Physical Therapy

Our collective physical therapy staff brings a wide range of skill sets to the clinical table.  We treat professional athletes, weekend warriors and non-athletes alike.  Everyone receives the same level of skill and attention regardless of lifestyle demands.  By design, we have put together a staff that is well versed in various treatment techniques and philosophies.  You will always see the same licensed therapist for your entire treatment as we believe that continuity and consistency are important to understand the nuances of each person’s issues and requirements.  Therefore, during your physical therapy you are not passed off to any assistants or coaches.  For more about staff, please click here.

One thing remains consistent amongst Focus’s therapists, and that is our basic assessment and treatment approach. Here’s a closer look at what your first visit for physical therapy would look like.

Manual therapy / myofascial release

Myofascia is the term used to describe all the soft tissues of the body (muscles, tendons, ligaments) and the connections that bind them to each other and to bones, nerves, blood vessels and organs.  Here is a picture of skeletal muscle and its connective fascia (the cotton candy like coating).

For thousands of years, many different forms of myofascial manipulation have been invented to treat pain and illness. Some conditions require passive myofascial release (the patient doesn’t move) while some require active movement with manipulation.

Effective treatment will heal injuries to muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, and nerves.  Headaches, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, shin splints, shoulder pain, sciatica, plantar fascitis , knee pain, and tennis elbow are just a few of the common conditions that can be resolved quickly and permanently.  These conditions all have one common denominator; they often occur from repetitive stress or tension.

McKenzie Method

Physical Therapy Director, David Vrsalovic, is a certified practitioner of the McKenzie Institute of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy of the Spine.

The McKenzie Method is a philosophy of active patient involvement and education that is trusted and utilized by patients and doctors all over the world for neck, back, and extremity disorders.

• The key component to a McKenzie evaluation is the assessment. A thorough history and testing of different movements identify patterns of pain response that are reproducible, objective, reliable and accurately reflect the characteristics of the underlying pain generator.
• Once the mechanical cause is identified, specific exercises are prescribed based on each patient’s response.
• When necessary, manual mobilization techniques are incorporated to facilitate vertebral range of motion and reduce symptoms.
• Most patients can learn how to successfully treat themselves and minimize the number of visits to physical therapy, saving time, effort, and expense.
• Many therapists claim to use McKenzie techniques, but only those carrying the initials Cert. MDT or Dip. MDT are certified to use this method.

Pediatric Physical Therapy

At Focus Physical Therapy and Wellness, our pediatric therapist, Kate Horrigan, PT, provides pediatric physical therapy services to treat children of all ages with developmental challenges. Using our multi-faceted therapeutic approach, Kate utilizes the principles of NDT (neurodevelopmental technique), sensory integration, yoga and Pilates to facilitate improved patterns of movement in children.

Kate uses an amazing toolbox of additional modalities, including Australian manual therapy, Craniosacral therapy, zero balancing, and ART (Active Release Technique).