Knee & Shoulder Onsite Physical Therapy Q&A

Many times, after surgery or an injury, your doctor or surgeon will recommend Physical Therapy (PT) to help with your rehabilitation. PT with a trained physical therapist aims to ease any pain you may have and help you function, move, and live better. You may need physical therapy for a multitude of reasons including:

-Relieving pain
-Improving movement or ability
-Recovering from a sports injury
-Improving your balance following surgery

Physical therapists help to rehabilitate or support any injury or condition you may be dealing with to help you move easier and function better. During your first session with a physical therapist, they will examine and assess your needs and listen to what issues you may be dealing with, such as pain or other symptoms.  They will ask you questions on your ability to move or do other daily tasks, how you are sleeping and your medical history.

Physical therapists are able to help you work through a treatment plan, focus on any personal goals you may have, such as functioning or feeling better, and will include exercises or other treatments in your plan to enable you to attain those goals.

Each patient may take more or less time to reach their goals with physical therapy, as everyone is different and the severity of each patient’s condition will vary.

Your physical therapy treatments may include:

-Exercises or stretches guided by our physical therapists
-Massage
-Heat or cold therapy
-Warm water therapy
-Ultrasound therapy
-Practice with gadgets that help you to move or stay balanced

Our physical therapists will track your progress and adjust your treatments as they see fit. They will also give you exercises and stretches to continue at home after you finish treatment to help you stay on track and improve your fitness.

How long a physical therapy session will last depends on what needs to be worked on, and this also goes for how long the therapy plan will be. Each session on average may take around 30 to 90 minutes, and your treatment may start immediately after the first initial evaluation session. Your sessions may include one or more of the following to help with your therapy:

-Exercise
-Ultrasound
-Electrical Stimulation
-Traction
-Massage
-Heat Treatments
-Laser and Light Therapy
-Hydrotherapy
-Joint Mobilization

Physical therapy treatment plans may take anywhere from a few short visits to several months for your physical therapist to feel comfortable enough that you have reached your goal and can allow you to continue your exercises and stretching at home.

Southern Sports Medicine Institute offers two fantastic locations to choose from in Gallatin, TN and Nashville, TN. We are available by appointment only Monday to Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM. Book your appointment conveniently online or simply call us. We serve patients from Gallatin TN, Nashville TN, Castalian Springs TN, LaGuardo TN, Cottontown TN, and Graball TN.