Education
It all begins with education. If you don’t understand your condition, then you won’t be empowered to take control over your condition. We want to make sure that we explain your condition’s anatomy and diagnosis thoroughly so you understand what and how you injured yourself. Most importantly we will educate you on how to prevent any further injury.
Manual therapy
At Empower Physical Therapy LLC we like to be hands-on with our patients. Our therapists have undergone extensive education to make sure they are up to date on the most recent manual therapy techniques and have mastered them.
We use a variety of techniques from massage, active muscle release, traction, stretching, and mobilization/manipulation.
Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization
Instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) is a technique using a stainless steel tool to help provide gentle scraping and massage of your skin. The most common type is GrastonTM, which our therapists are level one certified in. The goal of IASTM is to help break up areas of restriction and scar tissue within your muscles and fascia to decrease pain and improve function.
Dry Needling
Dry needling is a specialized treatment technique where a solid, thin filiform needle is used to penetrate the skin. The needle is used to stimulate underlying myofascial trigger points as well as muscular and connective tissue restrictions. It is considered “dry” because no medication or injection is applied to the body.
A trigger point is a taut band of skeletal muscle that limits your body’s performance, strength, and motion. They may be tender to the touch and with palpation cause pain to other areas of your body. Research has shown that dry needling decreases pain, reduces muscle tension, normalizes muscle function, and speeds up recovery.
Cupping
Cupping therapy is an ancient form of alternative medicine in which a local suction is created on the skin with the application of glass or silicone cups. The cups will be left on your skin for a few minutes to help with pain, inflammation, blood flow, relaxation, and increase in mobility.
The cups will cause your skin to rise and redden as the blood vessels expand. The biggest risks are skin redness and bruising. Cupping may be static or dynamic; static is when the cups are left at the site of most tension and dynamic is uses movement of the cups or the patient to encourage fluid flow throughout the entire muscle.
Kinesiology Taping
Kinesiology tape is a blend of cotton and nylon that is designed to mimic your skin’s elasticity to help with reducing swelling and not restricting your body so you can move through your full range. It is water resistant and strong so it will last 3-5 days to allow you to participate in all your activities.
It is strategically applied to the body to support structures, lessen pain, reduce swelling, and improve performance.
Exercise & Conditioning
It’s all about keeping you moving! Exercises and a stretching routine are one of the most important treatment aspects we can provide you because we want to empower you to move…and stay moving! We will give you specific and effective training to focus on your particular needs; no cookie cutter treatment here!
We will also provide you with a sheet of your exercises for a home exercise program to keep you accountable and accurate with your routine!
Joint Mobilization
Joint mobilization is a skilled manual therapy technique aimed at improving joint range of motion and reducing pain. A therapist manually applies targeted pressures on your joint in specific directions to help improve the mobility of that joint. This increase in mobility gives the patient a therapeutic effect with an increase in functional mobility.
Gait & Balance
Gait is the pattern of movement in which you walk and balance is the ability of the body to maintain its center of gravity without falling over. These both rely on the complex relationship between the brain, nervous system, sensory system, and the musculoskeletal system. Empower Physical Therapy LLC will use balance pads and vestibular training to help maximize your gait and balance to minimize your fall risk and keep you mobile!