Physical Therapy- Chiropractic Care CO

Physical Therapy Treatment Plans

When injured there are many different routes one can take to get better. Conservative care is the route most people try to take first. When one chooses this route it typically means physical therapy.

Physical therapy treatment plans, also called plans of care, are anything but generic. Treatment plans depend on the person as well as the injury. Plans of care and very individualized to give the patient the best care possible. Even patients with the same injuries have different treatment plans. Plans are specific because they do not just depend on the injury, but the person’s impairments stemming from the injury.

Treatment plans typically include patient education. At Scott Family Health patient education is our main goal. We don’t just aim to get patients better; we aim to educate patients to allow them to have power over their own healthcare.

Aquatic Physical Therapy

There are many types of therapy that offer positive results. One of the better therapies that is available today is aquatic physical therapy.

Aquatic therapy is a special type of physical therapy that is performed in a therapy pool. The properties of water assist in patient healing and exercise performance. The buoyancy of the water helps to support the weight of the patient and reduces the stress put on the joints. The therapeutic properties of water allow for easier and less painful exercises. Water resistance can allow for the muscles to build up strength without the use of weights. Aquatic physical therapy utilizes hydrostatic pressure to reduces swelling, improve joint position awareness, and increases proprioception. The warmth of the water helps to relax muscles, increase vasodilatation, and increase blood flow. However, water therapy is not for every patient who needs to receive therapy. Those who do receive aquatic physical therapy typically transition to land physical therapy fairly quickly.

Aquatic physical therapy can be very beneficial for some individuals. The many benefits that aquatic therapy offers have been proven; however, aquatic therapy is not for every patient.

Physical Therapy Patient Expectations

Being a new patient can be scary. Most people do not know what to expect when going to physical therapy in the Loveland area. Physical therapy is similar to most other healthcare appointments. Here is a brief overview of what you can expect.

Whenever you are a new patient you can expect paperwork. Physical therapy is no different. The first thing that you will do after being referred for physical therapy is to fill out new patient paperwork. When meeting the therapist for the first time they will ask questions about past medical history and make sure that you are an appropriate candidate for therapy. After talking for a while you can expect to go through some orthopedic testing to determine the proper diagnosis. The therapist’s goal is to evaluate and determine the pain or injury. When all of the talking and testing is done you can expect to go through either an exercise regime or perform modalities. Modalities are things such as electric stimulation, ultrasound, manual therapy, and mobilization. After the conclusion of the first session, the therapist will typically give the patient an at-home exercise program. To gain the best results following the program is a must. Without the effort of going through the home exercises little gain is seen. First-time physical therapy appointments are typically an hour-long thereafter appointments are typically 30 minutes, but it depends on the clinic that you are receiving treatment from.

Wrap Up:

At Scott Family Health we have an integrated healthcare approach that allows us to easily refer to physical therapy when other methods fall short. The integrated system allows the doctors to refer to each other and communicate to give the patient the best care possible.