Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation in Smithfield
Recovering from an injury often requires more than addressing pain alone. Restoring strength, mobility, flexibility, and normal movement can all be important parts of getting back to work, recreation, sports, and everyday activities.
At Smithfield Chiropractic, physiotherapy and rehabilitation are individualized to the patient’s condition, examination findings, and treatment goals. Rather than using the same combination of therapies for everyone, we select appropriate techniques based on what each patient needs during different stages of recovery.
What Is Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation?
Physiotherapy and rehabilitation use therapeutic exercises, movement-based treatment, soft-tissue techniques, and other supportive therapies to help restore function following an injury or musculoskeletal problem.
Depending on your condition, rehabilitation may focus on improving mobility, strengthening weak or injured areas, addressing muscle and soft-tissue restrictions, or gradually returning you to normal activities.
Rehabilitation may be used on its own or incorporated alongside chiropractic care when appropriate.
Benefits of Rehabilitation
- Restore Movement: Improve mobility following injury, pain, or periods of limited activity.
- Improve Strength: Strengthen muscles that support an injured or vulnerable area.
- Improve Flexibility: Address muscular and soft-tissue restrictions that may interfere with movement.
- Improve Function: Help make everyday activities, work, exercise, and recreation more comfortable.
- Support Recovery: Provide a progressive approach as you move from the initial stages of an injury toward normal activity.
- Reduce Recurrence: Address movement patterns, weakness, or mobility limitations that may contribute to repeated problems.
Therapies We May Incorporate
Your rehabilitation plan may include one or more of the following techniques depending on your individual needs.
Therapeutic & Corrective Exercise
Targeted exercises may be used to improve strength, mobility, stability, coordination, and movement. Exercises can be progressed as your condition improves and may include recommendations for activities you can perform at home.
Electrical Stimulation
Electrical stimulation uses controlled electrical impulses delivered through pads placed on the skin. It may be incorporated into treatment to help manage muscle tension, discomfort, or muscle activation depending on the patient’s condition.
Graston Technique & Instrument-Assisted Soft-Tissue Treatment
Instrument-assisted soft-tissue mobilization uses specialized tools to work with muscles, tendons, and other soft tissues.
Graston Technique and similar instrument-assisted approaches may be used when areas of soft-tissue restriction or limited mobility are contributing to a patient’s symptoms.
Kinesio Taping
Elastic therapeutic tape may be applied to certain muscles or joints to provide temporary support while allowing movement.
Taping may be incorporated into care for certain injuries, activity-related complaints, or situations where additional support or movement awareness may be helpful between visits.
Myofascial & Soft-Tissue Techniques
Hands-on soft-tissue techniques may be used to address areas of muscular tension and restricted movement.
Treatment is directed toward the specific areas identified during your evaluation rather than following the same soft-tissue routine for every patient.
Conditions We Commonly Rehabilitate
- Neck and back injuries
- Muscle strains and joint sprains
- Auto accident injuries
- Work-related injuries
- Sports and recreational injuries
- Shoulder, hip, knee, and other extremity complaints
- Muscle weakness or reduced mobility following an injury
- Repetitive-use injuries
- Persistent stiffness or movement limitations
- Return to normal activity following a period of reduced function
The specific rehabilitation approach depends on the nature and severity of the condition and the patient’s individual needs.
Rehabilitation & Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic care and rehabilitation can address different components of a musculoskeletal problem.
Chiropractic adjustments focus primarily on joint mobility and function, while rehabilitation can help address strength, flexibility, soft-tissue function, and movement.
When appropriate, the two may be incorporated into the same treatment plan so that care addresses both joint function and the surrounding muscles and soft tissues.
What to Expect
Your rehabilitation begins with an evaluation of the area involved, your current movement and function, and the activities you are having difficulty performing.
Based on those findings, your chiropractor will determine which rehabilitation techniques are appropriate. Not every patient needs every therapy listed on this page.
As you improve, exercises and treatment may be modified or progressed based on your response to care and your functional goals.
The objective is to help you safely progress from where you are now toward greater mobility, strength, function, and a return to your normal activities.