Expert Orthopedic Care, Exceptional Service
  • About
  • Blog
  • Info
  • Testimonials
  • FAQ

What Makes Effective Physical Therapy? Five Things.

5/22/2017

0 Comments

 
​It's confusing for everyone (students, physical therapists, other health/medical practitioners, and the public) that physical therapy exists in so many varied forms. Different evaluation and treatment approaches abound - not to mention distinct underlying thoughts on actual pathology. I believe strongly in Robin McKenzie's approach of mechanical diagnosis and therapy (MDT). I use this evaluation and patient treatment approach because it makes sense anatomically and physiologically and because it produces faster and longer-lasting results than other methods I have used. Because I am often asked my opinion on separate treatment methods, I have come up with a concrete checklist for what I designate effective physical therapy.
​
Effective physical therapy:
  1. Meets the patient's goals. If they are not realistic, input from the PT is appropriate.
  2. Fosters patient independence at every turn. Patients need to be educated in regard to every facet of their care and be given control over their recovery. (At least half of my time with my patients is spent on education.)
  3. Is efficient. (Experienced MDT clinicians average around 6 visits with patients. Efficiency is manifested in the MDT treatment approach as well as patients are typically prescribed only one exercise for their home program.)
  4. Ensures full/maximal range of motion and full/maximal strength at the affected joints and muscles. Importantly, this also involves the related spinal segments. Extremity pathology cannot be deemed fully resolved unless the spinal segments which supply nerves to the affected extremity also have full/maximal, pain-free range of motion. (MDT clinicians have a wonderful assessment for the spine designed to seek out even the smallest of obstructions, which are very often relevant.)
  5. Teaches prevention strategies. Patients must understand how to keep their problem from returning and how to self-monitor for recurrence to minimize reliance on the medical community. (My two primary strategies are posture correction and use of a maintenance exercise with takes 1-2 minutes daily.)
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Orthopedics Blog

    Learn more about the world of diagnosing and treating orthopedics here!
    McKenzie Method


    ​Categories

    All
    Abdomen
    Achilles
    Ankle
    Arthritis
    Assistive Device
    Athletes
    Bending
    Biking
    Car
    Centralization
    Chairs
    Core
    Degeneration
    Diagnosing
    Directional Preference
    Discs
    Ear
    Elbow
    Ergonomics
    Exercise
    Extremity
    FABER
    Foam Rolling
    Foot
    Glutes
    Hamstrings
    Hand
    Headache
    Hearing
    Hip
    Imaging
    Immobilization
    Impingement
    Inflammation
    IT Band
    Joints
    Knee
    Lumbar/Low Back
    McKenzie Method
    Medication
    Meniscus
    Mobilization
    Modalities
    Morton's Neuroma
    Muscles
    Neck
    Nerves
    Numbness
    Obesity
    OST
    Osteoarthritis
    Outcomes
    Pain
    Palpation
    Performance
    Piriformis
    Plantar Fasciitis
    Podcast
    Posture
    Prevention
    Prognosis
    Proprioception
    Quadriceps
    Range Of Motion
    Rehabilitation
    Repeated Movement
    Running
    Scar Tissue
    Shoulder
    Shoulder Blade
    Sinuses
    Sleeping
    Spine
    Spondylolisthesis
    Sports
    Stenosis
    Stiffness
    Strain
    Strength/Strengthening
    Stretching
    Surgery
    Swelling
    Tendon
    Thoracic
    Tightness
    Tingling
    Verbal History
    Video
    Volunteering
    Wrist

    Archives

    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016

    RSS Feed

  • About
  • Blog
  • Info
  • Testimonials
  • FAQ