Plain and simple, Physical Therapy is rehabilitation aided by licensed healthcare providers. Rehabilitation is "restoration, especially by therapeutic means, to an improved condition of physical function" (Merriam-Webster). Our patients commonly arrive with complaints of pain, but most of the time this pain only becomes a concern when it threatens our ability to do the things we need and want to do. Our therapists understand that the purpose of addressing pain, weakness, imbalance, dizziness, or any other problem is to achieve your underlying goal of getting back to the things you love doing in life.

Our Physical Therapists use the combination of several techniques to help you achieve your healthcare goals.

Manual therapy is any form of treatment delivered by the hands of your physical therapist, including soft tissue mobilization/massage, Graston, ASTYM, joint mobilization/manipulation, and active release technique (ART). Medical research strongly supports the use of manual therapy to decrease pain and improve mobility. Because our therapists devote more one-on-one time to their patients than a typical outpatient PT clinic, patients of Spirit Physical Therapy can expect to receive a healthy dose of manual therapy during every treatment session.

Dry needling is a manual therapy treatment that involves the placing of needles into specific muscles and tissues to elicit muscle activation or relaxation. Unlike acupuncture, which is based on traditional Chinese medicine, dry needling uses modern Western medicine principles and is supported by research. Dry needling may be used for many applications including relaxing tight muscles in the neck and back, reducing joint pain, improving muscle activation for sports performance, and even relieving sinus pressure. Dry needling is currently offered at our Ellisville and Wentzville offices, and will become available at our O'Fallon office in September 2020.

Due to pain or weight-bearing restrictions, some individuals are unable to exercise at the intensity truly needed to improve muscle strength. Fortunately, our doctors at Spirit Physical Therapy are well versed in a "hack" to work around these types of obstacles. Medical research has shown that restricting blood flow to muscle groups in a specific way during low-intensity exercise triggers a similar release of muscle-building hormones and proteins as compared to traditional high-intensity exercise. This is an excellent alternative to aggressive strength training early after surgeries, in cases of tendon or joint pain, and for patients who are severely deconditioned.

After improving your motion or flexibility, it's important to re-train your muscles to work correctly in the new range of motion. Muscle re-education techniques are a staple at Spirit Physical Therapy to ensure that you move and feel better for the long run, not just the short-term.

As motion and muscle function are restored, another critical component of rehabilitation at Spirit Physical Therapy is ensuring that your large movement patterns (i.e., reaching, squatting, lifting, etc.) are healthy and balanced. The expert eyes of your physical therapist can tell you if anything is out-of-sync and help you restore regular functional movements to prevent recurrent or future injuries.

Spirit Physical Therapy uses current medical research to back our treatment decisions. When used appropriately, modalities such as electric stimulation, ultrasound, hot packs, cold packs, and laser therapy may provide short-term pain relief and be used by your therapist during the acute stage of your condition. However, emphasis is quickly shifted to the treatments that will promote true tissue healing and adaptation and have a lasting impact on your condition (see above).

Have you ever seen athletes wearing this on TV?

Kinesiology tape is used to increase or decrease muscle tone, depending on its application, as well as to enhance your body's natural proprioception (a fancy word for positional awareness). Your therapist may recommend kinesiology tape applications to improve muscle balance and movement patterning during your treatment plan. After being released from care, you may continue to stop in for a quick tune-up and tape application before any of your athletic activities.

You maximize the benefits of your in-office treatment, the patient, when you participate in a daily home exercise program (HEP). Your "homework" is designed to be simple, quick, and effective for your specific condition. At Spirit Physical Therapy, you typically receive and practice your HEP on day one. Your physical therapist will also provide illustrations and a personalized online portal to keep you engaged and on track with your HEP.

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