Services
Therapeutic Exercise
We frequently use therapeutic exercise as a tool to help you regain strength and mobility and get back to doing what you love to do! The exercises used vary based on patient need and area of injury, and are chosen based on your goals along with protocols depending on your specific situation.
Modalities
Modalities are often used in conjunction with other areas of your treatment, to help alleviate/reduce pain in the affected area.
These may include, but are not limited to: ice packs, hot packs, electrical stimulation, therapeutic ultrasound, theragun, and paraffin treatment.
NormaTec
NormaTec is a beneficial service for anyone looking for faster muscle recovery, increased range of motion, increased mobility, and more!
We offer NormaTec for the upper extremities, lower extremities, and pelvis.
Benefits include:
Faster muscle recovery
Improved athletic performance
Increased ROM + flexibility
Reduced lactic acid buildup
Improved blood flow
Improved nutrient flow
NormaTec is offered alongside other therapy services or can be a stand-alone service. No referral is needed!
Kinesiotaping
Kinesiotaping provides support and stability to muscles and joints, without restricting the body’s range of motion. It also provides extended soft tissue manipulation to prolong the benefits of manual therapy.
Latex-free and wearable for days at a time, kinesiology tape is safe for everyone from kids to senior adults, successfully treating a variety of orthopedic, neuromuscular, neurological and other medical conditions.
The therapeutic taping technique not only offers support, but it also rehabilitates the affected condition as well. By targeting different receptors within the somatosensory system, kinesiology tape alleviates pain and facilitates lymphatic drainage by microscopically lifting the skin. This lifting effect forms convolutions in the skin, increasing interstitial space and allowing for a decrease in inflammation of the affected areas.
Kinesiology tape can be applied in hundreds of ways, and has the ability to re-educate the neuromuscular system, reduce pain and inflammation, optimize performance, prevent injury and promote good circulation and healing. It has been proven to have positive physiological effects on the skin, lymphatic and circulatory system, fascia, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and joints.
Kinesiotaping can be used in conjunction with a multitude of other treatments and modalities, and is effective during the rehabilitative and chronic phases on an injury, as well as being used for preventative measures.
Both Dr. Brown and Taylon are certified in kinesiotaping and would be happy to help you get back to your daily activities with more mobility and reduced pain.
Therapeutic Dry Needling
Dry needling is a general term for a therapeutic treatment procedure that involves multiple advances of a filament needle into a muscle that is causing pain.
There is no injectable solution, and typically the needle that is used is very thin. Most patients will not even feel the needle penetrate the skin. Usually, a healthy muscle feels very little discomfort upon insertion of the needle. However, if the muscle is sensitive or contains active trigger points, a sensation much like a muscle cramp may occur (also called a “twitch response”).
The twitch response also has a biochemical characteristic to it, which likely affects the reaction of the muscle, symptoms, and response of the tissue. The patient may only feel the cramping sensation locally, or they may feel a referral of pain or similar symptoms for which they are seeking treatment.
A reproduction of their pain can be a helpful diagnostic indicator of the cause of the symptoms. Patients soon learn to recognize and even welcome this sensation, as it results in deactivating the trigger point, reducing pain, and restoring the normal length and function of the involved muscle.
Typically, positive results appear within 2-4 treatment sessions but can vary depending on the cause and duration of the symptoms and overall health of the patient.
Dry needling is an effective treatment for acute/chronic pain, rehabilitation from injury, and even pain/injury prevention with very few side effects. This technique is unequaled in finding and eliminating neuromuscular dysfunction that leads to pain and functional deficits.
Dr. Brown is certified at KinetaCore Training FDN Level 1.
Blood Flow Restriction Therapy
Alma Physical Therapy is excited to offer a new, innovative exercise approach to speed your recovery!
The use of Blood Flow Restriction Therapy (BFR) has allowed us to offer an alternative way to strengthen weak muscles without the stress to joints that traditional exercise requires.
BFR is performed with a medical-grade, FDA-approved tourniquet that is placed on the upper arm or thigh. This computerized tourniquet has built-in safety features and establishes the minimal amount of pressure it takes to restrict blood flow. The minimal pressure is called your Limb Occlusion Pressure (LOP). This pressure is regulated and monitored continuously for patient comfort and safety. The cuff accounts for different variables such as your systolic blood pressure, cuff design, cuff application, limb size, limb shape, and tissue at the cuff site. All these features ensure that your pressure stays consistent and safe.
Once your individual LOP is established, the actual treatment can begin. Your Personal Tourniquet Pressure (PTP) is established by restricting 80% of blood flow to the leg or 50% to the arm. Every patient is different and it can fluctuate from week to week, so it is monitored on a regular basis.
By restricting blood flow to a limb, the muscles aren’t required to work as hard in order to strengthen. With the use of BFR, patients who used to be limited by the body’s natural healing process can start strengthening earlier. Earlier strengthening equals a faster recovery. A faster recovery means patients getting back to doing the things they love to do!
If you’ve suffered an injury or have an orthopedic surgery scheduled and you’re wondering if BFR Therapy could work for you, contact us for more information. We will be happy to discuss any and all questions that you have.
More information on Blood Flow Restriction Therapy:
Whole Body Vibration
Whole Body Vibration is a type of therapy that utilizes vibrations for musculoskeletal healing and strengthening.
To begin, most people stand on the vibration platform with knees bent at a 30-degree angle, while the surface beneath their feet vibrates around 30 times per second.
The vibration tricks the body into thinking you're falling. In turn, this activates a “stress reflex,” which is an extremely rapid muscle contraction. These muscle contractions are responsible for most of the benefits attributed to this type of exercise.
Benefits include increased circulation, muscle strength, and flexibility; better range of motion; core conditioning and stability; and faster muscle recovery after working out. Health benefits also include enhanced metabolism, increased bone mineral density, reduction of the stress hormone cortisol, elevation of human growth hormone levels, and improved lymphatic flow.
Whole Body Vibration can provide muscle toning and conditioning for those who have health restrictions that keep them from exercising, such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and some forms of arthritis.
Whole body vibration offers a host of benefits and can assist with:
Improving circulation and cardiovascular function
Improving flexibility and range of motion
Improving general wellbeing and fitness
Fall prevention
Improving muscular strength and power
Alleviating pain
Increasing bone mineral density and preventing bone mineral density loss related to aging