Physical therapy in Rasa Clinic

In Rasa physical therapy clinic, trained professionals evaluate and treat abnormal physical function related to an injury, disability, disease or condition. Our licensed physical therapists help take care of patients in all phases of healing, from initial diagnosis through the restorative and preventive stages of recovery. Physical therapy may be a standalone option, or it may support other treatments. Some of our patients are referred to our clinic by their doctors, but others seek therapy themselves.

Whichever way a patient comes to our clinic, they can expect to:

• Undergo a physical exam and evaluation, including health history and certain testing procedures, including evaluation of posture, movement and flexibility, and of muscle and joint motion and performance
• Receive a clinical diagnosis, prognosis, plan of care and short and long term goals
• Receive physical therapy treatment and intervention based on our therapist's evaluation and diagnosis
• Receive self-management recommendations
• At our clinic, we treat a wide variety of medical conditions such as:
• Hand therapy for conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome and trigger finger.
• Orthopedic physical therapy treats musculoskeletal injuries, involving the muscles, bones, ligaments, fascias, and tendons. It is suitable for medical conditions such as fractures, sprains, tendonitis, bursitis, chronic medical problems, and rehabilitation or recovery from orthopedic surgery. Patients may undergo treatment with joint mobilizations, manual therapy, strength training, mobility training, and other modalities.
• Geriatric physical therapy can help older patients who develop conditions that affect their mobility and physical function, including arthritis, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease, hip, and joint replacement, balance disorders, and incontinence. This type of intervention aims to restore mobility, reduce pain and increase physical fitness levels.
• Neurological physical therapy can help people with neurological disorders and conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, brain injury, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injury, and stroke. Treatment may aim to increase limb responsiveness, treat paralysis, and reverse increase muscles strength by reducing muscle atrophy.
• Cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation can benefit people affected by some cardiopulmonary conditions and surgical procedures. Treatment can increase physical endurance and stamina.
• Musculoskeletal dysfunction such as back pain, rotator cuff tears, and temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ).
• Neurological conditions such as stroke, spinal cord injuries, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, vestibular dysfunction, and traumatic brain injuries.
• Sports-related injuries, such as concussion and tennis elbow.
• Women's health and pelvic floor dysfunction, such as urinary incontinence and lymphedema.

Depending on the reason for treatment, physical therapy has the following benefits:

• Pain management with reduced need for opioids
• Avoiding surgery
• Improved mobility and movement
• Recovery from injury or trauma
• Recovery from stroke or paralysis
• Fall prevention
• Improved balance
• Management of age-related medical problems

In conjunction with manual therapy and exercise, physical therapy treatment might require medical devices. At rasa clinic, we have the most advanced and up to date European and American equipment made by companies such as BTL, Chattanooga and Gymna. The following is a partial list of our devices and their use:

• Ultrasound, which is used to promote blood flow and healing by heating the tendons, muscles, and tissues.  In our clinic, we have different ultrasound devices from Chattanooga.
• Electrotherapy, Electrical stimulation, or E-stim, which uses topical electrodes on the skin to reduce pain and increase functional capabilities. One type of E-stim is transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). We use the most advanced Electrotherapy devices by Chattanooga.
• Laser therapy, in physical therapy a class of LASER that promotes healing of injured tissues and decreases pain is used. At Rasa clinic, our physiotherapists are trained and experienced in the use of LASER for the promotion of chronic wound healing, soft-tissue injury healing, pain relief, and the reduction of swelling associated with lymphedema.  We also use devices from Chattanooga and BTL.
• Magnet therapy, Magnetic field therapy is a proven medical approach used for pain therapy and tissue healing acceleration. Our Magnet therapy device is made by BTL who claim their magnetotherapy units to be the most powerful on the market.
• Short Wave Diathermy (SWD) is a treatment that uses electromagnetic energy to produce deep healing in joints and soft tissues. This form of heat can be applied to deeper structures than other forms of heat treatment. Thus SWD can effectively relieve joint pain, improve soft tissue healing and decrease the symptoms of osteoarthritis. Our SWD device is made by Chattanooga.
• Shockwave therapy is a new non-invasive solution for musculoskeletal pain. The extracorporeal shockwave therapy is frequently used in physiotherapy, orthopedics and sports medicine. Applications are mostly associated with the treatment of chronic muscular and tendon disorders, back and neck pain. Most common indications include painful shoulder, epicondylitis, low back pain, Achilles tendon pain, patellar tendonitis, and trigger points.
• Biofeedback is a wonderful modality in physical therapy. The ultimate mind/body technique, Biofeedback is used to train people on how to improve their health by using and interpreting signals from the body. Biofeedback units provide a way for patients to gain control of certain physical processes that are normally regarded as automatic from the autonomic nervous system. This information has therapeutic applications when used in physical therapy as it helps patients regain movement and function of daily activities.  In our clinic, we use the Gymna Myo 200 biofeedback device.
• (Air) Compression therapy is used to reduce swelling and improve circulation in the legs, most commonly post-surgery. Normally, leg movement, such as walking, stimulates regular contraction and relaxation of the calf muscles to help circulate blood from the lower extremities up to the heart. Periods of immobility, such as surgical recovery, prevent the blood from circulating to the heart and can lead to blood clots.
• Heat, moist heat and cold therapy

At our clinic we also have certified professionals who are trained in acupuncture and dry needing. Acupuncture is a form of treatment that involves inserting very thin needles through a person's skin at specific points on the body, to various depths. Research suggests that for some patients it can help relieve pain, and it is used for a wide range of other complaints. Dry needling is designed to relieve tightness and pain in muscles by inserting a needle directly into a knot or pressure point which will release tension in the surrounding muscle.