Rehabilitation
Has a recent injury, major surgery, or a chronic condition limited your daily activities with pain that’s just not going away? Seek treatment from the team at the Superior Performance Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Dr. Serge PierreCharles — a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Specialist & Pain and Sports Medicine Doctor located in Minneapolis, MN — and his team help you recover, heal, and get back to the things you enjoy. During your visit, they design a personalized rehabilitation plan based on your medical history to help strengthen your body, reduce physical pain, and prevent further injury.
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Frequently asked questions.
Rehabilitation is the process of regaining your strength and confidence after a major injury, surgery, or illness. It doesn’t reverse or undo the damage caused by trauma or disease but helps you learn to do things in a new way. Rehabilitation can involve:
- Physical therapy: works on strengthening muscles and joints, and increasing mobility
- Occupational therapy: addresses the issues related to activities of daily living
- Pain therapy: focuses on reducing chronic pain
- Speech therapy: improving speech and comprehension of communication
Dr. Pierrecharles and his team use different methods customized to each patient’s medical history and identified goals.
Superior Performance Center has AlterG® Anti-Gravity Treadmills™. This is the ultimate injury recovery tool. Adjust body weight from 100% to 20% in as little as 1% increments. This allows athletes to begin rehab sooner and increase their workload with a lower risk of injury. The integrated technology provides feedback to the athlete about weight-bearing symmetry, step length symmetry, and stance time symmetry. The athlete can also record any of their pain throughout the session. Anterior view live video monitoring system allows athletes to see their gait and make improvements in real-time. This equipment provides the rehabilitation specialists at Superior Performance Center with updated technology to provide the highest level of care.
Joint Injections
Joint injections of local anesthetics or corticosteroids are often given in joints and soft tissue. They temporarily relieve pain and inflammation in the joints and facilitate pain-free movements. Relief from a single injection can last anywhere from a week to a few months.
Pool Therapy
Pool therapy is rehabilitation in an aquatic environment. It’s most useful for babies and senior citizens. Pool therapy is especially helpful for musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiac, and lung conditions.
High-performance training
Athletes use high-performance training to condition themselves to their full potential under the supervision of a sports medicine specialist.
The training sessions at the Superior Performance Center aim to improve muscle power, flexibility, and range of movements.
Strength training
Athletes’ time in rehabilitation often takes them away from training, sports, and the team. Strength training is included in rehabilitation programs for athletes when they’re recovering from an injury.
As rehabilitation progresses and you’ve gained pain-free movements, the team at the Superior Performance Center introduces the sport and performance-based movement so that you can gradually start performing at pre-injury levels.
Weight loss
Weight loss is beneficial in several ways. It improves cholesterol levels and decreases blood pressure in patients with cardiac disease. In diabetic patients, it gets blood sugar levels under control, and it also takes the pressure off your joints to decrease pain.
The team at Superior Performance Center integrates principles of nutrition, exercise, and psychology to change the long-term behavior of the patients so that healthy weight is maintained.
Orthotics
Orthotics is a branch of medicine that deals with providing and using artificial devices such as splints and braces. These devices can treat weak, ineffective, deformed, or injured muscles, joints, or skeletal parts.
Superior Performance Center offers a wide variety of materials to assist our clinicians and provide our patients with the highest quality of care and options suited for each person. Whether you are looking for casting, splinting, and bracing or the traditional shoe insert orthotic, Superior Performance Center can offer care through our orthotics and bracing options.
Casts immobilize orthopedic injuries after the initial swelling and inflammatory phase. They promote healing, maintain bone alignment, diminish pain, protect the injury, and help compensate for surrounding muscular weakness. An orthopedic cast encases a limb to stabilize and hold anatomical structures, most often a broken bone (or bones), until healing is confirmed. An improper or prolonged application can increase the risk of complications from immobilization. Proper application techniques and timely follow-up appointments are essential.
Splints are fast and easy to apply. They may be static or dynamic. Because a splint is noncircumferential, it allows for the natural swelling that occurs during the initial inflammatory phase of the injury. Splinting is the preferred method of immobilization in the acute care setting. Furthermore, a splint may be easily removed, allowing for regular inspection of the injury site. Both custom-made and standard “off-the-shelf” splints are effective.
Orthopedic braces are medical devices designed to address musculoskeletal issues; they are used to align properly, correct the position, support, stabilize, and protect certain muscles, joints, and bones as they heal from injury or trauma.
Examples:
Unloader (valgus) knee brace – osteoarthritis
Patellar brace – patellofemoral pain syndrome
Knee immobilizer – acute traumatic knee injuries/surgeries
Functional ankle braces – acute ankle sprains
Semirigid ankle braces – ankle sprain prevention
Neutral wrist splint – carpal tunnel syndrome
Shoe orthotics are devices designed to support and comfort feet. They can also be used to treat foot pain caused by abnormal motion. Shoe orthotics are also used to correctly align the foot for treating conditions such as shin splints or tendinitis.
Hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy is also known as water therapy. Superior Performance Center utilizes hydrotherapy for the treatment of pain conditions such as arthritis, as well as for rehabilitation and recovery exercises for injuries. Hydrotherapy can also help maintain strength and muscle bulk. Hydrotherapy also includes other various treatments such as soaking in a hot tub or spa, steam baths, foot baths, and hot/cold showers. Water therapy is also proven to help in a wide range of conditions such as high blood pressure, anxiety, aching joints, and sore muscles. For an alternative method of therapy that can treat a variety of conditions, visit Superior Performance Center and our clinicians can use hydrotherapy to help treat your pain or injury.
The Superior Performance Center’s HydroWorx pool has the tools required for aquatic treatment. Getting people into the water and removing them from gravity is the primary goal of aquatic treatment. Aquatic therapy can be used to recover from foot, ankle, knee, hip, back, and even shoulder injuries. The water allows athletes to move without pain. Clinicians use aquatic therapy to prevent athletes from losing muscle and maintaining strength and endurance during recovery from injury. Athletes who are using aquatic therapy for recovery can walk at .5 mph. Athletes training for a marathon can run at ten mph without the stress on their joints. Aquatic therapy has also been proven beneficial for lowering high blood pressure and anxiety.
Game Ready is another innovative recovery tool used by athletes at Superior Performance Center. Game Ready uses compression technologies combined with cooling to assist in the recovery process for athletes. This Game Ready equipment can be used during training to recover after high-intensity workouts, or it can be used as a modality in injury or post-surgical recovery. Fulfill your training and rehabilitation needs at Superior Performance Center using the Game Ready recovery technologies.
Superior Performance Center provides a spa-like experience with access to the Steamist shower. This shower is perfect for relaxation and therapeutic therapy for the skin, mind, and body. Enjoy a steam-filled shower that has four full-body features included.
Aromasense: Add aromatherapy to your shower, and experience the therapeutic powers on body, spirit, and soothing respiration to spark creativity.
Chromasense: Add one of the six lighting effects to your steam shower and bring positive physical and psychological changes.
Audiosense: Enjoy your favorite music or play a relaxing station from your favorite music streaming service. Involve your sense of hearing during this feature-filled shower experience.
Showersense: This feature gives you total touchscreen control of the amount of steam, water temperature, and water pressure to optimize total comfort.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy is a treatment method that focuses on the science of movement. Superior Performance Center’s clinicians utilize physiotherapy treatment methods to help restore movement and function when someone is affected by injury, illness, or disability. Physiotherapy can maximize patients’ physical strength, function, motion, and overall well-being by addressing the underlying physical issues. Physiotherapy utilizes massage, heat treatment, and exercise rather than drugs and surgeries to help manage injury and pain. Superior Performance Center’s facilities and equipment are a great asset to our patient’s ability to regain full functional movements to prevent and heal from injuries and pain.
Physiotherapy vs. Physical Therapy
Physiotherapy and physical therapy are sometimes used synonymously. However, some believe they differ because physiotherapy involves more hands-on manual therapy, and physical therapy incorporates more exercise-based approaches. Clinicians who practice physical therapy or physiotherapy will typically use both manual therapy and exercises to develop a balanced and individualized rehabilitation program for their patients.
NormaTec is a leader in rapid recovery and is available for athletes at Superior Performance Center. NormaTec PULSE Recovery Systems are dynamic compression devices designed for recovery and rehab. There are multiple attachments for the legs, arms, and hips. NormaTec uses compressed air to massage limbs, mobilize fluid, and speed recovery. At Superior Performance Center, our athletes can recover faster between training and after performance using the NormaTec PULSE Recovery Systems.
Superior Performance Center has AlterG® Anti-Gravity Treadmills™. This is the ultimate injury recovery tool. Adjust body weight from 100% to 20% in increments as little as 1%. This allows athletes to increase their workload with a lower risk of injury. The integrated technology provides feedback to the athlete about weight-bearing symmetry, step length symmetry, and stance time symmetry. Anterior view live video monitoring system allows athletes to see their gait and make improvements in real-time. This equipment provides the sports performance specialists at Superior Performance Center with updated technology to provide the highest training capabilities.
Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy is the use of cold for therapy and recovery. Cold therapy can be used for one localized body part, or it can be the whole body. Different types of cryotherapy include ice packs, coolant sprays, ice massages, and ice baths. Cryotherapy is prescribed for many different things. It can assist in pain therapy and numbs nerve sensitivity, and it can reduce arthritic pains and assist in regulating mood. Cryotherapy can also be used to recover after high-intensity workouts and help recover from soreness. For any cold therapy needs, visit Superior Performance Center.
Game Ready is another innovative recovery tool used by athletes at Superior Performance Center. Game Ready uses compression technologies combined with cooling to assist in the recovery process for athletes. This Game Ready equipment can be used during training to recover after high-intensity workouts, or it can be used as a modality in injury or post-surgical recovery. Fulfill your training and rehabilitation needs at Superior Performance Center using the Game Ready recovery technologies.
An ice bath is exactly what it sounds like—a bath with ice. Superior Performance Center has ice bathtubs for recovery after workouts. Ice bath provides complete submersion of muscle tissues into the cold versus ice packs that are very localized in treatment. Ice baths can also constrict blood vessels after acute injury to decrease swelling. For a positive ice bath experience, please visit Superior Performance Center.
An ice cup massage provides the tissues with the numbing properties of the ice to reduce pain and inflammation, and a gentle massage provides the mobilization of the soft tissue like a regular massage. This beneficial therapy combination assists in conditions such as plantar fasciitis and patellar tendonitis.
Concussion Management
Head injuries can often be difficult to understand or fully diagnose. Be prepared to manage head injuries and concussions by offering your team or athletes baseline concussion tests. At Superior Performance Center, we offer ImPACT concussion testing and management. The clinicians at Superior Performance Center are Credentialed ImPACT Consultants, and they are trained to administer the concussion baseline and post-injury testing, recognize concussions, and perform management and return-to-play protocols. If you are concerned that an athlete might have a concussion, always seek professional medical care. Superior Performance Center can help you manage concussions.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines concussion as “a type of traumatic brain injury—or TBI—caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or by a hit to the body that causes the head and brain to rush back and forth. This sudden movement can cause the brain to bounce around or twist in the skull, creating chemical changes in the brain and sometimes stretching and damaging brain cells.”
Common symptoms of concussion include:
- Headache, blurred vision, dizziness, sensitivity to light or noise
- Difficulty concentrating, remembering, thinking
- More emotional, irritable, sad, anxious
- Sleeping more, sleeping less, trouble falling asleep
First, if someone might have a concussion, remove that person from any environment that could risk Second Impact Syndrome (SIS). SIS is a condition that involves someone who has a head trauma or concussion and sustains a second impact/blow to the head. This can be very serious, leading to cerebral swelling, brain herniation, and death.
Second, notify any medical professional trained in recognizing, diagnosing, and managing concussions. It is crucial to get a comprehensive evaluation of the event. The medical professional needs to educate the patient and any friends or family about the necessary changes to look for 24-48 hours after a concussion. Third, the medical professional will continue to monitor symptoms and ask the patient to perform various tasks or therapies to reintroduce the brain to different stresses. This is all part of the return-to-play protocols.
ImPACT stands for Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing. ImPACT is a neurocognitive assessment administered online in a controlled environment. ImPACT has designed a baseline test and a post-injury test that can be used in conjunction to determine if a patient can safely return to activity after a head injury.
For more information about Concussions or ImPACT testing, please schedule an appointment with Dr. PierreCharles and his team at Superior Performance Center.
Strength and Conditioning
Improve your fitness and performance. Superior Performance Center offers certified strength and conditioning specialists to coach athletes of all levels. Strength and conditioning can be utilized for weight management, injury prevention, or performance enhancement. Bring us your goals, and we will design a program specifically designed to meet your needs. Superior Performance Center wants to take you to the next level.
What is strength and conditioning?
The English Institute of Sport defines strength and conditioning as “the physical and physiological development of athletes for elite sports performance.” Strength and conditioning incorporate the body’s entire movement—core stability, strength, plyometrics, endurance, speed, and agility. This comprehensive movement mindset is why participation in a proper strength and conditioning program enhances performance and provides necessary injury-prevention exercises.
Can strength and conditioning be sport specific?
YES! The exercise prescriptions that are assigned during each individually tailored strength and conditioning session can be sport specific or focus on overall body maintenance depending on the goals of each athlete. Strength and conditioning programs can also focus on proper sport mechanics. Our certified strength and conditioning specialists can design programs that fit specific needs and requests of athletes, teams, and coaches.
