Physical Therapist

Pediatric Physical Therapy: Specialized Services and Treatments for Children Under 18.

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“Doctors often recommend Pediatric Physical Therapy for children and teens who have been injured or who have movement problems from an illness, disease, or disability. Physical therapists work to decrease pain and help the child return to their daily activities. They also teach children exercises designed to help them regain strength and range of motion, and also show them and families how to prevent future injuries.” (Kids Health, June 2014).

Doctors will often recommend PT for children with:

- Cerebral Palsy
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Traumatic Brain Injuries
- Spina Bifida
- Brachial Plexopathy
- Pediatric Cancer
- Socialization Skills
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Developmental Delay
- Down Syndrome
- Feeding Problems
- Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
- Gait Abnormalities
- Hydrocephalus Muscular Dystrophy
- Pediatric Medical Syndromes
- Pediatric Neurologic Disorders
- Premature Birth
- Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Seizure Disorders
- Sensory Processing Difficulty
- Torticollis/Plagiocephaly
- Vision/Hearing Deficits
- Sports Injuries

Advanced Specialization Training

Astronaut Training Protocol
Beckman Oral Motor Program
Contemporary Neurodevelopmental Treatment
Sequential-Oral-Sensory Approach to Feeding Program
Comprehensive Program in Sensory Integration including Administration of Sensory Integration & Praxis Test (SIPT)
VitalStim

What Pediatric Physical Therapists Do

At our two Pediatric Therapy Clinics located in Ocean Springs and Pascagoula MS, our therapists use a variety of treatments to help build strength, improve movement, and strengthen skills needed to complete daily activities.

Physical Therapy

Gross Motor Development/ Conditioning Activities
Neuromuscular Retraining Aquatic Therapy
Movement Skills/ Function
Balance/ Gait Training
Coordination Skills
Standardized Testing of Motor Abilities
Assistance with Positioning & Mobility Equipment
Orthotic Recommendations
Power Wheelchair Assessment & Training

Speech-Language Therapy

Language Therapy
Articulation Therapy
Dysphagia Therapy
Oral Motor Therapy
Assistive Technology
Fluency and Voice Therapy

Occupational Therapy

Handwriting & Fine Motor Skill Training
Assistance with Activities of Daily Living
Sensory Integration Therapy
Aquatic Therapy
Custom Splinting for Neurologic Conditions
Cognitive Retraining
Constraint Casting & Treatment
Neuromuscular Retraining
Training with Adaptive Equipment
Standardized Testing of Motor Abilities

Two of our Locations that offer all of the specialized Pediatric Therapy Treatments and Services are located below:

Ocean Springs Pediatric Rehab

#2 Doctor’s Drive Ocean Springs, MS 39564

Phone: (228) 818-1211 • Fax: (228) 818-1213

Pascagoula Medical Park

3101 Denny Ave, Suite 120, Pascagoula, MS 39568

Phone: (228) 471-1520 • Fax: (228) 471-1525

Encore Rehabilitation of Cullman

1701 Main Ave SW Cullman, AL 35055

Phone: (256) 775-3737

National Physical Therapy Month- #ChoosePT

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October is National Physical Therapy Month and we want to recognize, and thank, all the Physical Therapists that work for our company! We are proud to be the largest privately owned provider of physical therapy throughout Alabama and Mississippi and we love to see our patients succeed through their therapy treatments.

As we recognize all of our wonderful therapists during National Physical Therapy Month, we also want to promote the #ChoosePT campaign. APTA has launched this awareness campaign about the growing toll of the opioid epidemic and has also provided the safety and effectiveness of physical therapy for pain management.

“Physical therapy has been identified as a safe and effective alternative to opioids for long-term pain management and prevention by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the US Surgeon General. Physical therapists (PTs) and physical therapist assistants (PTAs) have a responsibility to understand the full scope of the epidemic and its potential impact on their patients and clients.”

No one wants to live in pain- and we don’t want you to. Choose Physical Therapy for Safe Pain Management. Don’t just mask the pain. Treat it!

Our therapists from the Ocean Springs Neurological Vestibular Rehabilitation Clinic in Mississippi are actively involved with the #ChoosePT movement and want to encourage you to be a part too. #SayNoToOpioids

9 Things You Should Know About Pain

1. Pain is output from the brain. While we used to believe that pain originated within the tissues of our body, we now understand that pain does not exist until the brain determines it does. The brain uses a virtual “road map” to direct an output of pain to tissues that it suspects may be in danger. This process acts as a means of communication between the brain and the tissues of the body, to serve as a defense against possible injury or disease.

2. The degree of injury does not always equal the degree of pain. Research has demonstrated that we all experience pain in individual ways. While some of us experience major injuries with little pain, others experience minor injuries with a lot of pain (think of a paper cut).

3. Despite what diagnostic imaging (MRIs, x-rays, CT scans) shows us, the finding may not be the cause of your pain. A study performed on individuals 60 years or older who had no symptoms of low back pain found that 36% had a herniated disc, 21% had spinal stenosis, and more than 90% had a degenerated or bulging disc, upon diagnostic imaging.

4. Psychological factors, such as depression and anxiety, can make your pain worse. Pain can be influenced by many different factors, such as psychological conditions. A recent study in the Journal of Pain showed that psychological variables that existed prior to a total knee replacement were related to a patient’s experience of long-term pain following the operation.

5. Your social environment may influence your perception of pain. Many patients state their pain increases when they are at work or in a stressful situation. Pain messages can be generated when an individual is in an environment or situation that the brain interprets as unsafe. It is a fundamental form of self-protection.

6. Understanding pain through education may reduce your need for care. A large study conducted with military personnel demonstrated that those who were given a 45-minute educational session about pain sought care for low back pain less than their counterparts.

7. Our brains can be tricked into developing pain in prosthetic limbs. Studies have shown that our brains can be tricked into developing a “referred” sensation in a limb that has been amputated, causing a feeling of pain that seems to come from the prosthetic limb – or from the “phantom” limb. The sensation is generated by the association of the brain’s perception of what the body is from birth (whole and complete) and what it currently is (post-amputation).

8. The ability to determine left from right may be altered when you experience pain. Networks within the brain that assist you in determining left from right can be affected when you experience severe pain. If you have been experiencing pain, and have noticed your sense of direction is a bit off, it may be because a “roadmap” within the brain that details a path to each part of the body may be a bit “smudged.” (This is a term we use to describe a part of the brain’s virtual roadmap that isn’t clear. Imagine spilling ink onto part of a roadmap and then trying to use that map to get to your destination.)

9. There is no way of knowing whether you have a high tolerance for pain or not. Science has yet to determine whether we all experience pain in the same way. While some people claim to have a “high tolerance” for pain, there is no accurate way to measure or compare pain tolerance among individuals. While some tools exist to measure how much force you can resist before experiencing pain, it can’t be determined what your pain “feels like.”

Read more about Pain and Chronic Pain Syndromes.

The American Physical Therapy Association launched a national campaign to raise awareness about the risks of opioids and the safe alternative of physical therapy for long-term pain management. Learn more at our #ChoosePT page.

Author: Joseph Brence, PT, DPT, FAAOMPT, COMT, DAC

**Article found at: http://www.moveforwardpt.com/Resources/Detail/9-things-you-should-know-about-pain

“9 Physical Therapist Tips to Help You Age Well” via Move Forward PT

We can’t stop time. Or can we? The right type and amount of physical activity can help stave off many age-related health problems. Physical therapists, who are movement experts, prescribe physical activity that can help you overcome pain, gain and maintain movement, and preserve your independence—often helping you avoid the need for surgery or long-term use of prescription drugs.

Here are nine things physical therapists want you to know to #AgeWell.

(Download the list in Adobe PDF)

1. Chronic pain doesn’t have to be the boss of you.
Each year 116 million Americans experience chronic pain from arthritis or other conditions, costing billions of dollars in medical treatment, lost work time, and lost wages. Proper exercise, mobility, and pain management techniques can ease pain while moving and at rest, improving your overall quality of life.

2. You can get stronger when you’re older.
Research shows that improvements in strength and physical function are possible in your 60s, 70s, and even 80s and older with an appropriate exercise program. Progressive resistance training, in which muscles are exercised against resistance that gets more difficult as strength improves, has been shown to prevent frailty.

3. You may not need surgery or drugs for low back pain.
Low back pain is often over-treated with surgery and drugs despite a wealth of scientific evidence demonstrating that physical therapy can be an effective alternative—and with much less risk than surgery and long-term use of prescription medications.

4. You can lower your risk of diabetes with exercise.
One in four Americans over the age of 60 has diabetes. Obesity and physical inactivity can put you at risk for this disease. But a regular, appropriate physical activity routine is one of the best ways to prevent—and manage—type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

5. Exercise can help you avoid falls—and keep your independence
About one in three U.S. adults age 65 or older falls each year. More than half of adults over 65 report problems with movement, including walking 1/4 mile, stooping and standing. Group-based exercises led by a physical therapist can improve movement and balance and reduce your risk of falls. It can also reduce your risk of hip fractures (95 percent of which are caused by falls).

6. Your bones want you to exercise.
Osteoporosis or weak bones affects more than half of Americans over the age of 54. Exercises that keep you on your feet, like walking, jogging, or dancing, and exercises using resistance, such as weightlifting, can improve bone strength or reduce bone loss.

7. Your heart wants you to exercise.
Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in the US. One of the top ways of preventing it and other cardiovascular diseases? Exercise! Research shows that if you already have heart disease, appropriate exercise can improve your health.

8. Your brain wants you to exercise.
People who are physically active—even later in life—are less likely to develop memory problems or Alzheimer’s disease, a condition which affects more than 40% of people over the age of 85.

9. You don’t “just have to live with” bladder leakage.
More than 13 million women and men in the US have bladder leakage. Don’t spend years relying on pads or rushing to the bathroom. Seek help from a physical therapist.

*This article was taken from the Move Forward PT website and can be found at this link: http://www.moveforwardpt.com/Resources/Detail/9-physical-therapist-tips-to-help-you-agewell

“How to Start a Running Program” by Andrea Bowens, DPT, OCS, Encore Inverness Clinic.

“Happy New Year! Have you made New Year’s resolutions to be more active this year? Do you want to start running and don’t know where to begin? Running has many benefits to your overall health and well-being. First, participating in exercise activities, including cardiovascular exercise like running, can boost mood, energy, and improve quality of sleep. Secondly, running at a moderate pace not only helps burn calories during exercise but also contributes to an “afterburn” effect, during which the body continues to burn calories for a period of time after the run is completed. Lastly, impactful exercise like running will help to prevent bone loss in the lower extremities, which can be a health concern for older adults.

While there are numerous benefits to exercise, inadequate shoe wear, training, and mechanics can increase your risk for injury. When beginning an exercise program it is important to start by selecting a pair of shoes that is made for your type of foot. Local running shoe stores are a great place to start when trying to determine if you need a shoe with more structure, cushion, or need a specific type of insert due to your foot posture. Additionally, experts in running recommend replacing your shoes every 300-500 miles. Don’t underestimate the value of a good running shoe in keeping you injury free!

The next step to beginning a running program is to ease into the exercise to allow your body to adapt to the new demands. If you are beginning exercise for the first time or after a long break, begin with walking and slowly increase your distance over time. Also, it is beneficial to begin performing strengthening exercises, especially for the core and hips, to help prevent injury caused by weakness or muscle imbalances. Once you have increased your endurance and overall fitness with walking and strength training, your body is now better prepared to begin running. Begin with interval walking and running and then gradually increase the run time and decrease the walk time over the course of several weeks. Once you can run continuously for 20-30 minutes, then it is appropriate to start increasing your distance and then pace. Online resources, such as Runner’s World, have articles and training programs that can help develop a program for you and your running goals. Set realistic goals for yourself so that you can achieve them without suffering a setback due to injury.

Improper running mechanics can lead to injuries in runners over time. Overuse injuries, which occur in both novice and elite runners, can become a nagging problem and often sideline a runner for a period of time. This is where a physical therapist can be of value to you. Physical therapists can evaluate your flexibility, strength, alignment, and movement patterns. A comprehensive evaluation by a physical therapist will help determine factors that may lead to inefficiencies in running form or abnormal mechanics, thus leading to injury. If you do suffer an injury, consider being evaluated by a physical therapist who can devise a program specific to your body and injury. Take caution with performing generic exercise routines found online because there are often other individual factors contributing to an injury. For further reading on injury prevention with running and specific types of running injuries, visit the American Physical Therapy Association’s website for patients at www.moveforwardpt.com.’