Orthopedic Physical Therapy
ORTHOPEDIC PHYSICAL THERAPY is a physical therapy specialty which deals with the treatment, correction, and prevention of musculoskeletal injuries and trauma. It is within this specialty area where the largest number of physical therapists practice. It involves the evaluation and treatment of enumerable types of bone fractures, dislocations, etc., associated with soft-tissue (muscle/ligament/tendon) sprains and strains. The injuries can occur anywhere from at home to at work, from the sports field to the bedroom. Likewise, no age is immunefor injuries can occur to an infant as well as a senior citizen and every age in between.
If the orthopedic injury occurred in the workplace, then the staff at JACK D. CLOSE AND ASSOCIATES will not only assist the patient in the recovery from the injury, but also assist in teaching the patent proper body mechanics so that the patient can apply these techniques in the workplace and hopefully prevent the injury from reoccurring. We can also help by providing the patient and his employer with an ergonomic consult and evaluation so as to improve the patients function in the workplace with decreased potential for re-injury.
If the patient is suffering from a sports-related orthopedic injury, after the acute injury has been correctly identified and treated by our staff, we will develop a sport-specific training program to assist the athlete in returning to his/her sport as soon as feasibly possible. This will involve specific programs which will promote strength, flexibility, speed and power necessary for the athlete to continue to compete at his/her level of skill and competition.
If the injury occurred as a result of a trauma such as a fall or a motor vehicle accident, the pain reducing physical therapy treatment for the acute injury and dysfunction is a critical component. As the pain decreases and the mobility of the injured areas increase, the patient will then be taken through a strengthening exercise and conditioning program designed to return the patient to a level of functioning as close as possible to the patients previous functional level before the injury.
Because every orthopedic patient is unique, the most important part of the rehabilitation provided by an orthopedic physical therapist is the initial or clarifying evaluation; the therapist has every opportunity to evaluate the patients current level of function and dysfunction and will document any areas of imbalances or deficiencies which could impair the patients ability to recover the injury. With the evaluation complete, the physical therapy and rehabilitation program provided by the staff at JACK D. CLOSE AND ASSOCIATES will provide the most up-to-date and current treatment protocol available. This will involve state-of-the-art equipment along with hands on rehabilitation and manual therapy techniques designed to restore the patients strength and function. Last, but by far not least, each patient in our clinic will receive an active and aggressive home exercise program which will be custom fit to the rehabilitative needs of each patient. Upon discharge, the patient will also be eligible for periodic (no-charge) re-evaluations and progression of their program.
