Physical and Occupational Therapy Services at Chestnut Hill

Physical Therapists treat:

• Spine: low back pain, neck pain, sciatica, muscle strains
• Shoulder: rotator cuff injury, impingement, instability, throwing injuries
• Hip: Strains, impingement, tendinopathy, arthritis
• Knee: ligament and meniscal injuries, arthritis, patellofemoral syndrome
• Ankle and foot: sprains, tendinopathy, plantar fasciitis
• Sprains/strains
• Tendonitis/bursitis
• Whiplash and concussions
• Fractures
• Post-operative treatment

Occupational Therapists treat:

• Hand, wrist, and elbow injuries
• Post-operative treatment: tendon, fracture, and nerve repairs
• Overuse injuries
• Ergonomics consultation for joint protection (a review of the physical demands of your job responsibilities and work environment to reduce the risk of injury or discomfort)

Hand Therapists treat:

• Hand injuries due to trauma or surgery

• Strengthening, flexibility and endurance exercises to improve your movement for all types of physical activities
• Joint and soft tissue mobilization, using hands-on therapy such as massage and gentle stretching, to increase your range of motion and freedom of movement, and to restore function
• Ice and heat to decrease pain and swelling
• Therapeutic ultrasound, which uses sound waves to produce heat or increase blood flow, promote healing and reduce pain and swelling
• Iontophoresis, which delivers medicine through the skin for pain relief
• Electrical stimulation, which uses an electrical current to help with pain control or muscle re-education
• Education on symptom management, joint protection strategies, proper body mechanics and positioning
• Home-exercise programs

At your first visit, your physical or occupational therapist will discuss your treatment goals, take a detailed history and evaluate your physical condition.

We will assess:

• Posture
• Range of motion
• Strength
• Flexibility
• Functional movement

Together with you and your referring physician, we will then develop a treatment plan, including how many follow-up visits you need. We see most patients for about six visits, anywhere from one to three times a week. The single most important thing you can do to ensure a good outcome is to keep your scheduled appointments.

We may ask you to change into a gown at your first visit while we do a physical assessment.

We recommend that you wear or bring shorts, a T-shirt and athletic shoes. Wearing loose-fitting clothes lets you move more comfortably during your therapy session.

Most rehabilitation programs require that you do some exercises on your own at home, on a regular basis. We will review these exercises with you, and give you a written home program with pictures to follow.