If your ability to move and function has been compromised by injury or disease, physical therapy may be what you need to return to health and normal functioning. Physical therapy is used to treat a variety of conditions, including orthopedic conditions, injuries to bones and connective tissue, fractures, dislocations, sprains, workplace injuries and sports injuries. Physical therapy can also be an important part of the care involved in healing both before and after a variety of surgeries and other procedures.

What are some of the potential benefits to physical therapy? In many cases, physical therapy is an effective, low-cost, low-risk, and non-invasive alternative to surgery. Another advantage of physical therapy, as opposed to surgery and prescription medications, is that it seeks to address the underlying causes of the conditions and to help the patient manage the condition through simple exercises and changes in lifestyle.

Physical therapists begin treatment by putting together a thorough background history of your injury and how it affects your life, reviewing your general health and activity level, and discussing your goals for therapy. Your therapist then evaluates the area of your body involved to determine the exact nature of your injury and what issues or factors may have contributed to it. This evaluation may include mobility assessment, strength assessment, neurological testing, joint mobility assessment and other tests.

Following the evaluation, your therapist provides treatment aimed at the source of your injury. Treatment varies based on the injury, but generally includes hands-on care to improve mobility and strength, education on posture and other factors, and exercises designed specifically to help you overcome your injury. Various modalities (ultrasound, light therapy, electrical stimulation, vasopneumatic compression, heat, ice, etc.) may be utilized at the discretion of your therapist to increase tissue mobility, reduce pain, reduce swelling and maximize the benefits of treatment.

Your therapist will customize your treatment program to your needs, teaching you how to perform techniques to benefit your condition. Therapy should emphasize patient involvement in the recovery process and believe that home exercise and stretching programs, as well as education regarding body mechanics and ergonomic factors, are important elements of the recovery process.

At Pinnacle Physical Therapy we specialize in the hands-on care of a wide variety of injuries. We can treat pain and injury associated with the spine (neck to lower back), shoulders, hands and elbows, hips, knees, ankles and feet. We will get you in within 24-48 hours and get you on your way to feeling normal again. Call one of our two convenient locations to schedule an appointment. Post Falls (208) 777-4242 or Coeur d'Alene (208) 665-2000.