Physical Therapy

Empowering Patients on Their Journey to Wellness

At Florida Orthopaedic Institute, we believe in empowering our patients to regain not just their physical abilities, but also the freedom to pursue the activities and passions that bring them joy and fulfillment in life. Our in-house physical and occupational therapy services are designed to support the rehabilitation needs of our patients, seamlessly integrating with the care provided by our orthopedic physicians. The very nature of our orthopedic practice often involves integrating patient care with physical or occupational therapists after seeing one of our physicians. Our goal is to offer immediate access to our therapy centers and to start treatment within 24-48 hours of a physician’s referral. This permits seamless care while allowing us to track the quality of your care, ensuring you receive the highest standard of treatment.

Reclaiming Independence and Happiness

However, our ultimate goal goes beyond just physical rehabilitation. We strive to empower our patients to regain their independence in everyday activities of life, enabling them to rediscover the hobbies, passions, and pursuits that bring them happiness and fulfillment. Whether it’s returning to an active lifestyle, pursuing creative endeavors, or simply enjoying quality time with loved ones, we are committed to helping our patients reclaim their ability to live life to the fullest. Our therapists work closely with each patient, tailoring treatment plans to their unique needs, goals, and aspirations. We believe that by empowering our patients to take an active role in their recovery journey, we can not only restore their physical abilities but also reignite their zest for life, enabling them to embrace the activities and experiences that truly make them happy.

Physical Therapy Services

Balance Training and Fall Prevention

Balance training is an effective way to improve balance and reduce the risk of falls.

Biomechanical Movement Assessment and Training

Biomechanical movement assessment involves evaluating an individual’s joint mobility, muscle flexibility, and movement patterns to identify limitations or dysfunctions that may contribute to pain or impaired performance. Training programs can then be designed to address these specific biomechanical issues through corrective exercises, proper exercise progression, and technique coaching.

Blood Flow Restriction Training

Blood flow restriction (BFR) training involves applying a tourniquet or cuff to partially restrict blood flow out of the working muscles during exercise, allowing for significant muscle growth and strength gains using lighter weight loads compared to traditional resistance training. The main purpose of BFR training is to create an anaerobic environment in the muscles that tricks the body into thinking it is working harder than it actually is, thereby stimulating muscle hypertrophy and strength adaptations with lower overall stress and joint impact.

Cupping

Physical therapists may use cupping as a technique for tissue distraction release, where the cups are glided across different areas to lift and separate tissues, potentially enhancing the release of neural tissues, fascia, skin, ligaments, muscles, and tendons. Cupping therapy can help relax muscles, release trigger points, improve lymphatic flow, increase local circulation, and release scar tissue adhesions, making it a useful modality in physical therapy for conditions like myofascial pain, chronic neck/back pain, and fibromyalgia.

Dry Needling

Dry needling is a technique used by physical therapists (where allowed by state law) that involves inserting thin, solid filament needles into trigger points in muscles or connective tissues to help reduce pain and improve mobility. It aims to release or inactivate myofascial trigger points by targeting the underlying muscular and connective tissues, potentially normalizing dysfunctions and facilitating a return to active rehabilitation.

Electric Stimulation and Biofeedback

Electric stimulation and biofeedback are commonly used techniques in physical therapy, where electric stimulation applies low-voltage currents to stimulate muscles, while biofeedback uses sensors or visual cues to provide patients with real-time feedback about physiological processes like muscle activity, allowing them to gain conscious control over functions that are typically involuntary.

Functional Mobility Assessment and Training

Functional mobility assessments are commonly used in physical therapy to evaluate a patient’s ability to perform everyday movements and identify any limitations or dysfunctions. These assessments provide valuable insights that guide physical therapists in developing targeted treatment plans and corrective exercise programs to improve a patient’s functional mobility, enhance performance, and reduce the risk of future injuries.

Gait/Running Analysis and Training

Gait and running analysis is a valuable tool used by physical therapists to evaluate a patient’s walking or running mechanics, identify any abnormalities or dysfunctions in their movement patterns, and develop targeted treatment plans to correct biomechanical issues, improve performance, and reduce the risk of injury. Through visual observation, video analysis, and other instrumentation, physical therapists can assess factors like foot strike pattern, stride length, joint angles, muscle activity, and ground reaction forces to pinpoint limitations and design appropriate interventions.

Individualized Exercise Programs

Individualized exercise programs in physical therapy involve designing tailored exercise plans that address each patient’s specific needs, impairments, functional limitations, and goals, rather than providing generic or one-size-fits-all exercises. These customized programs take into account factors like the patient’s condition, deficits, abilities, preferences, and lifestyle to maximize therapeutic benefits, adherence, and successful outcomes.

Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Release (IASTM)

Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) is a manual therapy technique used in physical therapy that involves applying specially designed tools to identify and treat soft tissue restrictions, adhesions, and scar tissue by breaking them down and promoting healing through increased blood flow and collagen remodeling. IASTM tools like stainless steel instruments, cups, and brushes are used to amplify the therapist’s ability to detect and mobilize restricted areas in muscles, tendons, ligaments, and fascia, facilitating improved range of motion, reduced pain, and faster recovery from injuries.

Manual Therapy

Manual therapy techniques are commonly used by physical therapists to treat musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction, involving skilled hands-on techniques like joint mobilizations, soft tissue mobilization, and manipulations to improve joint mobility, reduce muscle tension, and facilitate proper movement patterns. These manual techniques are often integrated with therapeutic exercise, patient education, and other interventions as part of a comprehensive physical therapy treatment plan.

Myofascial Release

Myofascial release is a manual therapy technique commonly used in physical therapy that involves applying gentle, sustained pressure to release restrictions and tightness in the body’s fascial system, which surrounds and supports the muscles, bones, nerves, and other structures. Through targeted myofascial release, physical therapists can help reduce pain, increase mobility and range of motion, improve posture and alignment, and facilitate the body’s natural healing processes for a variety of musculoskeletal conditions.

Neuromuscular Reeducation

Neuromuscular re-education is a technique used by physical therapists to restore normal movement patterns by retraining the brain, spinal cord, and muscles in voluntary and reflex motor activities through manual techniques, therapeutic exercises, and activities that engage balance and core control. It aims to improve movement, strength, balance, coordination, posture, proprioception, and kinesthetic sense by facilitating the return of normal neuromuscular function after injury, surgery, or neurological conditions.

Post Operation Therapy

Post-operative physical therapy is crucial for facilitating recovery after surgery, as it helps restore strength, range of motion, and functional mobility through targeted exercises, manual techniques, and gradual progression of activities tailored to the individual’s surgical procedure and needs. Physical therapists play a vital role in guiding patients through the post-operative rehabilitation process, from initial mobilization to regaining full function, with the goals of minimizing complications, reducing pain and inflammation, and optimizing outcomes.

Pre-habilitation Exercises

Pre-habilitation (pre-hab) in physical therapy involves proactive exercises, stretches, and interventions designed to improve strength, flexibility, and movement patterns before an injury occurs or surgery is performed, with the goal of enhancing physical function, reducing injury risk, and facilitating a faster recovery. Physical therapists utilize pre-hab to target areas prone to injury, correct muscle imbalances and faulty movement mechanics, and optimize a patient’s overall conditioning to better prepare their body for the demands of daily activities, sports, or surgical procedures.

Return to Sport Programming

In physical therapy, return to sport is viewed as a continuum that involves gradually progressing an athlete from initial rehabilitation to full participation in their sport at their pre-injury level of performance, with phases like return to participation, return to sport, and return to performance. Physical therapists play a key role in facilitating this process through individualized treatment plans, functional assessments, sport-specific training, load management, and addressing biopsychosocial factors to ensure a safe and successful return to the desired level of athletic activity.

Return to Work Programming

Return to work programming in physical therapy involves structured, goal-oriented interventions designed to restore an injured worker’s physical capabilities, job-specific functions, and work behaviors to facilitate a safe and timely return to their previous occupational duties. These programs utilize real or simulated work activities, job simulation models, functional capacity evaluations, and multidisciplinary approaches to address physical limitations, work conditioning, ergonomics, and psychosocial factors impacting return to work.

Ultrasound

Ultrasound is commonly used in physical therapy to promote healing of soft tissue injuries by increasing blood flow, reducing inflammation, and facilitating the breakdown of scar tissue through thermal and non-thermal effects. It delivers high-frequency sound waves that penetrate deep into muscles, tendons, and other tissues to provide therapeutic benefits like pain relief, improved mobility, and accelerated tissue repair.

Our Physical Therapists

Our physical therapists (PT) are highly trained and licensed healthcare professional who specializes in evaluating, diagnosing, and treating individuals of all ages with medical conditions, illnesses, or injuries that limit their ability to move and perform functional activities in their daily lives. They work collaboratively as part of an interdisciplinary team that includes Physical Therapist Assistants, Athletic Trainers, and our talented Physician teams.
We develop individualized treatment plans aimed at maximizing each patient’s functional independence, quality of life, and participation in desired activities, whether that involves avoiding the need for long term use of medication, avoiding surgery, recovering from an injury, recovering from surgery, managing a chronic condition, or achieving optimal physical performance.

Who We Treat

We welcome individuals of all ages and backgrounds. Our physical therapists are here to help anyone who has a medical problem, injury, illness, or other health-related condition that limits their ability to fully participate in the functional activities and daily life roles that are important to them.

What to Expect

Your therapist will start by listening to you to gather detailed information about your medical history, current condition or injury, symptoms, limitations in daily activities, and goals for therapy. This initial evaluation helps the therapist understand the patient’s needs.

They will perform a comprehensive physical examination to assess things like range of motion, strength, flexibility, posture, gait, balance, and functional mobility. This allows your physical therapist to identify impairments and develop an appropriate treatment plan. Your therapist will explain their findings from the evaluation, provide education about your condition, and discuss the proposed treatment approach and expected outcomes. This helps set realistic expectations.

Depending on your therapist’s assessment, they may initiate some treatment during the first visit, such as manual therapy techniques, therapeutic exercises, modalities like ultrasound or electrical stimulation, or providing instructions for a home exercise program. The therapist will collaborate with the patient to establish goals, a treatment schedule (frequency and duration), and any necessary precautions or activity modifications during the rehabilitation process. All of these findings will be shared with your physician to ensure high levels of communication.

Overall, the first visit allows the therapist to thoroughly evaluate the patient’s condition, develop a personalized treatment plan, educate the patient, potentially begin some initial interventions, and communicate and collaborate with you physician to establish a plan of care.

Who We Work With As Part Of Your Medical Plan

Sports Medicine Physicians: Our physical and occupational therapists collaborate closely with sports medicine physicians to treat sports-related injuries in athletes of all levels, from amateur to professional.

Trauma Specialists: We work in conjunction with trauma specialists to help restore range of motion, strength, and function for patients recovering from motor vehicle accidents or work-related traumatic injuries.

Hand, Shoulder and Elbow Specialists: Our team partners with hand, shoulder, and elbow physicians, providing early intervention with custom splinting and rehabilitation following upper extremity injuries or surgeries.

Spine Specialists: Physical therapists work alongside spine specialists in treating acute and chronic neck/back pain, arthritis, disc herniations, and other spinal conditions to help patients return to pre-injury activity levels.

Joint Replacement Specialists: Our physical and occupational therapists play an integral role before and after upper and lower extremity joint replacement surgeries to maximize function, mobility, and quality of life.

Occupational Therapists (OTs): Our occupational therapy services include education related to prevention, non-operative or conservative treatment, post-operative treatment, desensitization and sensory re-education, design and implementation of personalized home exercise programs, work conditioning, edema management, wound and scar care management and custom orthotic fabrication for the upper extremities.

Physical Therapist Assistants (PTAs): PTs supervise and collaborate with the direct team of PTAs in implementing treatment plans and providing hands-on therapy.

Athletic Trainers (ATCs): In sports medicine settings, PTs supervise and collaborate with ATCs in implementing treatment plans and rehabilitating athletic injuries.