Conditions

Physical therapy conditions: Customized treatments for a broad scope of issues

At Performance Physical Therapy, our personalized treatments address a wide range of physical therapy conditions—well beyond the standard perception that many people have of physical therapy. From chronic headaches to sports injuries to post-pregnancy pain, we can provide relief, recovery, and a return to healthy functioning.

Common conditions treated by Performance Physical Therapy are listed below. In practice, our bodies are dynamic and interconnected, so whatever pain you are feeling probably falls into several of these categories:

Sprains and strains. Sometimes we know when we have injured our self, and sometimes we hurt and we don’t know why. Often we have sprains and strains of our muscles, joint pain from poor posture, or muscle imbalances resulting in a range of musculoskeletal disorders, all of which can be treated with a variety of strengthening and therapeutic stretching techniques.

Sports injuries. We’ve treated gymnasts, soccer players young and old, ballet dancers, even a circus contortionist, just to name a few. You name it, we’ve seen it. We offer strengthening treatments and core strengthening to get you back on your game—and keep you there.

Injuries from auto accidents. Soft tissue damage, muscle strains, whiplash, headaches, and more. Our experts in manual therapy and posture education can treat your pain points and help you return to normal functioning.

Back pain. The back is one of the most commonly injured parts of the body. The pain can come from your muscles, discs, joints, or pressure on a nerve. With spinal stabilization and manual therapy, we can help relieve pain and restore function.

Muscle pain. The severity of the injury depends on your level of pain—from a strain, to a sprain, to a torn muscle. In most cases, strengthening, stretching, manual therapy, and modalities can help you return to activities sooner than rest alone.

Head and neck pain. Symptoms include headaches, postural issues, nerve and muscle inflammation or impingement, among others. We apply cervical spinal stabilization and posture reeducation to provide sustainable, long-term improvements to these conditions.

Post-surgical pain and muscle weakness. Loss of range of motion and weakness after surgery. Our physical therapists apply medically proven techniques to restore your range of motion, flexibility, and strength after surgery.

Chronic pain. Ongoing pain for three months or longer. It hurts “all the time” and nothing seems to help. We address your pain immediately, find and evaluate the underlying source of your pain, and break the pain cycle with manual therapy and various physical therapy modalities to restore your normal functioning.

Knee injuries. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), medial collateral ligament (MCL or tibial collateral ligament), meniscus tears, chondromalacia patella (a.k.a “runner’s knee”). We help you get back on your feet by stabilizing your knee with muscle strengthening and muscle reeducation.

Nerve pain and impingement. Pinched nerves, tingling, numbness, and muscle spasms. Manual therapy is particularly useful for treating these conditions, including techniques such as mobilization and nerve gliding.

Posture issues. Pain in the neck and/or back that commonly results from working long hours at a computer, or occupations that require working stooped over. Strengthening the muscles to correct the posture is the key to relieving pain and preventing a more substantial injury.

Tendinitis and overuse injuries. Inflammation of a tendon. Commonly occurs in our shoulders, knees, and elbow. Includes runner’s knee, tennis elbow, and golfer’s elbow. We work with you to calm the inflammation with manual therapy and modalities, and then reeducate the muscles to function properly under load.

Arthritis. A form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of the joints. The most common forms are osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease, and rheumatoid arthritis, related autoimmune diseases. The pain from arthritis can be treated, and the joint can be stabilized by strengthening the muscles around it.

Vestibular and balance dysfunctions. A balance disorder can cause you to feel unsteady, dizzy or cause a sensation of movement while sitting still. Balance is the result of several body systems working together: the visual system (eyes), vestibular system (ears), and proprioception (the body’s sense of where it is in space). Problems in any of these systems can lead to balance deficits. Our physical therapists offer balance training, fall prevention techniques, vestibular retraining and repositioning as with benign positional vertigo (BPPV).

Chronic headaches. Migraines, tension headaches, postural headaches, injury or trauma related headaches like a fall or a car accident. These conditions can be treated by manual therapy and cervical spinal stabilization.

Osteoporosis. A disease of bones that leads to an increased risk of fracture due to the decreased density of the bone. We can help improve the strength of the bones with exercise, and also correct postural problems from weak bones. Improving balance to prevent falls also helps to minimize the effects of osteoporosis.

Sciatica. Inflamed nerve in the lower back through the buttocks. Sometimes accompanied by a tingling down the leg. We can ease pain and return your normal functioning by calming the pressure on the nerve with manual therapy and therapeutic exercises.

Plantar fasciitis. Inflammation or pain in the bottom of the heel or arch. Stretching and modalities can calm the inflammation, allowing muscle retraining to prevent a return of the condition.

Concussions. Headaches, feelings of pressure in the head, temporary loss of consciousness, confusion, and other conditions related to head trauma.Prevention through neck stabilization and strengthening. Post-concussion treatment includes balance re-education, neck stabilization, and strengthening.

Neurological disorders. Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s Disease, traumatic brain injury, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, autism, spina bifida, and others. Syptoms of these conditions can be treated, in part, by strengthening and stretching with exercises specific to the disorder.

Complex regional pain syndrome. Nervous system hypersensitivity. Ouch! Every touch hurts. Our physical therapists can retrain the nervous system to decrease sensitivity.

Carpal tunnel syndrome. Restriction of a nerve in your wrist. Manual therapy and modalities, combined with exercises, can decrease inflammation and take pressure off the nerve.

TMJ Syndrome. Temporomandibular joint dysfunction where the lower jaw connects to the skull. This condition can be treated by retraining the muscles and joint with manual therapy and exercises to stabilize the joint. Posture retraining is also critical in treating the jaw and changing bad habits.