Physiotherapy Rehab in Portland

Physiotherapy encompasses a variety of physical medicine treatment modalities, both passive and active to achieve a desired physical response or effect. This can range from heat therapy, muscle stimulation, ultrasound therapy, to manual therapy and joint mobility and manipulation. Though rehabilitative therapy can often incorporate the use of physiotherapy modalities, it typically utilizes exercise and movement, range of motion and strength progressions in clinic with the provider. If you’d like to learn more about physiotherapy, check out our blog “What is Physiotherapy?“.

Rehabilitation therapy is a type of treatment or service done by a health care provider to help a patient regain a skill or function that was lost as a result of an injury. This is effective for all types of injury, from whiplash and work related trauma, to postural stress and repetitive motion injuries.

Physiotherapy helps people affected by injury, illness or disability through movement and exercise, manual therapy, education and advice. They maintain health for people of all ages and conditions, helping patients to manage pain and prevent disease.

There are several types of physiotherapy. The most common utilized at Portland Wellness Care are: pediatric, orthopedic, geriatric, neurologic, vestibular rehabilitation, and injury related physiotherapy.

The four stages of rehabilitation are as follows:

1. Protection of the injury, reduce pain and increase patient comfort
2. Increase joint range of motion and function
3. Increase joint strength, and stability
4. Increase function, activity of daily living ability, or return to specific sports or work ability pain free and without restriction.

Yes! Physiotherapy approaches are first line treatment for soft tissue injuries, and can be started right after an injury. There are no risks, and outcomes are better with using physiotherapy vs other treatment options for similar injuries.

In short, everyone! Rehabilitation can benefit from the pediatric population, all the way to geriatrics and everyone in between. Patients with acute traumas, work injury, whiplash, sports injury, repetitive stress or postural injury, and orthopedic recovery.

Often, physiotherapy can have an immediate effect. It depends on patient demographic, injury severity, chronicity of injury and patient compliance with the treatment plan. Most consistent effects begin to occur in the first 1-3 weeks of therapy.

Physiotherapy entails a broad range of treatments. The most common passive therapies are ultrasound therapy, electrical muscle stimulation therapy, traction therapy, taping, laser therapy, heat, ice, and joint mobilizations and manipulations. The most common active treatments are stretching and range of motion exercises, strengthening and stability exercise training, and balance.

Rest after therapy is dependent on the patient and condition severity. Often, the goals of therapy are to increase the patient’s ability to function, work or exercise. Some type of movement therapy or prescribed stretches and exercises are typically encouraged the same day as treatment in the clinic.

Portland Wellness care is unique in that it provides an integrated approach to the patient’s recovery. All PWC providers are evidence-based providers, meaning they use the most recent treatment tools, imaging techniques, and rehab protocols to improve patient recovery outcomes. The providers at PWC genuinely care about each individual patient and their injury recovery goals, catering treatment plans specifically and individually.