Most of the patients who come to MaxWell Medical Physical Therapy Clinic NYC are in some degree of pain when they arrive, so initially, physical therapy treatments are geared towards reducing inflammation and discomfort. This can be done with certain electrical modalities like electric muscle stimulation or therapeutic ultrasound as well as manual treatments like deep tissue massage and passive joint mobilization. Thermal modalities like ice and heat are also utilized in different situations, depending on the severity and acuteness of the injury.
Once pain has been reduced and inflammation has subsided, the treatment focus shifts to restoring function. This often includes strength and flexibility training, gait training, proprioceptive/balance training, and other specialized therapies. Education in ergonomics, injury prevention, and home exercise programs are also a crucial component to any thorough treatment plan.
All treatment plans at MaxWell Medical Physical Therapy Clinic NYC are monitored and prescribed by our board certified medical doctors, regularly updated to reflect both progress and difficulties, and rendered by one of our highly skilled, licensed physical therapists.
Manual Therapy
Manual Therapy is manipulating the soft tissues of the body to release tension and remove adhesions or “knots” in an individual muscle or between two muscles. Circulation is also increased to remove stagnant metabolic wastes and bring fresh blood and oxygen to an area. At times, the techniques may cause some discomfort but they are necessary to accomplish the goal of restoring the tissues to normalcy. There may also be some soreness the next day which should subside.
Myofascial Release, a gentle form of stretching of facial tissue which surrounds muscles, is a therapeutic treatment that produces a healing effect on the body’s tissues, eliminating pain and restoring motion. The therapist guides the patient through easy stretches designed to help counteract the effects of trauma, poor posture, and inflammation in the body.
Pre-natal Manual Therapy is regarded as a form of massage that exemplifies the healing hands approach to care. In a time when it is needed the most, this form of therapy provides a physiological and emotional support for patients. Manual therapy relieves any anxiety or physical discomfort that emerges during pregnancy.
Therapeutic Exercises
Strength Training is an important component of a MaxWell Medical Program. It is used to help strengthen and rebuild your injured areas along with increasing endurance of the muscle. This will prevent the injury from reoccurring and help with general conditioning. Different forms of strength training are incorporated such as free weights, resistance tubing and calisthenics.
Balance Training and proprioception training are instrumental techniques to ensure the return of proper motor control to muscles and efficiency in body control and function. Your body’s balance will be examined and after that exercises to restore balance will be performed.
Flexibility Training In general terms, flexibility has been defined as the range of motion about a joint and surrounding muscles during a passive movement. Passive in this context simply means no active muscle involvement is required to hold the stretch. By increasing this joint range of motion, performance may be enhanced and the risk of injury reduced.
Electric Muscle Stimulation
Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) ) is the application of electrical stimuli to a group of muscles, most often for the purpose of muscle rehabilitation after injury, or another incident that results in loss of muscle functions and for pain management. NMES is achieved by passing an electrical impulse from a device through electrodes placed on the skin over the targeted muscle or muscles. For the purpose of rehabilitation and for pain management, electrical stimulation is typically used in conjunction with other methods of physical therapy.
The intent of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation is to stimulate the nerves in the muscle with electrical impulses. Electrical impulses are a natural part of the normal communication between the brain and the muscular system in an injured or unaffected body. With Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation, these natural impulses are simulated and can help “retain” the muscles to function again and help with pain relief. Your muscles may twitch slightly during electric stimulation.
Ultrasound
Therapeutic Ultrasound is a deep tissue heating modality reaching underlying tissues as deep as one to five centimeters, it is used to treat musculoskeletal injuries, back and joint conditions, limited range of motion, soft tissue injuries, and chronic conditions. Treatment is administered directly which penetrated the tissues, increases blood flow, relaxes muscle spasms, repairs damaged tissue, and dramatically speeds the healing process. It creates permanent, physical changes and repairs both hard and soft tissue problems. You may feel a slight warming sensation during the ultrasounds treatment. For soft tissue healing, ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves, well beyond the range of human hearing, which causes molecules in the tissues to vibrate, producing heart and mechanical energy.
