therapy is a gentle form of manipulation that utilizes manual pressures to improve the mobility of the cranial (skull) bones and the sacrum (tailbone).  It is believed that when the movement of these bones is impaired there is an imbalance of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain which can cause a multitude of symptoms including headaches, face pain, emotional changes, digestive dysfunction and systemic pain throughout the body.

Dry Needling

Dry Needling, or Intramuscular Manual Therapy, is a neurophysiological evidence-based treatment technique used to treat myofascial pain that uses a dry needle, without medication. When inserted into a contracture knot, the goal is to release or inactivate the trigger points and relieve the pain. The treatment of muscles has the greatest effect on reducing pain mechanisms in the nervous system.

To learn more about benefits and frequently asked questions, click here.

Cupping

Cupping is an instrument assisted manual therapy technique that uses distraction (or vacuum therapy) to pull blood into surface tissues to help release trigger points, improve circulation and reduce inflammation to reduce pain.

Fall Risk Assessment

Consists of a battery of tests and measures that gauge one’s risk for suffering a fall.  These tests and measures will evaluate balance, leg strength, agility, sensation, range of motion, endurance and questioning related to home set up, medical history and personal symptoms.

Functional Capacity Evaluations

A series of tests given to a patient to test their functional abilities as it relates to their occupation or work status.  These tests can help determine if an injured employee can return to work, if accommodations are needed or determine disability status.

Functional Exercise Prescription

After a thorough physical examination and subjective questioning regarding your personal goals, your therapist will prescribe exercises that address your physical impairments as they relate to your goals.  These exercises will address the impairments that are holding you back between your current functional abilities and your optimal desired function.

Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM)

During this treatment your therapist will use handheld tools to manipulate the soft tissues of your body.  Indications for this therapy may include myofascial pain, tendonitis, old scar tissue, and excess muscle tension in general. 

High Velocity Manipulation Techniques

The skillful use of low amplitude, high velocity forces directed to specific joints that can create joint “cavitations” or popping noises which can have a relaxing effect on surrounding soft tissues and improve pain free mobility.

Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT/McKenzie)

This is an evidence-based treatment approach that utilizes strategic movements to treat musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction.  With this approach, therapists will often prescribe exercises that consist of repetitive or sustained movements that are to be completed up to 5 times a day.  The MDT approach has been well studied and has been shown to be an effective treatment approach for a variety of spine and extremity conditions.

Mobilization

Mobilizations are gentle, passive movements your therapist may apply to your joints to relax excess muscle tension, improve the firing patterns of weak muscles and ultimately improve pain free range of motion.  These can be utilized to treat a number of conditions including extremity and spine pain along with headaches and jaw pain.

Muscle Energy Technique

Muscle Energy Techniques are gentle, pain free procedures in which and examiner places the patient in strategic positions of tension and has the patient use their muscular effort to gently manipulate the spine and surrounding soft tissues.

Myofascial Release

Myofascial Release is a gentle, hands on approach where the therapist manipulates soft tissues either along or against soft tissue restrictions to ultimately reduce muscle tension.

Neural Mobilization

A treatment technique that attempts to glide and slide the peripheral nerves of the body to free them from any motion restrictions that can happen with injury or chronically poor postures

Return-to-work Programs

Through subjective questioning and a review of your functional job description our therapists can formulate a plan to bridge the gap between your current physical abilities and the physical abilities required to return to your job without significant risk of injury.  Our therapists will then work with you to carry out these exercises correctly and will even do a job site visit if necessary to make sure the prescribed exercises accurately reflect the demands placed on your body while you are performing your target job tasks.

Vestibular Rehabilitation

Vestibular rehabilitation is a branch of therapy that focuses on improving the function of the vestibular system.  Patients that suffer from vestibular dysfunction often times have impaired balance, episodic or continuous vertigo, suffer frequent falls and complain of dyscoordination.  Treatments can vary greatly for these patients depending upon which parts of their vestibular system are dysfunctional.

Visceral Techniques

Visceral manipulation is a hands on therapy treating the tissue around your visceral organs and the tissues connected to them. Visceral restrictions often develop after pregnancy, childbirth, falls, concussions, motor vehicle accidents and surgical interventions. Pain stemming from visceral restrictions often mimics more familiar types of pain caused by muscle and joint strains. Gentle visceral treatment added to a traditional physical therapy program is often the missing link in assisting patients with reduction of pain and improved mobility.