Abilene Physical Therapy provides information, education and training for employers, employees and those returning to work after an injury. The program’s primary goal it to create and maintain a safe workplace, minimize lost workdays, and improve job performance and job satisfaction.  Abilene Physical Therapy offers a wide range of services that meet the unique needs of both employers and employees, including:

·         Ergonomic Assessment

·         Physical Therapy

·         Personal Training & Fitness Programs

·         Work Conditioning

The initial aims of spine rehabilitation are to:

·         Restore strength and mobility of the back, from the neck through the lower back and pelvis

·         Relieve Pain

·         Promote healing

·         Prevent future spinal problems

Abilene Physical Therapy provides a full range of hands-on treatments to enhance muscle energy as well as stabilization and flexibility of core muscles to support spinal function, including:

·         Joint mobilization

·         Manual Therapy

·         ASTYM

·         Individualized exercise programs

Our multidisciplinary approach to diagnosis and rehabilitation is designed to treat a wide variety of back and neck disorders, including the following:

·         Preoperative and postoperative patients

·         Acute and/or chronic neck and back pain

·         Disc disorders (herniation or degenerative)

·         Arthritis

·         Osteoporosis

·         Intradiscal Decompression

·         Neck, spine and back injuries

·         Work-related injuries

·         Spinal stenosis

·         Spondylolisthesis

·         Spondylosis

Pre & Post Operative Rehabilitation

Physical therapists most often treat patients before and after orthopedic surgeries such as hip and knee replacement, or repair or badly broken bones.

The purpose of pre- & post operative rehabilitation is to provide a rapid recovery utilizing the best possible exercise programs. Therapists maintain close communication with the physician in order to fully understand what the patient is undergoing and to prepare an individual treatment plan.

The pre-op visit accomplishes many things. Patients are able to meet the therapist who will plan their post-operative care and ask questions about their upcoming care. The pre-op visit is also an opportunity for the patient to practice with post-surgery walking aids such as crutches, cane or a walker. The therapists will explain what the post-operative exercises will be like and talk to the patient about practicing them as soon as he or she feels able. Exercising as soon as possible ensures that the joint stays mobile and its strength is maintained or increased. Most therapists conduct several tests on patients to determine their physical capabilities and plan the best possible program. Items a therapist will judge and share with the patient’s physician include:

·         Muscle and joint strength

·         Walking ability

·         Independence within the home

Post-operative care begins as soon as the patient returns home. Thanks to the benefits of the pre-op visit, the therapist and patient can begin working on recovery exercises immediately. How often the patient visits the physical therapy clinic will depend on the individual needs of each patient. Some physical therapists car plan includes:

·         Range of motion exercises to keep joints mobile

·         Strengthening exercises

·         Movements in and out of bed and onto different types of chairs

·         Self-care techniques for bathing, dressing and more

·         Walking training, including stairs and curbs

·         Community access, including learning how to negotiate elevators

·         Enter and exit buildings

·         Getting in and out of cars

·         A home exercise program that the patient can do independently by following written instructions from the therapists

The goal of any physical therapy program is to help patients recover as much of their post-operative abilities as possible. Recovery programs will last as long as each patient is in need and will be tailored to fit each person’s abilities.

Manual Therapy

By definition, “manual” refers to the hands, especially work done by the hands. Manual therapy is the use of hands-on techniques to evaluate, treat, and improve the status of neuromusculoskeletal conditions. The hands of a physical therapist are a powerful assessment and treatment tool. Manual therapies are time-consuming when compared to the simple task of administrating a patient to a therapeutic machine. However, they are recognized as important techniques in controlling pain, restoring normal range of motion, and treating specialized conditions such as myofascial pain syndrome.

Balance & Gait Training

Many balance and gait disturbances arise from the muscle weakness, vestibular disorders (inner ear problems), visual deficits or loss of somatosensory (touch) input. At Abilene Physical Therapy we take into account any or all of these issues that maybe contributing to the patient’s condition.

For muscle weakness, we focus on strengthening exercises and functional activities. For patients with vestibular problems, we emphasize movements and positions that help reproduce some symptoms in order to help retrain the nervous system to compensate for the dysfunction. For visual deficits, we employ visual tracking exercises in conjunction with strengthening exercises and functional activities. For patients with loss of somatosensory input, we concentrate on using the external environment and additional stimuli to increase the awareness of the extremities (arms and legs). If necessary, we combine any of these programs to fit the patient’s rehabilitation needs.

Poor balance can lead to an increased risk of falling. Among the elderly, falls are one of the more serious health concerns. Our Balance Training Program first focuses on identifying the factors affecting your balance. Abilene Physical Therapy’s Balance Training Program can help improve your balance, reduce your risk of falls, and make a major difference in your quality of life.

Posture & Body Mechanics Education

Poor posture is easy whereas adapting habits of good posture often require conscious effort. Most people do not think about their posture until someone brings it to their attentions. The benefits of good posture far outweigh the ease of slouchy poor posture.

Poor posture is not only habitual, but is also seen in people with low self-esteem, degenerative problems affecting the spine, pain causing muscle guarding, and obesity.

Everyone can benefit from Posture & Body Mechanics Education. It is very rare to find individuals with perfect body mechanics, training techniques, or movement patterns. This is where wellness comes into play. Typically the most appropriate patients are those who have been in accidents (work-related, automobile, or falls), athletes with overstress injuries, arthritic patients, pre and post-operative patients, and those with general deconditioning, or strains.

Posture is an area that always seems to be overlooked. Patients who make simple changes throughout their daily habits can change their potential for injuries and alleviate current ones. Abilene Physical Therapy will assist patients obtain proper posture focusing on the following areas:

Standing

When standing, think about what is comfortable. Good standing posture involves upright positioning; shoulders back, chin neutral, abdominal muscles tight, arms in line with your body and one foot slightly in front of the other, with knees slightly bent. This is called active posture. It requires muscles to work with the skeletal system for energy conservation and bone and joint protection.

Sitting

When sitting, eyes should be level and in a position such that the neck is neither bent forward or backward. Shoulders should be level and relaxed (without being slumped forward) with appropriate support throughout the spine. A chair should maintain all natural curvatures. Hips and knees should be level with each other and ankles should be vertical to the knees.

Lying

Proper lying positions are those in which the joints are in neutral positions (neither bent excessively forward or backward). The muscles should be supported yet relaxed. Elbows, wrists, hips, and knees should be slightly bent. Too many pillows can be bad. Often too many pillows cause the neck to “hyperflex,” which applies too much pressure to the brain’s blood supply.