Rapid Rehab LA Pilates Based Physical Therapy Brentwood California

In 1921 the first edition of the PT Review was published, that year also marked the time when The American Women’s Physical Therapeutic Association was formed. The association was led by President Mary McMillan, and included 274 members. During the 1940’s and 1950’s, a nationwide attack of Polio swept through the United States and created an even higher demand for physical therapists. Fro the next 20-30 years, war worn-and-torn soldiers and polio victims would be the main clientele that would make up the roster of physical therapy patient in the United States.

Before what is known as today as the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), was in full force, most of the doctors that were using physical therapy treatments were eighty percent general practitioners. Only twenty percent of those performing physical therapy were properly trained in the field.  Physical therapy has had the same goals throughout its century long existence, to “foster advancements in physical therapy practice, research, and education.” This was used as a catalyst to focus on generating a higher population of individuals with proper knowledge of physical therapy methods.

It wasn’t until the 1950’s that physical therapy began taking its full shape. Manipulative spine treatments and joint practices were introduced in addition to the passive exercises, massage and hydrotherapy previously developed. It was also during this era that physical therapy began to branch out of the “medical” connotation it held and began to practice outside of hospital environments such as colleges, outpatient centers, clinics, nursing homes and public schools.

In the 1970’s a specialized program for Orthopedics emerged. Later that year, the International Federation of Orthopedic Manipulative Therapy (IFOTMT) was official. This federation is greatly responsible for the continually progress and necessary change needed to maintain manual therapy’s worldwide status.

With the introduction of the new “digital world” in the 1980’s new modalities were added to the already expansive list of practices. Ultrasound treatments, cold lasers, Isokinetics (electronic resistance exercises), iontophoresis and electric stimulators rounded out a well-organized attempt at a furthering profession.

With the obvious advances of technology and its effect on the medical profession, a manual therapist from Norway names Freddy Kaltenborne, saw a need for a formal collaboration of training and residency. He was one of the founders of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy (AAOMPT). This organization was critical to the physical therapy profession, since it introduced standardized practices and common specializations that would create a bond within all modes of facilities, patients, and therapists.

Out of the development of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Therapy many institutes, universities, residencies and fellowship programs have evolved and thrived. It is easy to forget the advancements that have been made from the days before the polio vaccine became commonplace, and our health was one of life’s biggest luxuries.

Physical therapy continues to reissue new life to those suffering from injuries or ailments that might impede the highest quality of life possible. Without the hard work and research of generations past, physical therapy may not be the lifeline that so many people have found to rescue them from a life with injury.

Physical Therapy has a rich history that spans continents, cultures, and centuries. It has been suggested that the study of Physical Therapy can be dated back to 460 B.C., when physicians like Hippocrates and Hector introduced the practice in its primitive form. Both of them used alternative treatments, and were assumedly the first to introduce hydrotherapy (water pressure) and massage therapy into the world of whole body healing.

The earliest evidence we have of physical therapy implementation dates back to the year 1894. Four nurses introduced the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy to England right before the turn of the century. Even to this day in most countries physical therapy is referred to as Physiotherapy. Only in the United States is physiotherapy referred to as physical therapy.

It wasn’t even until the early 1900’s that physical therapy began to branch out into other parts of the world, besides England as an accepted form of bodywork. It began with the two physicians in the year 1917 that acted as the pioneers paving the road for widely accepted forms of Physical therapies in the United States.

This land bridge between the United States and England was under construction during World War II by two doctors, Frank Granger and Joel Goldthwait. These two gentlemen were summoned by the Surgeon General to investigate British forms of treatment, and what they discovered was the early stages of physical therapy.

It seemed that the British had developed a new way of healing their wounded that was extremely effective, and the United States wanted to develop its own form of physiotherapy to heal our own wounded.

From that point it seemed that Physical Therapy was to be considered one of the most effective ways to treat ailments and injuries. However, training and patient education for practitioners and patients concerning the act of physical therapy needed to be further development.

In 1914 the Walter Reed General Hospital was established in Portland Oregon. This was the beginning of physical therapy inundation in the United States. Some of the most well trained individuals from all over the globe began teaching at the Walter Reed program to and its programs began to shape potential students into highly trained individuals. Upon graduation these early physical therapists were known as “reconstruction aides”.

Within five years there were 45 new hospitals that offered physical therapy, not to mention were fully equipped with proper facilities in which to administer it. From passive exercises to corrective exercises, hydrotherapeutic modalities, massage, and a variety of adaptive equipment; all became readily available and common practice within the medical community.

As is common for the medical profession, continuing research needed to be documented for this newfound landscape of medical proficiency if physical therapy wished to secure it’s footing in the medical community. This marks the time when the profession of physical therapy began to take shape and become more scientifically sound. When the polio epidemic swept the nation in 1924, physical therapy was the first plan of defense on the physically debilitating disease.

Exercise in general is very beneficial to the body. It strengthens bones and regulates blood pressure, as well as keeps the body lean by enhancing the amount of calories burned daily. To maintain a level of healthy living an exercise routine is essential.

However, some sports related exercises and training methods are very hard on the body’s design. Runners can suffer from knee, joint and back pain; golfers tend to have strains in their backs or muscular imbalances due to a particular routine of movement, and professional athletes run the gamut of potential and probable injuries.

There is an endless roster of active people in which sports related injuries could affect. Most athletes that are involved in competitive sports push their bodies beyond limits of normal activity, stretching the threshold for pain and endurance beyond what it can normally bear. This can result in injuries, which lead to sports physical therapy and the road back to optimum health.

Each individual will have one –on-one attention of a physical therapist. A physical therapist is defined as an expert in “the science of healing and the art of caring”. Rehabilitation is a scary place to be for most accomplished athletes, because it defines them as different than they were before. But sports physical therapy is not characterized by the injuries that define the clients, but rater is focused on the reestablishment of their confidence in a healthy and strong able person.

Sports physical therapy is centered upon pain management, body mechanic education and physical reconditioning. Many different aspects of sports physical therapy have been developed over the years. An evaluation of each individual is considered first before any program is designed. Some program designs may revolve or involve the following treatments.

To just name a couple, heating and cooling an injury is a common form of rehabilitation, and in sports therapy methods they may use paraffin waxes, whirlpools, cyrotherapy, or hot packs. Electrical stimulation is another offshoot, which is technically called, “functional electrical stimulation”. FES is a way to “jump start” momentarily paralyzed neuromuscular systems within the body.

Sports conditioning programs are a safe way to reintroduce athletic training to an injured person. These programs slowly reinstate former levels of activity at a much lower rate and intensity. This gradual improvement will guide a client to the proper recovery that will last and enable them to once again perform at full throttle.

Sports physical therapy has been known to treat the following conditions: TMJ, Back pain, carpal tunnel, running injuries, post surgical rehabilitation, shoulder and knee pain, motor vehicle accident injuries, plantar fasciitis, tennis elbow, weakness, muscular imbalance, overuse injuries, and work injuries. Internal biochemistry issues can also be improved through sports physical therapy such as: impingement syndrome, joint separation, rotator cuff tears, tendonitis, labral tears, ligament repair, and shoulder dislocation.

While sports injuries can take time to heal, there is no better environment to be in than in an atmosphere where you are encouraged to reach beyond inhibiting pain. Nothing is more disconcerting than defeat, and sports physical therapy is the key to unlocking the healthy and strong individual inside of each patient.

Pilates-Based Physical Therapy finds its methodology to be in the same family of framework as physical therapy, but different psychological approaches sets them apart. Pilates based physical therapy sees whole-body wellness as the cure to injury as well as the key to functional living, for a better quality of life long after the initial stages of recovery. When the road to healing is paved with the Pilates based physical therapy practices, that path will lead to a life where moving better means feeling better.

Treating a symptom and not the problem will only result in a temporary fix. When maladaptive movements are corrected and analyzed through the lens of Pilates, it creates a whole new spectrum of possibility and adds a depth of scope into everyday living.

The focus of Pilates-based rehab to not only improve the quality of life but also re-educated the body to move in a more energy efficient manner. Self-awareness is heightened by the breathing patterns Pilates integrates into its slow and controlled movements. Much like physical therapy it does incorporate patience and diligence into its objective.

Another unique difference found in Pilates-based physical therapy is that you are generally assured the same technician each time you schedule and appointment. In physical therapy there is no chance of obtaining a “swinging door” practitioner. A relationship between the Pilates-based rehabilitation instructor and its client is of great importance, so that relationship is developed over time with the same instructor. A partnership generates a level of trust, and can be motivation for faster recovery.

When a client begins to involve themselves in new ways of moving, and new ways of walking, sitting and standing, provided by Pilates-based rehab, an awakening will be discovered. Sometimes just the way that we carry ourselves can lead to injury and imbalance, and we are completely unaware of it. Pilates will teach you how to listen to your body and respond accordingly.

Pilates is done on machines that assist the body along in creating more efficient patterns of movement. Each machine is spring-loaded and can be adjusted to fit the comfort zone of each client. With the careful observation and assistance of highly qualified Pilates professional, proper muscle recruitment will be developed keeping your specific needs in mind. Pilates based-rehab blends traditional therapy modalities with innovative Pilates poses to create a much needed mind-body connection technique that begins to heal the body from the outside in.

Understanding that climate of healthcare concerns, where time and money can be tight, Pilates designs its program to be highly effective in a short amount of time. Sequencing stabilization within the body and within the mind of a person suffering from an injury is at the forefront of those who teach Pilates. There are many options out there for rehabilitation, but we encourage you to give Pilates-based physical therapy a try and compare “notes” with former rehabilitation methods.

We believe that you will find Pilates to be a gentle progression from injury to wellness, no matter who you are, how old you are, your physical condition, female or male, Pilates based rehab can change the way you view the process of recovery and live your life beyond it.