Physical Therapy 

Physical Therapy Services by Dr. Joseph Sarsour PT, DPT with 20+ Years of Experience Working in Hospitals, Clinics, Sports Teams and Home Health. Bringing together an emphasis on healing, injury prevention, return to function, and advanced recovery through evidence-based medicine.  ***Neuromuscular-Orthopedic-Cardiovascular-Geriatric-Sports-Pediatrics-Spinal Adjustments-Therapeutic Exercises for Pain, Weakness, Stiffness, Deconditioning, Balance and Vestibular Impairments-Sports and Therapeutic Massage-Ergonomics and Posture Retraining-Hot/Cold-Ultrasound-TENS-Traction-Electrical Stimulation-Joint and KinesioTaping-PNF-Peak Performance***

What to expect 1st visit

The Evaluation

The initial evaluation is the first visit and will first involve gathering information including background medical history, current medications, and also information on your routines like your nutritional intake, sleep, bowels, etc. The goal would be to assess how beneficial physical therapy could be for you, and what are important functions for you to improve on. For example, your goal might be to sit with less pain for longer, or to return to using the treadmill, or to prepare for a trip, or a return to sport, or to get out of bed easier, or to climb a tree safer. 

After information gathering will be the diagnostic part of the evaluation.  We figure what parts and structures are involved and to what degree. Understanding how the parts interact is often critical to a healthy rehab experience. Demonstrating the motion/activity that is problematic will provide a baseline for comparison.  Common diagnostic tests include assessments for strength, flexibility, endurance, balance, control, interactions, reflexes, sensations, tone, pressure, awareness, and pain.

QUESTION #1 Will there be treatment the first visit? YES!!

Now that we have most all of the needed info we move on to the treatment part. Yes you will be treated (unless you are not ready for whatever reason, then we can always adjust the treatment plan to suit your expectations. Hey I get it. Some people are not ready for the relaxing warm pack, joint adjustment/mobilizations, exercises, followed up by a therapeutic massage, and ice with either electrical or ultrasound therapy (or not if you don't want..maybe heat again might be better especially if we are aiming for circulation, relaxation, tissue warmth. How about ice and heat at the same time i.e a knee ice heat sandwich. You get the ice on the kneecap where alot of osteoarthritis tends to develop, while having heat on the backside, where the nerves and the meat of the knee is. Don't forget the electricity combination.

I'll wish you a good bye shortly thereafter the treatments are done with, and you will also be empowered with an HEP. Also known as the Home Exercise Program. These are usually easy, convenient, safe, and effective stretches, maneuvers, lifts, positions, that may or may not involve light equipment or tools like a rubber band, towel, newspaper piece, 3.5 pound dumbbell, etc. Good to start simple and show a little proof that more may be possible or may not even be needed. It would be nice to discover you don't have to dead lift a hundred pound gym bar 5 days a week for eternity in order to stand in line at the airport without having a screaming back pain ruin your travels. 

Sometimes 1 evaluation is done and you can get all you need out of a good initial evaluation visit, often times return visits are of great benefit. We can discuss and come up with a few plan selections and figure out which works best for you.

In good health, and stay blessed,

PT Joseph  

What to expect at the 2nd visit

Follow up visits

Follow up visits are similar to the evaluation visit if you underwent the treatment/intervention portion (heat, stretch, massage, adjustments/mobilizations, exercise, electricity, ultrasound, etc). But instead of getting to first know you I will have already known you so now we can eagle eye in to how the parts of the parts are responding to the treatments, and strive to get you in as tip top shape as we can given your situation. For example If your knee hurts and is weak when you go upstairs, and we found out how tight your muscles are then we will assess and progress the stretches to keep improving the flexibility. Strengh exercising and periodic testing is also typical. So will helping you to have the pain managed, We will review how your pain relieving tools have been working and adjust as needed. Most people see their parts getting stronger, faster, more responsive, better balanced, less painful, more flexibility, better sensed as they proceed with treatments.

What to expect at Re-Evaluations

Re-evaluations

Once in awhile it's good to get a bigger test done. Especially tests that are of more risk, challenging to set up or attend to, are known to need a certain amount of time and treatments to show a response, these may all necessitate a portion of a follow up visit to be more dedicated to retesting the parts ( for example shoulder joint reach abilities with a weight, hip balance flexibility on a rocking board, low back awareness and endurance that requires a 5 min sit hold, hand speed and control that involves your new phone, etc.). With the improvements made at this point, confidence and success will continue to build. It's a nice cycle to get into.

What to expect at Discharge

Discharge visit

The discharge visit is the graduation, end of the line, chapter closing, grand finale. All of your questions and concerns will be addressed. By now you will have been issued a final HEP (home exercise program). You will most likely have shown many improvements like less pain, more strength, more flexibility, but most of all you will have met your goal of either improving or maintaining whatever activity it was that was an issue for you. You will be hiking blissfully, happily traversing airports without an ache, using that new power tool without having the feeling like your wrist is going to fall off, feel confident walking down, or up, the staircase at your kids' upcoming wedding, and returned to bike riding your favorite course. Good times for sure.