Physical Therapy
Sometimes after sustaining an injury or undergoing major surgery, chronic pain and limited mobility lingers, resulting in considerable discomfort. Dr. Serge PierreCharles and his team at the Superior Performance Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, offer personalized physical therapy to relieve pain and regain flexibility, strength, and range of motion. To start your journey towards recovery and improved quality of life, call or click today to schedule an appointment.
Frequently asked questions.
Physical therapy helps ease pain and regain mobility, flexibility, and prevent chronic disability after an injury or accident. It helps prevent loss of mobility in chronic diseases like diabetes, arthritis, and fibromyalgia.
In many cases, the use of physical therapy is an alternative to unnecessary surgery and reduces the need for long-term pain medication.
At the Superior Performance Center, the goal is to manage or treat your condition by developing a personalized plan and defining your goals.
Common physical therapy techniques include:
- Therapeutic exercises
- Massage
- Ice or heat therapy
- Pool therapy
- Strength training
Pool therapy or aquatic therapy takes place in a pool or another aquatic environment under the guidance of a skilled physical therapist. It’s especially useful for seniors and children to maintain or improve fitness levels, balance, and strength.
Pool therapy is growing in popularity because the water properties create an ideal environment for physical therapy. Water’s stability can reduce your fear of falling, and the water also reduces the effects of gravity, which improves ease of movement.
Some of the unique benefits of pool therapy are:
- Warm water relaxes aching joints and muscles
- Water resistance helps to strengthen muscles
- Reduces pain during the recovery phase
- Water pressure helps to stabilize and maintain balance
Conditions that might be improved by the use of pool therapy include:
- Arthritis
- Balance disorders
- Cerebral palsy
- Chronic pain
Strength training, also known as weight or resistance training, is a physical activity that improves muscle fitness by targeting a specific muscle or muscle group. The Superior Performance team uses strength training with patients who have diabetes, heart disease, or joint disabilities, or for patients as part of healthy aging or weight loss programs.
It can also be useful to regain strength or rebuild muscles after sustaining an injury. Under the guidance of a trained physical therapist, you have the power to get to where you want to be.
Book an appointment online or by phone to learn more about the physical therapy best suited to your needs.
Athletic Trainers
Athletic trainers are healthcare professionals that specialize in 5 domains: injury prevention, emergency care, clinical diagnosis, rehabilitation, and professional health. At Superior Performance Center, the athletic trainers work in the clinic assisting with evaluation and diagnosis and providing therapeutic interventions and rehabilitation for any patients that would benefit from additional therapy. Athletic trainers are also utilized for medical coverage at athletic events. They are trained to manage emergency medical situations, and they are also qualified to evaluate and diagnose injuries on the sidelines and make return-to-play decisions for athletes. Athletic trainers are an asset to any medical & athletic team. If you are looking for athletic training coverage with your team, contact Superior Performance Center!
Many programs are designed and implemented to help prevent injuries in certain sports. For example, athletic trainers can create and implement a program for your sports team to avoid injuries.
Some examples:
- Baseball & Softball – strengthen rotator cuff muscles to prevent shoulder injury
- Swimmers – Stretch anterior musculature and strengthen posterior musculature to prevent rounded shoulder posture and impingement
- Soccer – ACL injury prevention
- Basketball – Ankle sprain injury prevention
This domain also entails the many taping and wrapping techniques that allow athlete participation while protecting or preventing future injury.
Athletic trainers are required to maintain a CPR/AED certification to manage cardiac and choking events. Athletic trainers are also trained to write emergency action plans for facilities. These plans prepare for the activation of emergency medical services and proper communication with the first responders upon arrival. Athletic trainers are also trained in equipment removal for sports such as football, lacrosse, and hockey and the appropriate management of suspected spinal injuries.
Clinical diagnosis encompasses all the injury and medical condition diagnoses that might be asked of an athletic trainer by an athlete. Athletic trainers are extensively trained in injury evaluation using the proper range of motion and special testing for each joint and anatomical structure. Athletic trainers can also recognize certain skin conditions and internal medical conditions that might need a referral. One of the most valuable assets of the athletic trainer is the on-the-field and on-the-sideline clinical evaluation skills that are necessary to ensure the safety of athletes during sports competition participation.
Rehabilitation includes a large field of skills. Athletic trainers have the capability to treat an injury from its acute occurrence all the way until the athlete is fully ready to return to participation. The acute treatment of an injury includes splinting, bracing, wrapping, ice, medications, and amounts of rest. The progression back to health includes massage, modalities, muscle reactivation, balance, stretching, strengthening, and many other skills.
Professional health is the athletic trainer’s responsibility to stay up-to-date on the proper federal and state regulations, administrative tasks, and facility management. Ensuring proper medical documentation and storage is one of the essential responsibilities of an athletic trainer to stay within legal limits. Athletic trainers must also manage inventory and confirm that they have all the necessary supplies to perform their daily tasks. It is also the athletic trainer’s responsibility to write and implement policies to protect athletes, coaches, and fans from various environmental situations and to ensure an open flow of communication before an extreme event.
