Therapeutic and Rehabilitative Exercise

Most of us have experienced it at some point: that sudden pain, out of nowhere, that stops you in your tracks. Where did that come from? Sometimes you know (old sports injury, that accident from three years ago, overdoing it working in the yard), but, often, you have no idea what caused that pain. You realize quickly, though, that you need to do something about it. Pain medication provides quick relief, but it isn’t a long-term solution. 

Here at Life Care Chiropractic and Wellness Center, Dr. Ronda Sharman and her team can help relieve your pain through therapeutic and rehabilitative exercise. What does that mean? Simply put, it is deliberate movement employed to return an ailing part of the body to a fully functioning, pain-free state. Typically, this is prescribed after an injury or surgery but is also used for individuals wanting to optimize flexibility or to address chronic problems.

What Are Therapeutic and Rehabilitative Exercises?

Therapeutic and rehabilitative exercises encompass a variety of physical activities that focus on building strength, increasing endurance, and improving flexibility and balance. A joint will perform much better when the muscles supporting it are up to the task. Enhanced movement patterns result in less pain, improved circulation, and reduced inflammation.  Therapeutic and rehabilitative exercises are commonly used to treat low back pain. By strengthening the core of the body, pain is reduced or eliminated completely.  The most used types of exercises for rehabilitation concentrate on these areas:

  • Joint Mobility
  • Muscle Training
  • Muscular Strength and Endurance
  • Relaxation and Relief of Tension

How We Create an Exercise Regimen for You

Before our team will do any work on your muscles and joints, you will have a consultation with the chiropractor to discuss in-depth what issues you are experiencing and what goals you’re looking to achieve. We then evaluate your movement, physical capabilities, body type, and activity level in order to determine the right exercises that will help you. For athletes, in particular, we’ll look at your habitual movement patterns. What you consider a “normal” movement may, in fact, be faulty and contribute to your pain.

Next, our team will develop a customized exercise program to help remedy your issues and reach your goals. The program's pacing can vary depending on your condition and individual needs. We’ve helped many patients with complaints in these areas:

  • Difficulty with Balance and Stability
  • Neck Strain or Sprain
  • Rotator Cuff and Shoulder Injuries
  • Knees and Hips
  • Generalized or Specific Back Pain (Whole Spine)
  • Feet and Ankles
  • Pre- and Post-Joint Surgery (including Total Knee Replacement)

Once we have developed a plan together, our team will coach you in the proper execution of your prescribed exercises. Working side by side with you, we will progress through a protocol that starts with gaining muscle and body awareness during basic stretches, and then moves on to more challenging exercises as your performance improves. Adopting a regular therapeutic and rehabilitative exercise program will help you return to your daily activities and enjoy a more active, healthy lifestyle.

How Long Does a Treatment Program Last?

It really depends on the severity of the condition or injury as to how long a treatment program will continue. If your condition or injury is mild, treatment may be completed within a few weeks. Typically, patients begin with two to three visits per week. At every visit, you receive your modalities, do your rehabilitative exercises, and see the chiropractor for your adjustment.

For more severe conditions, you may see us three times a week for at least 12 weeks. The chiropractor will review your progress with you at the end of the 12 week period. If you are pain-free, that course of therapy is complete. In general, though, once improvement is noted at any point throughout the treatment program, visit frequency may be reduced. Each case is different, so individual therapy program lengths will vary.

Give us a call to schedule an appointment and we can help get you on the path to a more mobile, healthy, and pain-free lifestyle.

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