What I Help With

Orthopedic Conditions

What is orthopedic physical therapy?
Orthopedic physical therapy involves examining and treating injuries that involve the structures that affect movement, specifically the musculoskeletal system. These structures include the muscles, bones, joints, other connective tissues, and nerves.

What treatments are used?
The tools and techniques used to treat an injury varies for each individual. I use a multi-modal treatment approach which often includes a mixture of manual therapy, therapeutic modalities, exercise, neuromuscular re-education, and self-management education.    
Here are some of the common conditions I treat
Spine: arthritis, degenerative disc disease, herniated discs, muscle strains, sacroiliac joint dysfunctions, sciatica, Other radiculopathy/ Nerve compression, spondylolisthesis, stenosis, compression fractures

Head and neck: headaches, Migraines, whiplash Associated Disorders, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

Knee: arthritis, jumper’s knee, ligament sprains (ACL, MCL, PCL, LCL), meniscus injury, muscle strains, Osgood’s Schlatters, patellofemoral pain syndrome, tendonitis, Chondromalacia Patellae
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Shoulder: adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder), arthritis, bursitis, impingement, instability, subluxation/ Dislocations, labral tears, muscle strains/ Tears, nerve compression, rotator cuff tears, tendonitis

Hip: arthritis, bursitis, impingement, IT band syndrome, labral tears, Muscle strains/ tears, tendonitis

Foot and Ankle: arthritis, flat foot/pes planus, impingement, metatarsalgia, nerve entrapments, plantar fasciitis, sesamoiditis, sinus tarsi syndrome, Ligament sprains, Muscle strains, stress fractures, tendonitis/tendon dysfunction

Elbow and Wrist: bursitis, golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis), mommy’s wrist / thumb (deQuervain’s tenosynovitis), nerve entrapments including carpal tunnel syndrome, Ligament sprains, tendonitis, tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis).
Here are the most common surgeries I help rehabilitate
Spine: spinal fusion, disc replacement, microdiscectomy, laminectomy, anterior cervical discectomy and fusion

Knee: ligament reconstruction (ACL, MCL, PCL, LCL), menisectomy/ meniscus repair, total knee replacement, lateral retinacular release

Hip: total hip replacement, labral tear repair, arthroscopy

Shoulder: rotator cuff repair, total shoulder replacement, reverse total shoulder replacement, labral tear repair, arthroscopy, acromioclavicular joint repair, biceps tenodesis

Foot and Ankle: bunionectomy, Achilles tendon repair/reconstruction, fusions, arthroscopy, post traumatic fracture internal fixation, ankle replacement, lateral ankle ligament reconstruction  

Elbow and Wrist: arthroscopy, fracture open reduction internal fixation, ligament reconstruction, carpal tunnel release
How am I different from other orthopedic PTs?
I do not treat based solely on any diagnosis you received or what is immediately hurting you. I examine your entire body, head to toe, to find what other areas may be contributing to your problems. And I consider the environmental and lifestyle factors that will affect you and your ability to move.  

How you move is as important as whether or not you are moving in your daily life. I focus heavily on teaching you how to be aware of your body when moving, what are the appropriate and inappropriate sensations, and how to get your body to work with you to achieve the desired movement pattern as you move about your day.  

Complex Chronic Diseases

What is a complex chronic disease?
It is a persistent health condition or disease whose effects lasts greater than 3 months.  It can slowly worsen over time, have periods of worsening then improvement, or just have no improvement. People with complex chronic diseases typically have multiple health conditions that are occurring at the same time that can exacerbate their symptoms or limit treatment options.
How is treatment different with a complex chronic disease?
Many complex chronic diseases do not have known cures, are often under researched, and likely have many contributing factors. Treatments typically focus on managing symptoms and improving the quality of life. Because each person's chronic illness is uniquely complex, everyone requires their own individualized treatment and management plan by a team of health care providers.
How can physical therapy help?
Physical therapy helps improve the quality of life by reducing pain as well as improving and/or preventing worsening of function and mobility.

Some of the things I do include:
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  • Pacing education for energy conservation and post-exertional symptom exacerbation (PEM/PESE) management
  • Screening and evaluation for appropriateness of exercise, level of exercise, and type of exercise
  • Limiting the effects of reduced mobility, such as contractures and muscle atrophy, through passive and active movement (if appropriate)
  • Reduce overactive sympathetic nervous system through education of stress management tools and manual therapy techniques
  • Address biomechanical impairments including those that affect the nervous and lymphatic system, postural dysfunction, breathing pattern disorders
  • Perrin Technique® for treating ME/CFS, Long Covid, and Fibromyalgia
What are some of the conditions I help with?
  • Long Covid and Other Post-Acute Infection Syndromes
  • Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome)
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Autoimmune Disorders: Lupus, Sjoegren's Syndrome, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Anklyosing Spondylitis
  • Dysautonomia: Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, Neurally Mediated Hypotension
  • Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders and EDS
  • Cancer Related Deconditioning and Fatigue
What is the Perrin Technique®?
The Perrin Technique® is a hands-on osteopathic lymphatic drainage treatment to help move the toxins that are stuck in the cerebrospinal fluid in the brain and in the lymph of the thoracic spine into the blood stream, so they can be cleared by the liver.

For those who are interested in the Perrin Technique®, learn more information here.

Postural Conditions

Is there an ideal posture?
No. However, staying in one habitual posture can eventually lead to issues over time that will affect your mobility and function.
How does physical therapy help with posture issues?
Postural issues can be the result of many different things including biomechanical, genetic, environmental, and behavioral causes and/or contributors. Physical therapy helps to address some of the behavioral, biomechanical and environmental causes.

Some common treatment interventions include addressing poor ergonomics, performing manual therapy, teaching Schroth corrective and other therapeutic exercises to address postural issues or prevent worsening of postural issues.
Here are some common postural issues I help with
  • Scheuerman's kyphosis
  • Scoliosis (primary and secondary)
  • Forward head posture
  • Excessive lumbar lordosis
  • Sway back
  • Flat back
What is scoliosis
It is an irregular lateral (sideways) curvature of the spine. Most mild forms do not affect mobility and function. But when the scoliosis is severe, it can affect mobility and breathing.

Scoliosis can occur due to congenital defect and the aftereffects of a neuromuscular disorder. But often, it has an unknown cause.
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What is the Schroth Method?
The Schroth Method is a set of corrective exercises developed by Christa Lehnert-Schroth to correct spinal rotations from all three dimensions. It involves de-rotation, elongation, and stabilization of the spine using pelvic corrections, breathing techniques, and isometric stabilization.
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