Physical Therapy

Physical therapy is a safe, highly effective treatment for all musculoskeletal pain. Board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist George Drakes, MD, and his team at Metro Spine PC offer specialized physical therapy on-site. Physical therapy is essential to your personalized treatment at the practice offices in Clinton and Oxon Hill, Maryland, Call your nearest Metro Spine PC office today or schedule a consultation online to learn how physical therapy aids recovery.

What is physical therapy?

Physical therapy uses noninvasive, safe techniques to treat pain and improve function. It’s usually the first treatment the Metro Spine PC team recommends to patients with musculoskeletal disorders.

Physical therapy often relieves mild pain and offers many benefits to patients with moderate and severe conditions.

Metro Spine PC’s experienced physical therapist treats acute (sudden), subacute (ongoing), and chronic (long-term) pain.

What techniques does physical therapy use?

Metro Spine PC’s physical therapist has undergone specialized training in hands-on traditional physical therapy techniques. These include soft-tissue manipulation, joint mobilization, and spinal manipulation.

Teaching patients stretching and strengthening exercises that they can do at home is essential for the best results.

In addition to active physical therapy, passive techniques can be very beneficial. These include therapeutic ultrasound, splinting, bracing, kinetic bandaging, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS).

Treatments like platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections and prolotherapy complement physical therapy by encouraging tissue repair.

What conditions does physical therapy treat?

Physical therapy is the go-to treatment for neck, back, and joint pain, sports and other musculoskeletal injuries, and neuromuscular (nerve/muscle) dysfunction. It also supports rehabilitation after orthopedic surgery. Problems that benefit from physical therapy include:

• Herniated spinal discs
• Spinal stenosis (spinal canal narrowing)
• Carpal tunnel syndrome in the wrist
• Tendinitis
• Ligament sprains
• Fibromyalgia
• Arthritis
• Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)

CRPS is an incurable condition where severe pain and loss of function affect one limb. A gradually intensifying physical therapy program helps keep the painful leg or arm moving. It could also restore some function and range of motion.

Another condition that Metro Spine PC’s physical therapist excels in treating is plantar fasciitis.

How does physical therapy help with plantar fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis is the leading cause of ongoing heel pain. The tough connective tissue along the bottom of your foot (the plantar fascia) becomes inflamed from overuse or excessive stress, causing intense tenderness that makes walking difficult.

Resting the affected foot can ease the pain. You should address treatable causes of plantar fasciitis, like excess body weight, lack of arch support, and spending too long standing each day. Physical therapy stretches and exercises help by encouraging the healing of the damaged tissues. You could also benefit from:

• Deep friction massage 
• High-load strength training
• Foot taping
• Night splints

Orthotics (medical shoe inserts) correctly align the foot and ankle and support high arches.

Call Metro Spine PC today or book an appointment online for first-class physical therapy.