Treatment Options - Physical Therapy

Physical Therapy

SpineAustin’s treatment goal for all of our patients is independence.

Patients benefit from a collaborative process at SpineAustin, where our physiatrists and physical therapists work from one medical chart for each patient and share notes. This continuous collaboration allows for a more precise diagnosis and more effective treatment.

When our physiatrists and surgeons decide that physical therapy is the right treatment option to pursue for a patient, the physician writes a physical therapy “prescription,” similar to a medication prescription. SpineAustin’s physical therapists are just down the hall from our physicians and remain in ongoing contact about a patient’s progress during the physical therapy treatment process.

Following an hour-long evaluation on the initial visit with our physical therapists, patients are prescribed spine movement exercises to perform at home. Information gathered while performing these exercises is essential to evaluating a patient’s condition and to developing a treatment plan on subsequent visits.

Physical therapists search for the cause of the neck or back pain, and then design a program to treat each patient’s specific condition.

“As physical therapists, that’s what we do best – get to the root of what is causing the problem,” said Trent McGinty, Director of SpineAustin’s physical therapy team.

SpineAustin’s licensed physical therapists specialize in the treatment of spine pain and use their advanced training to relieve pain and get injured muscles, joints and other tissues functioning properly so that patients can soon resume their normal activities.

In addition to pain relief, physical therapy strengthens core muscles that support the spine and increases flexibility, which can help guard against future back and neck injury. Manual therapy is useful for many cases, followed by strengthening and coordination exercises.

Patient education and informed self-treatment are key components of SpineAustin’s physical therapy department. In addition to regularly scheduled visits to SpineAustin’s physical therapy department for supervised treatment, every patient receives a home exercise program.

“Education allows patients to distinguish between conditions that require a return visit to the doctor and those that call for self-therapy and home exercise. The patient is now empowered and has control over his or her body. After patients undergo physical therapy at SpineAustin, they are confident they know more about their body and they are not dependent on us,” McGinty said.

SpineAustin’s physical therapy department is also a valuable resource for post-surgical patients. After surgery, physical therapy can hasten a patient’s recovery time by enhancing tissue healing and increases the likelihood of a safer return to life activities and sports.