What is Physical Therapy?

Physical therapy is a form of physical treatment for a variety of issues, including injuries, diseases, and other physical ailments. It is a means to preserve, enhance, or restore movement and function that has beenimpaired by injury or disability. This is done via various exercises, modalities, devices, education, training and activities to increase mobility, build strength, and improve balance and coordination, with the ultimate goal of reducing pain and improving overall quality of life.

Physical therapy is generally prescribed if you are dealing with an injury or illness that makes completing tasks in day to day life difficult. Common reasons for seeing a physical therapist include Multiple Sclerosis (MS), stroke, Parkinson’s Disease, brain injury, vestibular or balance problems, pain or muscle soreness and spinal cord injuries. Physical therapists are also skilled at treating a variety of other ailments, including injuries resulting from sports, falls, or other accidents.

A physical therapist is a trained and licensed professional who evaluates and treats a range of injuries, health conditions or disabilities. They work in a range of settings including hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, and outpatient facilities (much like Niagara Therapy).

Do I Need Physical Therapy?

Do you need physical therapy? Whether or not physical therapy will be beneficial for you depends on your specific case. If you think it may be helpful for you, get in touch with our expert physical therapists to learn more about our physical therapy services. Physical therapy is often recommended for people dealing with issues related to difficulty walking or if you are recovering from a stroke or a spinal cord injury. Other conditions may include those related to cardiovascular health (COPD), orthopedic (rotator cuff injury or joint replacement surgery), neurological conditions that are new onset or progressive/ long term conditions (Parkinson’s disease, MS, TBI, stroke), Vestibular issues (vertigo, dizziness), sports injuries (concussion, muscle sprain/ strain), or balance disorders (fall risk or frequent falls).

Physical therapy for adults can benefit all ages and medical backgrounds. The primary goal of PT for adults is to achieve optimal function and movement of the body, while addressing wellness and recovery across the life span.

You would also benefit if you are experiencing any of the following:

  • Weakness
  • Walking Difficulty
  • Balance difficulty/Falls
  • Aches and pains in arms, legs, back or neck
  • Uncoordinated movement
  • Spasms/Muscle Cramps/Spasticity
  • Needing specialty equipment (stimulation devices, walkers, wheelchairs, and standers)

Physical Therapy with Niagara Therapy, LLC

If you are struggling with any of the above issues, Niagara Therapy, LLC is here to help. If you have an injury or illness that has resulted in pain, limited movement, functional loss, or impairment that alters how you move, physical therapy may help you. Regardless of age or your medical history, a physical therapist can perform an evaluation and establish an individualized treatment plan to help maximize your functional potential and performance.  

We have a strong team of experienced physical therapists with expertise in a wide range of conditions. We specialize in treating stroke, brain injury, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease, and spinal cord injuries, pain, weakness, balance instability, among many other issues. We also have therapists who specialize in women’s health and pelvic floor conditions (bowel or bladder incontinence), and others who specialize in vestibular retraining to manage dizziness and vertigo.

Physical therapy can help older adults with resolving frequent falls as well as increase their ability to get up from the floor level after a fall. Physical therapists engage older adults in improving their flexibility, increasing their strength and overall staying active. They provide avenues for attaining equipment needs as well as measuring, fitting and training the person on proper use of the device. These devices include, but are not limited to canes, walkers of various styles to meet different needs, wheelchairs (power or manual), scooters, lift chairs, and standing frames. 

We utilize many advanced tools and techniques that are not available anywhere else in the region, including the Biodex Balance System, the Parkinson’s Wellness Recovery (PWR) Program, Neurosensory Integrator, Interactive Metronome Gait Trainer, Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM), and Complimentary Wellness Program. We also offer vestibular rehabilitation to address dizziness and balance issues.  

In addition to treating these issues, we also offer sports and running rehabilitation. Athletes will all tell you that injuries are often inevitable, but rehabbing them correctly is an important part of not only getting better, but preventing aggravating your injury or even causing new injuries in the future. 

We offer individual one on one sessions that are driven by and shaped to your goals to ensure the results you want. Our skilled staff boasts members with many different backgrounds and specialties across many different disciplines. Our full therapy team approach helps to combine all our strengths to provide you with the best possible treatment.

Advanced Physical Therapies with Niagara Therapy, LLC

Biodex Balance System

The Biodex Balance System is a program designed to help patients improve balance, increase agility, and develop muscle tone in addressing a wide variety of challenges. It is a versatile system that provides a fast, accurate Fall Risk Screening and Condition Program. It also serves as a training device to enhance kinesthetic abilities that may provide compensation for impaired proprioceptive reflex mechanisms following injury.

Parkinson’s Wellness Recovery (PWR)

The Parkinson’s Wellness Recovery (PWR) is a recovery program designed to help individuals with Parkinson's Disease. The program’s goal is to slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease, improve symptoms, improve and restore function, and increase overall quality of life through a comprehensive exercise and wellness program.

Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM)

Our occupational therapists are specially trained to provide Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM). IASTM is a form of deep tissue massage that is used to loosen up tight and sore muscles, reducing pain and improving daily life. This technique uses specially designed stainless steel tools with precise edges to contour against your body to allow for deeper tissue penetration.

Dynavision

Dynavision is a training device that individualizes therapy programs for patients dealing with vision, coordination, timing, and focus difficulties. This device uses programmable lights to improve peripheral awareness and attention in visual deficits that are common after stroke, concussion, vision related learning challenges, reaction time challenges, and brain injury.

Sanet Neurosensory Vision Integrator

The Sanet Neurosensory Vision Integrator is improves visual abilities for children and adults including visually-related learning problems, vestibular impairments, motion sickness, amblyopia, and concussion/traumatic brain injury.

Wheelchair Evaluations

Niagara Therapy, LLC offers skilled evaluations from a therapy team that has received training from the International Seating Symposium. These advanced skills will provide the opportunity to have a mobility device that best fits your needs. Call to schedule one today!

Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT)

AAT is the use of a specifically trained animal as a means of therapeutic intervention to expedite healing and recovery of acute and chronic conditions.

Rifton TRAM

The Rifton TRAM is a mobility device that can deliver 3 different functions: assisted/supported walking, sit to stand transfers for increased weight-bearing, and seated transfers between different surfaces. This body support system eliminates the lifting strain of the therapist and is capable of lifting and transferring patients of various sizes and levels of ability.

Fascial Strain-Counterstain

This is a “positional release technique”. Specially trained therapists use passive body positioning of spasmodic muscles and dysfunctional joints to compress and shorten affected tissue. These skilled therapists are able to assess the entire body for pain and dysfunction.

Learn more about all the advanced therapies that we offer

Contact Us Today

Regardless of what you’re dealing with, Niagara Therapy, LLC’s experienced team of physical therapists can help you get through it, get you feeling better and get you back to living your life independently. We treat a wide range of issues with a variety of evidenced-based approaches and treatments in individualized one on one sessions. Appointments are available all day from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm, so don’t hesitate to get in touch with us by calling 814-464-0627814-464-0627, or send us a message and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

Let us know what’s on your mind!