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.