Cryotherapy (Ice/Cold Therapy)
- Ice or cold therapy is used to decrease swelling, inflammation and pain associated with joint sprains and muscle strains. It is most often used initially after an injury or surgery, but can often times be
Cryotherapy (Ice/Cold Therapy)
- Ice or cold therapy is used to decrease swelling, inflammation and pain associated with joint sprains and muscle strains. It is most often used initially after an injury or surgery, but can often times be used throughout the recovery process to help with healing and help with controlling pain levels.
- Cold in a local area of the body initially causes vasoconstriction (constriction of blood vessels decreasing blood flow to an area) which can limit inflammation and reduce nerve conduction velocity slowing the transmission of a pain stimulus to the brain.
- After the initial vasoconstriction, a vasodilation (opening of the blood vessels) in the area of the cold can occur to help with controlling the exposure of cold to an area of the body. This helps with the body flushing nutrients through an area which will help with healing.
- A cold stimulus to the brain can also overload the pain signal to the brain providing a temporary relief of the constant pain signal which may help you be able to relax.
Electrical Stimulation (E stim)
- E stim is used for pain management, improving joint range of motion, improving neuromuscular dysfunction, and improvement motor control and strength. Other benefits of E stim include limiting muscle atrophy, improving local blood flow, and muscle re-education.
- Walking normally often becomes difficult after sustaining and injury to a lower extremity. Learning to walk in a normal and symmetrical gait pattern is an important part of the injury recovery process. A physical therapist is trained in assessing gait abnormalities, determining the cause, and retraining you how to walk normally again after surgery or injury.
- Iontophoresis is a treatment in which an electrical current is used to help drive an ionized medication (e.g. the steroidal anti-inflammatory dexamethasone) to deeper tissues in the body. Iontophoresis is used to treat acute and subacute inflammation. Most people do not report any discomfort, but sometimes minor irritation occurs with the passage of the medication and electrical current through the skin. Tendonitis is a common condition treated with iontophoresis.
- Joint mobilization is a manual therapy treatment that involves the passive movement of a skeletal joint. Joint mobilization has therapeutic effects such as improving joint mobility, decreasing pain and changin