Orthotics are specially designed devices worn inside the shoe to correct biomechanical foot issues. They are vital instruments in physical therapy, helping patients recover from injuries and manage chronic conditions. With our expertise, we leverage the power of orthotics to restore natural foot function, improve mobility, and enhance overall quality of life.

Understanding The Role of Orthotics in Clarksville

Orthotics play a critical role in physical therapy. They correct foot abnormalities, redistribute weight, alleviate pressure from sore spots, and improve balance. We, at our clinic, use them as a part of comprehensive treatment plans for conditions like plantar fasciitis, bursitis, arthritis, flat feet, and more.

By aligning your feet and ankles, orthotics can even influence your knees, hips, and lower back, addressing imbalances and enhancing your overall body mechanics. They can also be custom-made to meet your unique requirements, ensuring the perfect fit for optimal therapeutic benefits.

Types of Orthotics Used in Physical Therapy

There are two main types of orthotics – functional and accommodative. Functional orthotics control abnormal motion, correcting the alignment of your foot. They are often used to treat injuries like shin splints or tendinitis.

Accommodative orthotics, on the other hand, provide cushioning and support, often used to relieve pain and discomfort caused by conditions such as diabetic foot ulcers or plantar fasciitis.

Our expert physical therapists will perform a comprehensive evaluation of your needs to determine the type of orthotic best suited to aid your recovery.

The Custom Orthotics Process

Custom orthotics involve a process that begins with a thorough examination of your foot structure, biomechanics, and gait. This is followed by making a 3D mold of your foot, which is used to create your bespoke orthotic device.

The design process considers factors such as your daily activities, your footwear, and the specific health problem being addressed. This personalized approach ensures maximum effectiveness and comfort, delivering you the best possible outcome.

Rehabilitation and Recovery with Orthotics

Orthotics are more than just corrective devices. They are an integral part of your rehabilitation journey. They help reduce pain, facilitate healing, and prevent further injuries, enabling you to resume your daily activities more comfortably and confidently.

In addition, orthotics can complement other physical therapy treatments, such as exercise programs, manual therapy, or balance training, to provide a holistic approach to recovery.

The Long-Term Benefits of Orthotics

Orthotics don’t just offer immediate relief; they provide long-term benefits too. By addressing the root cause of your discomfort, they prevent the same issues from recurring, ensuring sustained wellness. They also promote proper posture and enhanced physical performance, making them valuable for both athletes and individuals engaged in regular physical activities.

Orthotics For Children and Adolescents

Orthotics can be particularly beneficial for children and adolescents whose bones and muscles are still developing. They can correct alignment issues, improve gait, and prevent future biomechanical problems. Early intervention with orthotics can set the foundation for a lifetime of better foot health and mobility.

Investing in Your Health with Orthotics

Orthotics are not just an expense – they are an investment in your well-being. By reducing pain, enhancing mobility, and preventing further injuries, they contribute to your ongoing health and happiness. Plus, they can save you from the potential costs of long-term care associated with untreated foot and leg issues.

Making Orthotics a Part of Your Lifestyle

Orthotics can easily be integrated into your everyday lifestyle. From custom-fitted shoes and inserts for daily wear, to specialized orthotics for sports and physical activities – there are solutions to suit every need. Our physical therapists can guide you on the best practices for using and maintaining your orthotics, ensuring they serve you effectively for years to come.

Remember, taking care of your feet means taking care of your overall health. Make orthotics a part of your wellness journey today.

Embrace a Pain-free Life with Orthotics in Clarksville

Orthotics, when incorporated into a well-rounded physical therapy regimen, can dramatically improve your life quality. They can help you overcome the limitations set by foot pain and other musculoskeletal conditions.

At our clinic, we strive to make this beneficial treatment accessible and effective, providing expert guidance every step of the way. Embrace the path to a pain-free life with orthotics today – your feet will thank you!

By using orthotics, we don’t just treat the symptoms – we focus on eliminating the root cause, ensuring a healthier, happier you.

Whether you’re a weekend warrior or a serious athlete, sports injuries are a fact of life. A twisted ankle or an aching back can usually be treated at home. But for those breaks and tears that call for immediate medical attention, or those pains that just aren’t going away, physical therapy is often a critical part of the healing process.

Sports Rehab Program in Clarksville

Our team offers sports rehabilitation to get you back on the court or field. A specialized practice that focuses on the prevention, evaluation, and treatment of physical activity, as well as rehabilitation and performance enhancement, is our sports physical therapy program. These include pre-participation screenings and equipment recommendations. To help you get your strength and confidence back, sports physical therapists use the latest research in their athlete therapy.

These are the intervention methods that our sports medicine physical therapists offer:

• Performance enhancement
• Prevention of injury
• Acute sports injuries can be managed and treated on-site
• Rehabilitation and treatment

Sports injuries are not limited to those they affect. Patients of all ages and medical conditions can suffer from a variety of health problems. There are many options for pain management depending on the severity and particularity of your condition. Athletes can take steps to ensure their safety by becoming familiar with the potential injuries they may sustain in their sport and practicing helpful stretching and strengthening exercises to improve muscle stability. Even with the best protection tips, athletes still have the potential to be injured. Targeted physical therapy can help heal even the most severe injuries. An awkward landing, overtraining or improper stretching can all lead to sports injuries. Athletes need to be supported by physical therapists. They can help them prioritize an exercise program that educates them on self-care tips and how to avoid injuries. These facts can help you to address your injuries.

• Most common injuries to sports are minor bruising and sprains. However, some injuries can be more serious.
• Concussions and herniated disks are more severe.
• Many injuries can be prevented by properly stretching before engaging in strenuous activity.
• To strengthen their muscles and joints, every athlete should exercise daily. Stretching should be done before and after each practice, game, or workout. This will increase blood flow, flexibility, and stretch muscles.
• Some injuries can be treated at-home, but you should contact your doctor or physical therapist if your pain persists. After about one month of at-home treatment, your swelling should decrease and your bruising should improve. You should consult a professional if you continue to notice discoloration or swelling after the first month.
• Your range of motion, flexibility and strength will be tested at your first appointment for physical therapy. This will help determine the cause of your injury. Your therapist and you will develop a plan together to improve your strength and muscles and prevent future injury.

Without the help of a physical therapist, sports injuries can be a daunting concern. You will not only be able to recover faster and more efficiently but also you can avoid further injury by following self-proclaimed treatment plans. We are proud to have a team of therapists who are experts in treating athletic injuries. No limitations, we can help you get back in your ring.

Common Sports Injuries We Treat in Clarksville

Whether it’s an immediate, dramatic break or damage that accumulates over time, sports can do some serious damage. The workout-related problems we frequently treat include:

Repetitive stress conditions. Arthritis and tendonitis often stem from sports moves like swinging a racket or throwing a ball. Joints and muscles can become inflamed in vulnerable areas, including shoulders, elbows, hips, ankles, and knees.

Torn tendons and ligaments. Those dramatic jumps, twists, and stretches can result in equally dramatic “snapped” tissues, especially in the knees, shoulders, and groin. Surgery followed by physical therapy is often the prescription.

Strained back. Sometimes that sore lower back pain just won’t go away with basic home care. In such cases, we’ll work with you to rebuild strength and flexibility.

Fractures and breaks. When you have a bone injury during a game or workout, a trip to the emergency room usually results in a cast to promote healing. But as your bone is recovering, the muscles around it are weakening. Physical therapy helps to strengthen the affected area following a fracture.

Sports Injury Therapy and Prevention in Clarksville

Some sports injuries require surgery or other medical procedures as the first line of defense. In fact, postoperative physical therapy is key for transitioning back to normalcy. Similarly, when your injury requires a cast or some form of bracing, our team will help you rebound from the diminished strength and range of movement that happens while the limb is out of commission.

Athletes know that the best way to avoid injury or reinjury is to build up strength and flexibility. Working out at the gym is great, but our physical therapists will guide you through specific moves that help you avoid future injuries based on your sport and your specific build. We’ll also talk you through strategies you can implement when you’re back on the field.

Start Your Recovery

Don’t wait to begin your sports injury recovery or prevention program. Our dedicated team is trained in the specific art of dealing with sports injuries, and we’ll have you back to fighting form in no time! Contact us to schedule an appointment to get back to the sport you love as soon as possible.

What’s Shockwave Therapy?

A handheld device uses low-energy acoustic waves to shockwave the skin using a conducting gel. The projectile is controlled by compressed oxygen and absorbs the energy. This energy causes the body to repair and regenerate the affected area. We would discuss your injury before you receive shockwave therapy. Your physiotherapist will evaluate your condition and develop a treatment plan. This may include specific exercises or stretching in addition to shockwave therapy. The treatment plan will include a schedule for shockwave treatment. When you are ready to start the therapy, your physiotherapist can adjust the intensity and frequency of your pulses to your individual needs. The treatment is directly applied to the area of injury, which allows for targeted therapy that is specific to your condition.

Shockwave Therapy Benefits in Clarksville

Shockwave therapy has many benefits, including its convenience. ESWT has no side effects and is completely safe, as we have already mentioned. ESWT is a non-invasive, simple replacement for complex surgeries and prescription drugs. This makes it an affordable, simple solution to many chronic conditions. It also has a high cost-effectiveness ratio. Shockwave therapy reduces pain by reducing the release of substanceP, a neurotransmitter directly related to pain. In 2012, a study showed a direct correlation between decreased levels of substance P and pain relief from shockwave therapy for tendon insertion disease. Therapy encourages healing by removing calcifications, which can result from injury to the tendon. It stimulates collagen production, which is essential for the repair of damaged musculoskeletal structures.

Shockwave therapy can be used in a range of treatments. It is useful for both basic, initial treatments like rest and ice and compression. But it also helps with more expensive, complex treatments like surgery. Shockwave therapy provides physical therapists with another tool to heal, and it is quick and easy to recover from. Patients may feel some swelling or tenderness for a few days after treatment. It is normal for the body to heal itself, as it has been encouraged to do. ESWT allows athletes and patients to quickly and efficiently address musculoskeletal problem so that they can return to their sport.

Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy is a treatment modality that can be used to treat a wide range of musculoskeletal disorders. It’s primarily used to treat chronic conditions, especially those that affect medium-sized tendons and their attachments to bone, such as:

• Plantar Fasciitis
• Achilles Tendinopathy
• Retrocalcaneal Bursitis
• Lateral Epicondylosis, Tennis Elbow
• Medial Epicondylosis, (Golfer’s Elbow).
• Calcific Tendonitis (supraspinatus tendon, etc.)
• Patellar Tendinosis, (Jumper’s Knee).
• Morton’s Neuroma
• Chronic Stress/Nonunion Fractures

Are You Considering Shockwave Therapy?

Shockwave therapy is a great option for persistent tendinopathy that won’t go away. For stubborn cases or chronic conditions that don’t respond to other treatments, shockwave therapy is a great option. Shockwave therapy has been proven to be effective in treating conditions like shin splints and hip bursitis as well as chronic back pain, patellar tendonitis and Achilles tendonitis. It also works well for tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow. Shockwave therapy may be an effective treatment for your pain and immobility, regardless of whether you have suffered from musculoskeletal pain due to a sports injury or overuse injury. You can contact us today to receive shockwave therapy!

Restore Balance. Renew Energy. Improve Quality of Life.

Hormones play a vital role in regulating energy levels, metabolism, mood, sleep, muscle mass, sexual health, and overall well-being. As we age, hormone levels naturally decline, which can lead to symptoms that affect both physical and emotional health. At Riverside Spine & Physical Medicine, our Hormone Optimization programs are designed to help patients restore hormonal balance, improve vitality, and enhance their quality of life through personalized treatment plans.

Whether you’re experiencing fatigue, weight gain, low libido, mood changes, or difficulty concentrating, our experienced team can help identify hormonal imbalances and develop a customized solution tailored to your needs.

Signs of Hormonal Imbalance

Hormonal changes can affect men and women differently. Common symptoms may include:

• Persistent fatigue and low energy
• Weight gain or difficulty losing weight
• Reduced muscle mass and strength
• Brain fog and poor concentration
• Mood swings, anxiety, or irritability
• Decreased libido and sexual performance
• Sleep disturbances
• Hot flashes and night sweats
• Low motivation and decreased endurance
• Increased body fat

If these symptoms are impacting your daily life, hormone optimization may help restore balance and improve overall wellness.

Personalized Hormone Optimization Programs

At Riverside Spine & Physical Medicine, we take a comprehensive approach to hormone health. Treatment begins with a thorough evaluation, including a review of symptoms, medical history, and laboratory testing to assess hormone levels.

Our hormone optimization programs may include:

• Comprehensive hormone testing
• Individualized treatment plans
• Testosterone optimization for men
• Hormone support for women
• Lifestyle and nutritional guidance
• Ongoing monitoring and adjustments
• Wellness and longevity strategies

Every treatment plan is customized to help patients achieve safe, effective, and long-lasting results.

Benefits of Hormone Optimization

When hormone levels are properly balanced, patients may experience:

• Increased energy and stamina
• Improved mood and mental clarity
• Better sleep quality
• Enhanced metabolism and weight management
• Increased muscle strength and recovery
• Improved sexual wellness and libido
• Greater focus and productivity
• Improved overall health and vitality

Many patients report feeling more energized, motivated, and confident after achieving hormonal balance.

Why Choose Riverside Spine & Physical Medicine?

Our team is committed to providing patient-centered care with a focus on long-term health and wellness. We use advanced diagnostic testing, evidence-based treatment strategies, and personalized monitoring to help patients safely optimize hormone levels and improve overall performance.

We believe that achieving hormonal balance is an important step toward feeling healthier, stronger, and more vibrant at every stage of life.

Schedule Your Hormone Optimization Consultation Today

If you’re experiencing symptoms of hormonal imbalance, don’t ignore them. The team at Riverside Spine & Physical Medicine can help identify the underlying cause and create a personalized plan to support your health and wellness goals.

Contact Riverside Spine & Physical Medicine today to schedule your consultation and discover how hormone optimization can help you feel your best.

Surgeons routinely refer post-surgical patients to our physical therapists to help them recover strength, function and mobility. To speed up recovery, physical therapy is usually required after orthopedic surgery. This includes operations on the hip and knee, shoulder, wrists, wrists, hand, neck, ankle, spine, and shoulder. The recovery process can take anywhere from one to three days, with some cases requiring immobilization.

Many of us are aware of the importance of a pre-surgical program. Your physical therapist will design this program to assist you before surgery to ensure that you have the best possible outcome.

Our therapists provide one-on-one, evidence-based physical therapy treatment sessions to help facilitate your recovery and return to activities of daily living (ADLs), work, recreational activities and even competitive sports.

Conditions We Treat in Clarksville

The rehabilitative process depends on the injury and type of surgery. We help patients recover and rehabilitate from a variety of orthopedic post-operative procedures, including:

• Knee, hip and shoulder joint replacements
• Reconstruction of any one or more of the four major knee ligaments: anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), medial collateral ligament (MCL), posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), and lateral collateral ligament (LCL)
• Arthroscopic knee surgeries (such as meniscectomies, meniscal repairs)
• Ligament and tendon repair, including Achilles tendon repairs
• Arthroscopic hip surgeries (such as labral repairs)
• Nerve releases (such as cubital tunnel, radial tunnel, carpal tunnel, tarsal tunnel)
• Neck and back surgery (such as fusions, laminectomy, decompression and discectomy)
• Nerve compression release
• Bone or joint fusion (arthrodesis)
• Tendon transfers
• Surgical fixation of fractures, including open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF), a two-part surgery used to fix broken bones where the broken bone is reduced (put back into place) and an internal fixation device is placed on the bone (e.g., screws, plates, rods or pins) to hold the bone together
• Shoulder post-surgical recovery for rotator cuff tears, labral tears, superior labrum anterior and posterior (SLAP) tear or lesion, arthroscopy and more

Some of the therapies used to accomplish the goal of regaining movement and reducing pain, swelling and stiffness may include one or more of the following:

• Manual therapy
• Soft tissue and/or joint mobilization
• Muscle energy
• Gait and balance training
• Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) – electrical muscle & nerve stimulation
• Therapeutic exercise and functional strength training
• Ultrasound
• Functional re-education
• Rehabilitative exercises to help increase strength, endurance, motion, balance and coordination

Benefits of Pre-/Post-Surgical Physical Therapy in Clarksville

Pre-Surgical Physical Therapist

These are the goals of a presurgical program:

• Mentally prepare yourself for surgery
• Reducing pain and inflammation
• Restores motion range
• Increase muscular control over the injured joint
• Before you have your surgery, normalize your movement patterns
• Increase overall health and fitness
• Get a solid understanding of the exercises you’ll be performing immediately following surgery

Post-Surgical Physical Therapy

The rehabilitation process is made easier by physical therapists who are skilled in optimizing your recovery and preventing re-injury. The following are the main areas of treatment:

• Swelling is reduced
• Gaining range of motion
• Regaining lost strength
• Greater endurance
• Resuming your daily activities

What to Expect

Each patient is unique in terms of their health history, diagnosis, and goals. We will customize a treatment plan for each patient when you visit us for your first appointment.

We are able to work with all major insurance companies and will do everything we can to make the process as easy as possible. We can confirm your insurance coverage if you let us know. We will request a copay from your insurance company at each visit. We accept cash, check, and credit card payments.

Your first visit will include a physical therapy evaluation. This information is used by the therapist to establish goals for your ongoing treatment. The goals of physical therapy may include increased movement, strength and endurance, as well as reduced pain. The treatment you receive in your subsequent visits will be based on your diagnosis.

How We Treat Patients Pre/Post-Surgery in Clarksville

A physical therapist will conduct a thorough evaluation to determine the best way to reduce pain and swelling, as well as restore normal movement, flexibility, and function. Together, the therapist and the patient will establish functional goals that allow them to resume normal daily activities as well as prevent injuries from recurring. The therapist will then create an exercise program that is tailored to the patient’s abilities and work.

The treatment process is often broken down into phases. First, the patient may be immobilized for a few days after surgery. Then, pain and swelling will subside. Next, a series of increasingly difficult exercises will be performed to restore strength, stability, range of motion and strength. The ultimate goal is to get the patient back to pre-injury activities. These are some of the possible postoperative treatments.

• Flexibility exercises to increase range of motion
• Modalities like heat, ice and electrical stimulation
• Exercises to build muscles
• Training in posture, balance and coordination
• Training and analysis of gait
• Manual therapy methods
• Self-care training
• Home exercise instruction

Ultrasound, a type of mechanical energy, has been used for years to reduce chronic pain and speed up the healing process. A physical therapist can use ultrasound therapy in a variety of ways to reduce pain and treat injuries. Contact us for more information about how ultrasound therapy can promote healing, decrease pain, and improve your ability and performance in daily activities and tasks.

How Ultrasound Works in Clarksville

Ultrasound therapy uses sound waves to treat various muscle, bone and ligament conditions. The sound waves generate vibrations that produce heat. The friction created when tissues vibrate at the molecular level is caused by the vibrations of sound waves. The friction causes tissue temperature to rise. This is just one advantage of ultrasound applications. Ultrasound can penetrate deeper into tissues than a hot pack.

Gel is used to reduce friction and promote transmission of ultrasound waves during physical therapy. Your tendons, ligaments and connective tissue absorb the waves.

What Ultrasound Therapy Does for the Body

Two ways that ultrasound can help you heal and repair your tissues during physical therapy are the most common. It provides heat or thermal energy. The second benefit is non-thermal.

Thermal – Ultrasound heats tissues deep into the tissue. This can improve circulation and reduce pain. The heat can also allow muscles to stretch more easily. The ultrasound can also be used to loosen muscles and tendons.

Non-Thermal Ultrasound – Ultrasound can also work in ways that are not related to heat transfer. Ultrasound creates tiny gas bubbles around tissues when it transmits energy to the body. These gas bubbles expand and contract at an accelerated rate. This phenomenon is known as cavitation.

Ultrasound Therapy Benefits

• Heat will increase blood flow – As cold reduces blood flow, heat will also increase it. Ultrasound therapy can cause blood vessels to expand and increase blood flow. An increase in blood flow will mean that more nutrients are delivered to the injury area while less waste is removed. This improves healing.
• Reduce swelling and inflammation – Ultrasound therapy has been proven to decrease stiffness and increase range of motion, as well as reduce stiffness and inflammation. This will make it easier for your joints and muscles to respond to manual stretching and other types of massage if blood flow has been increased and inflammation reduced.
• Promote tissue healing – Ultrasound can not only improve your muscles and joint range, but also aids in the healing of injured tissues. Ultrasound can affect the metabolism of tissue cells. The ultrasound vibration can prevent scar tissue formation.

Conditions Treated with Ultrasound in Clarksville

Although ultrasound can increase blood flow, reduce swelling, inflammation and tissue healing are all general benefits, there are a few conditions that it can be used to treat. Here are some of the conditions that can be treated with ultrasound.

• Ultrasound therapy can effectively treat bursitis and tendonitis.
• Ultrasound Therapy for Muscle Strains and Tears: This can help reduce the time it takes to heal sprains strains and tears.
• Muscle spasms – Heat can be applied to various areas on or near the site to relax muscles and reduce spasms.
• Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Osteoarthritis (OA) – These chronic conditions respond well to ultrasound’s deep heat.
• Low-intensity ultrasound can promote healing of bone fractures. Ultrasound is also a cost-effective and less invasive method to diagnose certain types of stress fractures.

These are just some of the many conditions that ultrasound physical therapy can treat. Whiplash, phantom or severe limb pain, toothache, and certain types of cancer can all be treated with ultrasound physical therapy.

At our physical therapy clinic, we offer Musculoskeletal (MSK) Ultrasound services, a cutting-edge diagnostic tool that uses sound waves to produce images of muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints throughout the body. This non-invasive imaging technique helps us assess a range of musculoskeletal conditions and guide therapeutic interventions. MSK Ultrasound can offer real-time, dynamic visual feedback, allowing our therapists to evaluate function and even monitor the healing process, whether the issue is a strain, sprain, tear, or other soft tissue injuries. From aiding in diagnoses to guiding precision in rehabilitative procedures, our MSK Ultrasound services form an integral part of our comprehensive physical therapy approach, delivering optimal care to patients for improved outcomes.

Find a Qualified Physical Therapist in Clarksville

An ultrasound-trained physical therapist may be able help you with many types of conditions. It is important to choose a physical therapy that has been trained in treating your condition. Your condition may be treated by a trained therapist using a variety of ultrasound techniques. Sometimes, ultrasound therapy is used in conjunction with different types of massage or exercise.

The physical therapist’s goal is to relieve your symptoms and promote healing. This will improve flexibility and range-of-motion. This will help to reduce or eliminate pain from your injury. The physical therapist will also be able to teach you exercises that you can do at home and how you can improve your gait and posture in order to prevent future injuries. The physical therapist’s goal is to help you increase strength, range of motion, and everyday functionality. Call us today for more information about how ultrasound therapy may help your condition.

Spinal manipulation can relieve pressure on the joints, reduce inflammation and improve nerve function. This gentle form of manual therapy focuses on improving and optimizing the function of the spine.

Your spine is an important part of your body. It protects your spinal cord, allows you to breathe properly, and allows you to move. Your spine’s health is linked to almost all functions in your body. Spinal manipulation can be used to treat pain even if it seems unrelated.

Spinal Manipulation is also known as High-Velocity Low Amplitude Thrust or Spinal Manipulative Therapy. It has a long and distinguished history. It is primarily used by chiropractors, osteopathic, medical doctors, and physical therapists. A clinician may use a quick impulse or thrust to perform spinal manipulation. Although this may sound harsh, these movements are gentle and should not be considered aggressive.

What is the Importance of Spinal Manipulation?

Your spine is complex. It contains many parts: vertebrae, discs and joints, ligaments, muscles, nerves, tendons and ligaments. It is therefore necessary to maintain a delicate balance in order for the spine to function at its best. This is why spinal manipulation has become such an important treatment. You know how frustrating it can be to live with pain.

To ensure your spine is in its best health, the following are some things you can do:

• Good posture and spine curves
• Strong core and abdominal muscles
• Strong glutes and spinal muscles
• Excellent flexibility and balance, with side-bending or rotation

You can get there with our spinal manipulation services. Our team should be contacted immediately if you’re experiencing pain. We will evaluate your condition and determine whether spinal manipulation is the best treatment option.

Spinal Manipulation Benefits in Clarksville

• Facilitate movement
• Reduce pain
• Increase circulation
• relax muscles
• Improve muscle function

The client can move on to strengthening exercises much faster and easier after achieving the above-mentioned goals with spinal manipulation. Spinal manipulation is not used to maintain pain but as a tool for reducing it quickly. Research has shown that manual therapy and manipulative therapy can be combined with therapeutic exercises to improve patient outcomes. It is also quicker than the activities taken alone.

Common misconception: Chiropractic adjustment is often mistakenly equated with spinal manipulation by physical therapy. The question is: What’s the difference? What is the difference between manual physical therapy and chiropractic? Although the techniques and applications of both professions may be similar, they operate under different treatment models and philosophies.

Spinal manipulation–sometimes called “spinal manipulative therapy”–is utilized by physical therapists here at our practice. Spinal manipulation is performed using either our hands or a device that applies controlled force to a spinal joint. The type of manipulation performed will determine the force that is applied. The treatment’s goal is to reduce pain and improve physical functioning.

Spinal Decompression: A Complementary Approach to Spinal Health

While spinal manipulation is a widely used technique for improving spinal alignment and relieving joint restrictions, spinal decompression offers a different yet complementary approach to alleviating back and neck pain.

What Is Spinal Decompression?

Spinal decompression therapy is a non-surgical treatment designed to relieve pressure on the spinal discs by gently stretching the spine. This process helps create negative pressure within the discs, promoting the retraction of herniated or bulging discs and improving nutrient flow to aid in healing.

How Spinal Decompression Differs from Spinal Manipulation

• Spinal manipulation focuses on adjusting the vertebrae to improve alignment, reduce nerve interference, and enhance mobility.
• Spinal decompression specifically targets compressed discs, using traction-based techniques to relieve pressure and reduce nerve irritation.

When to Consider Spinal Decompression

Patients experiencing conditions such as herniated discs, sciatica, degenerative disc disease, or chronic lower back pain may benefit from spinal decompression as part of a comprehensive treatment plan. Combining spinal manipulation with decompression therapy can enhance overall spinal health by addressing both joint mobility and disc-related concerns.

Add Spinal Manipulation and Spinal Decompression To Your Treatment in Clarksville

Many of our patients have found spinal manipulation to be very beneficial. Our physical therapists will help you restore natural movement to your spine joints, increase fluid circulation to the joints, strengthen your spinal muscles, and educate on proper posture and prevention techniques.

We can help you achieve more with less pain. Our patients report significant pain relief and improvements in their daily activities within a matter of weeks.

What is Cupping?

Cupping is not a new therapy although it had a recent surge in popularity as high profile athletes have been seen with the characteristic large red dots on their skin during sporting events. Cupping in our clinic is most often used to increase soft tissue mobility and speed the healing process by promoting increased blood flow to a needed region.

Cupping is not a comfortable treatment generally speaking. Fortunately, it can be administered in varying amounts of pressure which makes it manageable for most of our patients who need this helpful treatment.

Rather than using glass cups and a flame we use a variable pressure pump that allows us to tailor your treatment in ranges of comfort for the individual.

Our therapists are highly skilled and capable of utilizing this treatment to bring you lasting relief from nagging pains and injury.

Cupping is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practice that involves placing cups on the skin to create suction. This practice dates back over 2,000 years but has received recent attention due to its use by world-class athletes for injury relief.

The cups used in cupping are typically made of bamboo, glass, or earthenware.
It’s believed that the effect of suction on the skin helps increase blood flow and promotes healing; however, the way in which cupping may have an effect on the body is unclear.
In a peer-reviewed study1, researchers concluded that cupping could be effective in treating the pain and disability associated with chronic neck pain and chronic low-back pain in the short term.

Cupping is generally safe for healthy people when performed by one of our trained health professionals.

Some of the side effects like bruising and soreness are possible.

Benefits of Cupping in Clarksville

Sometimes, cupping can be described as a “tissue distraction” technique. Cupping involves moving the cups across the body to lift and separate tissue. This helps to increase the release of interfaces between neural tissues, fascia and skin, ligaments, muscles, tendons, and other structures. It can relax muscles, release trigger points, increase lymphatic flow, increase local circulation, and release scar tissue adhesion. There is evidence that cupping can be used to treat fibromyalgia, chronic neck pain, and low back pain.

There are three types of cupping techniques: cross-fiber, circular, and longitudinal. The most popular form of cupping is the longitudinal. This involves the cup being glided longitudinally across muscle fibers. Cross fiber is when the tissue is thought to be scarred. To ensure that all areas are covered, circular is used in the final session.

Cupping is an extremely popular and common practice among athletes. After a cupping session lasting three minutes, a patient who had suffered from iliotibial bands (ITB) pain for over a year reported immediate relief. A week later, the technique was again used. After only two sessions of cupping, he was pain-free and able to resume his normal running routine.

What Can I Expect From a Cupping Treatment in Clarksville?

Cupping can be a complicated process. The cup will be set on fire by the physical therapist. The cup will then be turned upside down and placed on your skin. The cup will cool and create a vacuum. This causes the skin to rise, and blood vessels to expand.

Modern practices use rubber pumps to create vacuum instead of fire, and silicone cups can sometimes be used to create a massage effect.

Cupping has many benefits. Cupping can improve your skin, reduce inflammation, and help you breathe better. It can also be used to reduce symptoms and speed up recovery from certain injuries or ailments.

Ask Your Physical Therapist How Cupping Might Help You in Clarksville

Cupping is a helpful alternative treatment for some. Please share your complete health history with your therapist and they will discuss the benefits and possible side effects of cupping to make sure it is right for you.

Our team of specialists can help you if you are suffering from an injury or other health issue that prevents you from living the life you desire. To determine if cupping is right for you, we will arrange a meeting with one of our licensed physical therapists.

Physical Therapy in Clarksville

Are you looking for a drug-free, affordable solution to your pain and movement problems?

Physical therapy is a great first-line treatment for most muscle and joint problems. Clinically proven to reduce pain and dysfunction, physical therapy also saves you time and money too. Although other kinds of practitioners will offer some of these treatments as “physical therapy,” it’s important for you to know that physical therapy can only be provided by qualified and licensed physical therapists.

A healthy, strong, and active lifestyle is what everyone strives for. However, it is not always easy to obtain, especially for those suffering from chronic pain. The very thought of going out and exercising with your aches and pains may leave you feeling uncomfortable. However, there is, fortunately, a simpler solution to gaining the active lifestyle you desire. Physical therapy can help you achieve optimum levels of health and fitness, all while reducing your pain. If you are looking for a healthier, stronger, and more active lifestyle, give Riverside Spine and Physical Medicine a call today!

What Is Physical Therapy?

Physical therapy generally consists of three important phases: pain relief, strengthening, and functional integration. Some people are apprehensive toward physical therapy because they believe it will hurt them; however, the opposite is usually true. Physical therapy is aimed at pain relief and strengthening, and our physical therapist will make sure that your treatment plan won’t bring you any pain or discomfort. This is achieved through several treatment services, such as ice and heat therapies, stretching, bracing, and ultrasound.

We use a reliable assessment process specific for all musculoskeletal problems, including pain in the back, neck, and extremities (i.e., shoulder, knee, ankle, etc.), as well as issues associated with sciatica, sacroiliac joint pain, arthritis, degenerative disc disease, muscle spasms and intermittent numbness in hands or feet.

An active lifestyle is also dependent upon movement. Our physical therapist will cater your treatment plan around specific movements designed to increase your strength, flexibility, balance, and overall mobility. He or she will assist you with many of these exercises, but will also provide some simple ones that can be done at home.

The end result of physical therapy is living the life you want, free from painful limitations. That can only happen when you apply the concepts you learn from your treatments to the outside world. Our physical therapist is as dedicated as you are and will encourage you to achieve all the goals you set forth in the beginning.

Imagine you now have the knowledge and power to control your pain and stiffness and the ability to do your work or daily activities. You will not have to spend months in therapy or have to rely on unnecessary medications, injections, or surgery. Take control of your injury, empower yourself, and get back to the life you love with specific movements and exercises given to you by our certified physical therapists.

How Will Physical Therapy in Clarksville Help Me?

The purpose of physical therapy remains the same, no matter what you are seeking its services for. Perhaps you are still suffering from the lingering pain of an injury. Perhaps you are recovering from surgery and trying to get your range of motion back. Perhaps your joints simply aren’t what they used to be, and you are looking for relief. Whatever the case may be, physical therapists are dedicated to relieving your pain and getting you back to your peak level of physical health.

A physical therapist is a movement specialist, educated in analyzing mobility issues with walking, running, jumping, bending, stretching, and almost every other form of physical activity. Our physical therapist can pinpoint problem areas and create a customized treatment plan aimed at improving those areas. Through in-office sessions and at-home exercises, patients strengthen their muscles and joints, improve their balance, build endurance, and experience pain relief, all without the unwanted harmful risks of drugs or surgery.

What Should I Expect?

Everyone has different needs based on the conditions of their bodies. There is no cookie-cutter approach to health and wellness, as one treatment plan may not work the same for one person as it would for another. Your physical therapist will work closely with you to evaluate your mobility, balance, range of motion, and severity of pain. Your physical goals will also be taken into account when creating your treatment plan, as well as any health risks that may be holding you back. At your initial evaluation, you may be asked to perform basic movements, such as sitting down, standing up, walking, lifting, stretching, or other motions. Once your physical therapist has a clear picture of what you need, he or she will begin constructing a treatment plan to help relieve your pain and achieve your goals.

In the end, an active lifestyle is more than possible, even if you struggle with chronic pain. If you are looking to improve your health, strength, and physical activity, look no further – we are here to help. Request an appointment with one of our physical therapists today and get started on your journey toward better health and wellness!

Patients with bleeding disorders, extreme fear of needles, on medications that prevent clotting or promote excessive coagulation, or with tender points directly near vital neural or vascular tissue may be identified as contraindicated to this treatment by a practitioner.