Physical Medicine
Physical medicine is an important part of a treatment plan for many conditions. Physical medicine is also used effectively in helping injured workers return to the workforce, people suffering from arthritis and people recovering from surgery.
Rehabilitative exercise and stretching programs accelerate the healing process
Exercises may vary and change from patient to patient, but the goal is always the same. The aim of a rehabilitation program is to regain pre-injury levels in all aspects of physical fitness. Correction of muscle imbalance problems around the shoulder, hip or knee are addressed effectively with exercise rehabilitation guided by a trained professional. Core stability muscles are also an important part of the treatment of chronic lower back pain.
A full rehabilitation and strengthening program is essential to ensure full recovery and in order to prevent further injury or re-injury. These exercises sometimes include muscle stretching, joint mobility exercises or muscle strengthening exercises.
Benefits of exercise rehabilitation:
- Reduces or eliminates pain
- Can help avoid surgery
- Improves mobility
- Recover from or prevent sports injuries
- Improves balance
- Manages diabetes and vascular conditions
- Helps manage and prevent health issues due to aging
Exercise rehabilitation helps to improve flexibility and balance
Flexibility is the ability to extend or stretch without breaking. The term is usually used to describe muscles but can also be used to describe a movement involving a number of muscles. Along with physiotherapy building muscle strength and aiding in recovery, these exercises can also improve flexibility which is a vital part of maintaining a sound body. Balance can be difficult for the body after time regardless if you are injured or not. The body sometimes works to compensate for weak areas, ultimately throwing you off-balance just from daily activities.
Some of the physical medicine treatment modalities used by Dr. McCullough
- Chiropractic Adjustments: Chiropractic care is based on the diagnosis and manipulation of joint misalignments, primarily those found in the spinal column. If left untreated, these misalignments can cause other issues in the body that may start affecting the nerves, muscles, and organs. Chiropractic adjustments can help patients who suffer from many ailments and injuries that cause chronic pain in the back, neck and other areas of the body.
- Cold Laser Therapy: Cold laser therapy is a non-invasive, painless, low level laser that stimulates damaged tissues, enhancing the progress of healing and providing relief from pain and inflammation.
- Ultrasound Therapy: Ultrasound therapy helps to reduce muscle pain and movement dysfunction. Sound waves deliver deep heat to the areas of the body that need treatment.
- Electrical Muscle Stimulation: Electric muscle stimulation is a physical rehabilitation therapy modality that is used to stimulate muscle contractions using electrodes hooked up to an electric stimulation machine at our facility. These contractions help to control pain, manage inflammation and strengthen the muscle.
- Custom Exercise Programs: Customized exercise and stretching programs are targeted towards the areas of the body effected in order to improve strength, flexibility and accelerate healing.