Essential Principles of Physical Therapy

July 23, 2019

Physical therapists play an important role in today’s society. Therapists have different specialities and work in many different settings, from helping people rehabilitate after devastating injuries like spinal cord injuries, encouraging healthy lifestyles to helping athletes perform at the highest levels of sport.


Although I’ve already picked my path in the profession, working specifically with athletes, I believe that physical therapist working in all settings share some common characteristics.


In this post I will share my thoughts on what I believe are the most important principles of any successful physical therapist and how I myself have approached them. I absolutely believe in periodically checking in on them to ensure that I’m on the right path to successfully help athletes perform at the highest possible level.

Question yourself


Strength and conditioning, sports performance and sports rehabilitation are all fairly new fields in the research and literature.

The amount of information available on these subjects is vast and constantly changing.


As a result, being fixated on just one philosophy is for me, a therapist working in these fields, very dangerous to say the least. Using subpart treatment and concepts will result in subpar outcomes. Questioning myself before, during and after treatment has always been one of my core principles. Asking questions, looking for the best available answers and then implementing them in real practice leads to the best outcomes.


Optimize manual skills


Physical therapy evaluations, assessments and treatments all revolve around the ability of the therapist to use his/her hands properly. My ability to sense what is underneath my hands provides me with the information I need during all aspects of treatment. Far too often therapists forget the importance of manual skills, especially as they relate to manual therapy treatment. The hands are a powerful tool especially in sports performance, as they are able to influence multiple systems in athletes, such as the musculoskeletal, immune and psychological systems. They also therefore influence recovery after injury, and before and after an intense activity like a basketball game.


Think outside the box


As I mentioned above, the field of sports and sports performance physical therapy is in a constant process of change. No one type of treatment modality in the field or evidence of a best practice leads to good outcomes. It’s a combination of thoughts, evidence seeking and application that leads to the best outcome. The need for creativity is huge. As I see it, physical therapy is a form of art, an art that makes you think outside the box and engage with other like minded people not only in the fields of medicine and sports but also in other professions. For example, I can learn more about teaching and coaching from observing how a musician applies different concepts of learning in his/her teaching and then apply these lessons to my work as a physical therapist.


Communicate 


The ability to communicate, coach and lead by example is very underrated. As a therapist and coach you are engaged with an athlete throughout treatment. Being able to educate him/her on the specific condition, coach certain movements, or apply certain physical modalities in your treatment depends on your ability to communicate this information to the athlete. This leads to a more trusting relationship with the athlete, which will help you be better able to understand their condition and help them in the best way possible.


Walk the walk


It is absolutely essential for the therapist to understand what athletes go through both in-season and off-season. Personally speaking, I have had the opportunity to work in the strength and conditioning world at several universities, which I believe has made me well rounded therapist as it relates to sports.

A therapist that engages in a healthy lifestyle and engages in training just like an athlete will be able to gain more trust from the athlete to ultimately lead to better outcomes. In addition, experiencing the return to sport process as an athlete myself, returning to sport after each of my four knee injuries, has also helped me to relate better to an injured athlete, motivate them to return to sport and treat them with this understanding in mind.


Compassion and empathy


Athletes are human beings who come from a variety of cultures, religions, ethnicities and backgrounds. Respecting the differences between myself and others is a necessity to build trust.


That being said, elite athletes’ jobs depend on their ability to perform in their sport — an injured elite athlete can experience a real risk to his/her job security. Imagining being in the position of losing my job as a coach and a therapist is devastating. Psychologically, the pain and suffering is only intensified after a sports injury. My role as a therapist here is to encourage a gradual return to sport and in order to do so I have to be compassionate and emphasize with the athlete to be trustworthy. This will lead to less suffering, less pain and most importantly a faster and safer return to sport under my guidance.



I am by no means the best physical therapist out there. I do my best to honor all of my core principles with every client I met and treat, and this gets me one step closer to being the best physical therapist I can be.

Cupping Therapy

August 12, 2024
Cupping therapy is an ancient technique that has been integrated into modern physical therapy to help alleviate pain, reduce inflammation, and enhance overall recovery. In my practice, I use cupping as part of a holistic approach to treat muscle tightness, improve blood flow, and accelerate the healing process. How Cupping Works: Cupping involves placing specialized cups on the skin to create suction. This suction helps to lift the skin and underlying tissues, promoting increased circulation to the affected area. The improved blood flow aids in reducing muscle tension, breaking up scar tissue, and encouraging the body’s natural healing processes. Benefits of Cupping Therapy: – Pain Relief: Cupping can help reduce muscle soreness and pain by releasing tightness and promoting relaxation. – Enhanced Recovery: By improving blood circulation, cupping accelerates the removal of metabolic waste from tissues, leading to quicker recovery times. – Flexibility and Mobility: Regular cupping sessions can improve joint and muscle flexibility, making it an excellent addition to your rehabilitation or performance enhancement program. What to Expect: During a cupping session, you may feel a pulling or stretching sensation as the cups create suction. It’s normal to experience some mild bruising or redness at the treatment sites, which typically fades within a few days. I ensure that each session is tailored to your specific needs, targeting areas that will most benefit from the therapy.

Blood Flow Restriction Training

August 10, 2024
Blood Flow Restriction Training (BFRT) is a rehabilitation technique used to enhance muscle strength and growth by applying a cuff to partially restrict blood flow to a muscle during exercise. This method allows patients to gain the benefits of muscle hypertrophy and strength gains using low-intensity exercises. In physical therapy BFRT is particularly advantageous in settings where patients are recovering from injuries or surgeries, as it reduces the mechanical load on joints and tissues, minimizing the risk of re-injury.  The benefits and advantages of BFRT include: Muscle Strength and Growth : BFRT promotes muscle hypertrophy and strength gains even with low-intensity exercise, which is crucial for patients who cannot engage in high-intensity workouts. Accelerated Recovery : By enabling effective training at lower intensities, BFRT helps maintain muscle mass and strength during periods of limited mobility, aiding faster recovery. Reduced Joint and Tissue Stress : BFRT allows for significant muscle engagement without the high loads that could strain joints and soft tissues, making it suitable for patients with orthopedic issues or those recovering from surgeries. Versatility : BFRT can be applied to various body parts and adapted to different exercise modalities, making it a flexible tool in a therapist’s toolkit. Enhanced Safety : The low-intensity nature of exercises performed with BFRT reduces the risk of overtraining and injury, providing a safer rehabilitation option for patients at different fitness levels.

Force Plates

August 10, 2024
Force plates are a valuable tool in physical therapy, offering a range of benefits that enhance the quality of care and outcomes for patients. Here’s a detailed explanation of their advantages: – Objective Data Collection Force plates provide objective, quantitative data on ground reaction forces, which are essential for understanding how a patient’s body interacts with the ground during various activities. This data is critical for accurately assessing biomechanical performance and movement patterns, such as gait, balance, and jump dynamics. Unlike subjective assessments, force plates offer precise measurements, which lead to more accurate diagnoses and treatment plans. – Enhanced Assessment and Diagnosis With the detailed information force plates provide, physical therapists can identify subtle imbalances and asymmetries that might not be visible to the naked eye. For example, discrepancies in how much force each leg produces can indicate underlying issues, such as muscle weakness, joint instability, or improper technique. Early detection of these issues allows for timely intervention, potentially preventing more severe injuries. – Personalized Treatment Planning The data from force plates enables the creation of highly individualized rehabilitation and training programs. By understanding a patient’s specific movement deficiencies, therapists can tailor exercises and interventions to target these areas. This personalized approach increases the effectiveness of therapy, as interventions are specifically designed to address the patient’s unique biomechanical profile. – Progress Tracking and Outcome Measurement Force plates facilitate the objective tracking of a patient’s progress over time. By regularly assessing changes in force production, symmetry, and other key metrics, therapists can evaluate the effectiveness of treatment interventions. This ability to measure outcomes quantitatively helps in refining treatment plans and ensures that patients are making measurable improvements. – Injury Mitigation and Performance Enhancement For athletes and active individuals, force plates are particularly valuable for optimizing performance and preventing injuries. By analyzing the forces involved in specific sports movements, therapists can identify risky movement patterns that may predispose an athlete to injury. Interventions can then be designed to correct these patterns, enhance performance, and reduce the risk of future injuries. – Comprehensive Documentation and Communication The data collected from force plates can be documented and shared with other healthcare providers, coaches, or trainers, fostering a collaborative approach to patient care. This comprehensive documentation supports a continuum of care, ensuring that all parties involved have a clear understanding of the patient’s condition and progress. – Patient Education and Engagement Visual and numerical data from force plates can be a powerful tool in educating patients about their condition. When patients see the objective data, such as force distribution and asymmetries, they often gain a better understanding of their issues and the rationale behind their treatment plan. This understanding can enhance patient compliance and engagement in their rehabilitation process. Incorporating force plates into physical therapy practice elevates the standard of care by providing precise, objective data that enhances assessment accuracy, personalizes treatment plans, and tracks progress. This technology not only aids in injury prevention and performance enhancement but also fosters better communication and education, ultimately leading to improved patient outcomes.