The word orthopedic stems from the Greek word orthos meaning “correct” or “straight.” The orthopedic care we give at 4 Oaks Physical Therapy involves treating, or correcting and straightening, painful conditions that decrease the body’s strength and range of motion.
Our highly skilled physical therapists identify and manage musculoskeletal disorders are trained to provide care for each diagnosis. We strive to keep our patients motivated throughout the therapy process with a friendly atmosphere and measurable progress.
Types of Orthopedic Care We Provide
The body’s orthopedic system consists of muscles, nerves, joints, bones, ligaments, and tendons. Physical therapy is most useful for the treatment of orthopedic conditions that cause pain, resulting in decreased strength and range of motion, and increased swelling.
These conditions are after-effects of, but are not limited to: sprains/strains, muscle or ligament tears, arthritis, joint/muscle/tendon inflammations, joint stiffness or pain, post fracture injury, rotator cuff repair, ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) reconstruction, and total joint replacement surgeries.
What Is Manual Therapy and How Does It Treat Orthopedic Injuries?
Many of our highly and uniquely trained therapists approach injuries, whatever their cause may be, with a technique called manual therapy. For certain musculoskeletal conditions, manual therapy is a helpful treatment for joints that lack adequate mobility and range of motion.
This method looks at the repair of movement and function from a different perspective. Unlike some physical therapies that use hot packs, ultrasounds or other devices, manual therapy is a broad group of methods that are injury-specific and hands-on that commonly use kneading and manipulation of certain muscles or joints in order to give you more movement with less pain.
This clinical approach uses manipulation, massage, mobilization, and myofascial release techniques to affect soft tissue, muscles, joints, and nerves in order to lessen pain, increase motion, and develop function. Therapists cater certain techniques to each individual injury depending on what would be most beneficial for you.
Massaging or what is also called soft tissue work, applies specific pressure to the body’s injured muscles. This method helps relax muscles, increase circulation, break up scar tissue, and ease the pain within the soft tissue. For the area surrounding an injury, such as a joint or bone, there is mobilization/manipulation.
With manipulation and mobilization, our therapists apply a high velocity, low amplitude thrust to the joint with the goal of regaining optimal motion. This method of manual therapy moves joints in specific directions at varying speeds, stretching the muscles surrounding the injury and giving it strength.
4 Oaks Physical Therapy provides orthopedic care for patients in the Baltimore-Washington area at all our locations. For more information, please contact us.
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