Premier Physical Therapy

Category: Physical Therapy

  • How You Can Benefit from Orthopedic Care – What is Orthopedic Physical Therapy and When It Can Benefit You Most?

    How You Can Benefit from Orthopedic Care – What is Orthopedic Physical Therapy and When It Can Benefit You Most?

    Orthopedic care can benefit you and your family immensely. You’ve probably heard of orthopedics, but have you ever wondered what specifically falls under orthopedic physical therapy? Technically speaking, Orthopaedics is a specialty of medicine that encompasses impairments of the musculoskeletal system. That includes all the body’s joints, muscles, bones, and connective tissues (things like tendons and ligaments). Obviously, that covers a lot of things.

    To help simplify when orthopedic care is right for you, we have included some specific examples of treatments below.


    Types of Orthopedic Physical Therapy

    Hand Therapy – Your hands are amazing when you think about it. They are made up of several joints, muscles and tendons – all working together to help you perform incredibly complex tasks. Unfortunately, their complexity means they are vulnerable to things like arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, fractures, tendon injuries and more. The result is pain, stiffness and loss of flexibility, keeping you from performing your normal, daily activities. When your hands are unable to function properly due to a number of possible causes, orthopedic hand therapy is often needed to get you back to life. Hand therapy turns a focus to rehabilitation of the hand and arm. It can be seen as the combination of occupational therapy and physical therapy. Before you consider surgery or arthroscopy, try hand therapy to relieve your pain and return function.

    Shoulder Pain – Your shoulders are one of the most common areas to experience lingering and ongoing pain. From rotator cuff injuries to dislocations, our orthopedic shoulder therapists will evaluate your shoulder condition and have you feeling like yourself in no time. If you recently had orthopedic surgery, our physical therapists will create a personalized rehabilitation plan to help you recover faster and get back to the life you know and love. If you’re losing range of motion in your upper body (with or without pain), we have the orthopedic experience to assess your shoulder injury and make you feel better.

    Knee Pain – Knees carry a lot of weight. They handle it with a protective layer of knee cartilage to cushion the joint against wear and tear. Over time, this protective layer wears thin, or can become damaged from injury. That’s when the pain and stiffness sets in. When this occurs, treatment is always needed, even if it’s not serious. In the case of more serious knee pain, we offer an intensive physical therapy routine to fast-track your body back to healing.

    Sports Medicine – Physical therapy focuses on repairing the body’s joints, muscles, bones, tendons and ligaments. All of those things are especially vulnerable to injury if you are an athlete. In fact, orthopedic injuries are almost unavoidable for athletes. These injuries happen when your body isn’t accustomed to the activity, or it becomes overworked. Working with our orthopedic physical therapists can help prevent and treat these orthopedic injuries because they can provide professional advice and a non-abrasive exercise schedule designed to keep your body healthy without overexertion.


    Physical Rehabilitation – Whether you’re recovering from orthopedic surgery or a recent injury, our physical therapists will develop a personalized recovery plan to eliminate pain and help your body recover full range of motion. When talking to your doctor or surgeon about rehabilitation options, remember that you have a choice! Ask them to send you to Premier. In a recent survey of local physicians, 85% said they would send their own family to Premier as their first choice.  

    Choose Premier – The Only Provider with a 5-Star Plan for Pain

    The first step to dealing with any orthopedic pain is contacting us at Premier Physical Therapy. We offer free pain consultations and walk you through your options for care. We’ll help you understand what is really causing your pain and assist you with getting a doctor’s prescription. Premier is also the only provider in the region to offer a 5-Star Plan for pain. Our comprehensive approach to pain relief is what sets us apart. Find out how you can benefit from orthopedic care and physical therapy. Call us today at 573-335-7868.

  • How to Relieve Lower Back Pain and Joint Pain – Tips for Relieving Pain in Your Joints and Lower Back

    How to Relieve Lower Back Pain and Joint Pain – Tips for Relieving Pain in Your Joints and Lower Back

    Do you suffer from pain in your joints or lower back? There are many things you can try at home to alleviate your pain. Try these home remedies for pain, courtesy of Premier Physical Therapy. If your pain is severe, or you still experience lingering pain after trying these tips, contact us right away for a free pain consultation. We’ll help you get to the root of your pain.

    Tips for Relieving Joint Pain

    Increase Physical Activity – Physical activity is a great way to loosen joints and keep your body limber and flexible overall. If your painful joint is “stiff,” try gentle, pain-free movements to help loosen them. If your joint is actually causing you pain, try “unloading” it by removing all weight on the joint, relieving pressure. Do this twice a day in 5-20 minute sessions. Another option for relieving joint pain is a brace. Wearing a brace will take pressure off of your knee joint, reducing pain and inflammation. If you are an active person, we recommend using a knee compression sleeve as these will help improve blood flow and protect against future injury.

    Improve Your Nutrition – Joint pain is often caused by inflammation, which can be relieved through improved nutrition. Take a multivitamin to ensure your body is receiving the nutrition it needs to promote bone and joint health. Joint pain in the body can be worse if you are dehydrated, so drink 1 oz of water daily for every half-pound of body weight. For example, if you weigh 200 lbs., drink 100 ounces of water every day. Too much sugar also causes inflammation. In addition to all the other bad things sugar does to the body, it also causes inflammation by putting stress on the body’s cells. The same goes for food acidity. Acidic foods make your body work harder to restore pH balance. Try eating a more Alkaline-forming diet to reduce your body’s joint inflammation and help promote bone health.

     Tips for Relieving Lower Back Pain

    Unloading 90/90 Exercise – This exercise will take pressure off of your lower back region. Find something around the house that you can rest your legs on, such as a plastic storage bin. Add pillows on top in order to make it the correct height and to add comfort. Lie on your back and place your legs on top of the object. Be sure the object is close enough and high enough for both your hips and knees to be 90 degrees. Lie in this position for 20 minutes, two times per day or as needed for pain.

    Self-Bracing Exercise – Self-bracing activates the Transverse Abdominis (TA) muscle and will help stabilize your lower back region during physical activity. Self-bracing should be performed during all exercises, including sports activities, lifting, bending, standing up or rolling in bed. To practice self-bracing, place a hand on the abdominal area. Then, activate the TA muscle by pulling your abdomen up and in – away from your hand about a quarter of an inch. Do NOT hold your breath, you should be able to breathe normally while initiating the TA activation.

     If Your Pain Lingers …

    Contact Premier Physical Therapy for a free pain consultation. We will help you understand what is really causing your pain and assist you with getting a doctor’s prescription. Premier is also the only provider in the region to offer a 5-Star Plan for pain. Our comprehensive approach to pain relief is what sets us apart – and why 85% of doctors said they would send their own family to Premier as their first choice. Get started by calling us today at 573-335-7868.

  • Opioid Alternatives – How Physical Therapy is a Safer Solution to Pain

    Opioid Alternatives – How Physical Therapy is a Safer Solution to Pain

    There is a serious opioid crisis here in the United States. As of 2017, opioid addiction and abuse has been declared a health emergency. And for good reason. Four in five new heroin users start by misusing prescription painkillers. One in three long-term opioid users say they are addicted or physically dependent. Now, more than ever, doctors are looking for opioid alternatives for their patients.

    Physical therapy is quickly becoming the preferred alternative to opioids. In March 2016, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released guidelines for opioid prescription. The guidelines recognized that while opioids are still appropriate for some situations (cancer treatment, palliative care and end-of-life care), many cases of pain can be alleviated through non-pharmacological means – like physical therapy.

    For decades, physicians have been pressured to prescribe pain medication as a first-line treatment for chronic pain. But the consequences of these prescriptions is only now starting to come into focus. The reality is that the risks of using opioids outweigh the rewards. Potential side effects of opioids include depression, overdose, and addiction – not to mention withdrawal symptoms when stopping use.

    “Experts agreed that opioids should not be considered firstline or routine therapy for chronic pain,” the CDC guidelines state. Even in cases when evidence on the long-term benefits of non-opioid therapies is limited, “risks are much lower” with non-opioid treatment plans, such as physical therapy.

    Additionally, opioids only mask pain by blocking signals to the brain. Once a patient stops taking medication, the pain will return. In some cases, the pain is even worse as a result of the opioid dependence. Physical therapy, on the other hand, treats the cause of chronic pain. From sports injuries to joint pain, physical therapy can help people live pain free without medication.

    At Premier Physical Therapy, we work closely with patients and physicians to develop a customized plan for pain. Our 5-Star Plan for pain starts with a thorough examination, followed up with one-on-one treatment and detailed progress surveys. We also educate patients on preventative care techniques – so they can avoid future injury.

    So before you agree to a prescription for opioids, consult with your physician to see if physical therapy is an alternative to opioid treatment. The CDC says it best: “Given the substantial evidence gaps on opioids, uncertain benefits of long-term use and potential for serious harm, patient education and discussion before starting opioid therapy are critical so that patient preferences and values can be understood and used to inform clinical decisions,” – CDC guidelines on opioid prescription.

    Premier Physical Therapy is the only provider in the region to offer a 5-Star Plan for pain. Our comprehensive approach to pain relief is what sets us apart – and why 85% of doctors said they would send their own family to Premier as their first choice. Do you suffer from chronic pain? Call us today at 573-335-7868.

  • Three Steps to Physical Therapy

    Three Steps to Physical Therapy

    three steps, physical therapy,

    Are you tired of wasting money and insurance benefits on various treatments and not getting the results you need? At Premier Physical Therapy we work to eliminate your pain for good, so you can stop wasting money. We accept most major insurances, including Medicare, and can help explain your physical therapy benefits so there are no billing surprises.

    3 steps to physical therapy:

    1. Explain your pain, limitation, or injury to your physician.

    2. Request a script for physical therapy at Premier Physical Therapy and call us to schedule an appointment.

    3. Bring in your script and insurance information with you to your first appointment.

    Here is what one patient had to say about coming to Premier!

    “Therapy at Premier Physical Therapy has definitely helped alleviate pain, improve range of motion, and stabilize my shoulder joint. I felt that I particularly benefited from the extensive, hands-on joint manipulation. Having had therapy at other places. I definitely noticed more personalized approach here. Thanks to Premier Physical Therapy,  I have avoided surgery.”

    Do you have pain during everyday activities or at night while sleeping? Have you just learned to deal with your pain and accepted that you will never get better? It is time to call Premier Physical Therapy! We can help get you pain-free and back to doing the things you love. Don’t spend another day with pain and discomfort.

    If pain and discomfort are ruining your life call Premier Physical Therapy today at 573-335-7868.

  • What Is Physical Therapy?

    What Is Physical Therapy?

    What is Physical Therapy?

    Every day, we come across patients just like Matt – people who are surprised to learn exactly what it is we do at Premier.

    And then it dawned on us… many people don’t really understand physical therapy.

    So, what is physical therapy? Physical therapy is a conservative approach to treating, healing and preventing injuries and disabilities to improve and maximize the quality of your life.

    Some people mistakenly think you only need physical therapy after a severe injury or major medical procedure, like surgery. On the contrary, physical therapy can actually prevent injury and eliminate the need for surgery in some cases. In fact, nearly everyone can benefit from the positive effects of physical therapy at some point in their life.

    Physical therapists work closely with physicians and medical providers to develop a program specific to your health goals. Whether it’s pain relief, increased mobility, regaining strength or something else, physical therapy is a great tool to help you maximize your potential.

    Your Physical Therapist’s goal is to relieve pain and restore your ability to work, play and live your life using a variety of treatment methods.

    Pain is an especially important symptom to address with physical therapy. After all, pain is the body’s way of telling you something is wrong. Chronic pain can be a sign of a serious medical condition and shouldn’t be ignored. If pain is keeping you from doing the things you love, you may want to consider physical therapy. Ask yourself these questions…

     

    Do you experience pain during daily activities or discomfort while sleeping?

    Do you plan your day around what will cause your pain or discomfort?

    Do you have a pain or injury that other treatments have failed to help?

     

    Physical Therapy can be used to treat a variety of conditions and injuries helping you get back to life. At Premier Physical Therapy, we commonly see patients for the following:

    Back and Neck Pain

    Knee Pain

    Sports Injuries

    Shoulder Pain

    Vertigo/Headaches

    Arthritis

    Ankle and Foot Pain

    Hand, Wrist & Elbow Injuries

    TMJ

    Pre & Post Surgical Cases

    Gait Abnormality

    Work Related Injuries

     

    When choosing a facility for physical therapy, remember that the choice is yours! Tell your healthcare provider that you want to go to Premier Physical Therapy!

    And the next time someone asks you “What is physical therapy?” – you will have an answer for them.

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