MANUAL THERAPY
Physical therapy is a professional health care discipline directed primarily towards the rehabilitation of movement dysfunction. A movement dysfunction is defined as "an alteration in normal body biomechanics that limits effective or efficient body performance". The movement dysfunction may be due to pain, congenital anomalies, disease processes, accident or injury, enforced activity, maladaptive postures, problems secondary to aging, or psychological/social stress. The dysfunction may be manifested in actual or potential impairment related to the neuromuscular, musculoskeletal, respiratory or cardiovascular systems.
A physical therapist is qualified and allowed by his/her professional scope of practice to establish a physical diagnosis and determine a client's movement potential and plan and implement physical therapy programmes using specialised knowledge and skills for the prevention or treatment of movement dysfunction, and participate in such other professional activities such as: research, teaching, consultation and administration. Manual and/or manipulative therapy is used to restore motion when joints are restricted either due to fibrosis (stiffness) or to over activation of the muscular system. Some of these techniques include:
•Passive joint mobilization
•Passive joint manipulation
•Positional and dynamic myofascial release
•Dynamic joint manipulation combined with neuro-myofascial release
•Soft tissue release - Massage
•Visceral release
At RVC Rehab Services you will find physical therapists who have taken specialized training in post-graduate manual & manipulative therapy and integrate these techniques into their treatment plans.
EXERCISE INSTRUCTION
At RVC Rehab Services we marry our medical expertise with our exercise expertise into a fitness experience that is qualitatively different from and will far exceed any regular gym. As part of our development process we continually take principles and practices that we have found to be successful in delivering physical therapy services and apply them to fitness. For example, our vision dictated that we would provide only information and instruction that was scientifically based and successfully researched. We are proud of our team of physical therapists, exercise physiologists, physical therapist assistants and athletic trainers, among others.
After restoring joint mobility at our medically-oriented gym, an individual exercise programme is then prescribed. We will address the specific condition at hand, with emphasis on retaining motor patterns. Through this proven strategy, patients will get maximum results without irritation of joint structures or symptom exacerbation. All exercises are patient-specific according to their work and recreation demands.
Exercise programmes are offered on a one-to-one basis for specific conditions such as: backaches, postpartum health, weight loss, controlling diabetes or to simply improve overall wellness. Yoga, Tai Chi and Pilates are some of the exercises included in such programmes. In addition, we teach exercise techniques for all of the body’s major joints, to combat some of the most common diagnoses seen in older persons such as: Stroke, Parkinson’s disease, Osteoporosis, gait and balance deficits, etc. etc.
We have fulfilled our vision by providing a place where our referring physicians will feel confident in safely sending us overweight or obese patients, patients with diabetes, hypertension, cardiac problems, postpartum conditions and cancer, etc. Upon referral, we will design a programme that takes into account our patient’s medical status and progress them along as they improve. As these patients progress toward exercise independence, our therapy staff can now collaborate with the fitness staff and actually assist in making lifestyle changes for the patients!
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