Specialties

Specialties

Sports Medicine:

Sports medicine physical therapy is a specialty for treating Injuries which occur in athletes and active people with a goal of returnng them to their sport and other activites. This can include running, walking, bicycling, swimming, volleyball, basketball, football, golf, etc. The patient is evaluated and treatment is designed to strengthen, stretch, and improve the function of the injured area to it's optimum function. This type of therapy is more active, and specific to the sport or activity the patient is pursuing. The athlete will be challenged to improve balance, gait, proprioception, speed, agility, coordination, strength, and flexibility. We want the athlete to return to their sport/activity, and also prevent another injury.

Other areas of specialty:

-Peripheral neuropathy
- Arthritus
- Osteoporosis Programs
- Poor Balance
- Posture Problems
- Gait Abnormalities
- Poor Sensation
- Stiffness in Joints
- Muscle Weakness

What is peripheral neuropathy?

Peripheral neuropathy describes damage to the peripheral nervous system, the vast communications network that transmits information from the brain and spinal cord (the central nervous system) to every other part of the body. Peripheral nerves also send sensory information back to the brain and spinal cord, such as a message that the feet are cold or a finger is burned. Damage to the peripheral nervous system interferes with these vital connections. Like static on a telephone line, peripheral neuropathy distorts and sometimes interrupts messages between the brain and the rest of the body.

Because every peripheral nerve has a highly specialized function in a specific part of the body, a wide array of symptoms can occur when nerves are damaged. Some people may experience temporary numbness, tingling, and pricking sensations (paresthesia), sensitivity to touch, or muscle weakness. Others may suffer more extreme symptoms, including burning pain (especially at night), muscle wasting, paralysis, or organ or gland dysfunction. People may become unable to digest food easily, maintain safe levels of blood pressure, sweat normally, or experience normal sexual function. In the most extreme cases, breathing may become difficult or organ failure may occur.

Some forms of neuropathy involve damage to only one nerve and are called mononeuropathies. More often though, multiple nerves affecting all limbs are affected-called polyneuropathy. Occasionally, two or more isolated nerves in separate areas of the body are affected-called mononeuritis multiplex.

In acute neuropathies, such as Guillain-Barré syndrome, symptoms appear suddenly, progress rapidly, and resolve slowly as damaged nerves heal. In chronic forms, symptoms begin subtly and progress slowly. Some people may have periods of relief followed by relapse. Others may reach a plateau stage where symptoms stay the same for many months or years. Some chronic neuropathies worsen over time, but very few forms prove fatal unless complicated by other diseases. Occasionally the neuropathy is a symptom of another disorder.

In the most common forms of polyneuropathy, the nerve fibers (individual cells that make up the nerve) most distant from the brain and the spinal cord malfunction first. Pain and other symptoms often appear symmetrically, for example, in both feet followed by a gradual progression up both legs. Next, the fingers, hands, and arms may become affected, and symptoms can progress into the central part of the body. Many people with diabetic neuropathy experience this pattern of ascending nerve damage.

Gait Abnormalities
A physical therapy evaluation can determine why a patient is limping, has an uneven or uncoordinated walking pattern. Weakness, stiffness, joint problems,poor balance, foot pronation, pain and other reasons can cause gait problems. The physical therapist will set up a rehabilitation program to improve gait based on the evaluation findings.

SPINAL REHABILITATION
Specialized evaluation and treatment of the spine with the goals of decreasing pain and muscle spasms and improving body mechanics for return to normal activities. Treatment includes Back or Neck School, exercises, instruction in lifting techniques and treatment with ultrasound, light therapy, electrical stimulation and soft tissue mobilization as needed.

PEDIATRIC REHABILITATION
Evaluation and treatment for infants and children especially from birth to 10 years of age. TMJ Evaluation and treatment of the jaw with the goals of improving chewing mechanics and decreasing pain, headaches, popping, clicking, and grinding of teeth.

URINARY INCONTINENCE
Evaluation and specialized treatment of urinary incontinence, including bladder training, pelvic floor exercises and biofeedback.

WORKERS COMP
Specialized exercise programs designed to heal the injury and get the injured worker back to work and daily activities.

GOLF THERAPY PROGRAMS
Consultation and training designed to help golfers improve their game. Stretching and strengthening specific muscle groups will result in a more efficient and pain free golf swing.

Arthritis:
There are several types of arthritis;
the most common ones are:
Rheumatoid and Osteoarthritis:

Rheumatoid Arthritis:
Sierra Physical Therapy has one simple goal: keeping you moving. It will stimulate muscles, bones, and joints through exercise or other methods. The result is more strength, tone, and overall fitness.

Wes help you with joint function, muscle strength, and fitness level. They understand the mechanics of bones, joints, and muscles working together, the problems that can occur, and what to do about them.

Osteoarthritis:
The most common problems associated with arthritis are inflammation, stiffness of the affected joints, weakness, and poor posture.

Every arthritis patient is evaluated by their physical therapist, and specific problems are determined and individual goals are set in partnership with the patient. The most important areas that we cover are:
Determine the patient's range of motion llimitations, and determine how they affect their daily function. Individualized stretching exercises, active and passive, are given to the patient with specific purposes to improve daily living activities.
Posture problems often develop and must be corrected. Osteoarthritis of the spine can cause compression fractures, which will lead to kyphosis of the thoracic spine. There are specific postural exercises for correcting Kyphosis and forward head, and increased lordosis of cervical and lumbar areas. Your therapist will give you a home exercise program which will correct the posture and needs to be done frequently and regularly.

Manual Muscles Testing is done to determine the weaknesses which are limiting the patient. Strengthening is necessary to allow daily activities, e.g. climbing stairs, geting up from the floor, standing up from a chair..
Poor balance is often a factor, and specific evaluations determine the patient's need for balance training, or need for assistive devices, e.g. a cane or walker.

Osteoporosis:
Research studies show that weight bearing exercises and resistive training will strengthen bones, by stimulating bone growth. An exercise program will be set up specifically for each patient after the evaluation by a physical therapist, in order to strengthen the weakened muscles, and target the areas that need most attention. Resistive exercises, using weights or elastic bands will be given. The technique used will be low weight, high repetition. It is recommended that the patient follow their physician's recommendations regarding medication and exercise.

Balance:
            Patients are often referred for balance problems after a fall. However, it be better to prevent falling by seeing your physical therapist for balance training; there can be serious complications of falling!
            Balance training will be based on the results of your evaluation. There are several standardized tests which will be given to determine the type of balance problem that you have, and how sever it is. Your therapist will tell you if you are at risk for falling and report this to your physician.
            Balance can be influenced by many factors: Inner ear problems, weaknesses, limited ankle, knee or hip range of motion, uneven gait, fear of falling, neurological conditons, numbness in feet/ankles, vision, medications, etc.