Spine and Sport Physical Therapy - South West Health Center
Our California sports and spine center team is dedicated to keeping athletes healthy and in the game. Whether you play professionally or on the weekends, our experts can help you prevent injuries and bounce back fast when they happen.
Our sport and spine physical therapy doctors are highly trained to diagnose sports-related pain quickly using technology like MRI, ultrasound, and x-rays. We use cutting-edge treatments like Kinesio taping, shockwave therapy, muscle activation techniques, and non-surgical spinal decompression to speed up healing. For major injuries needing surgery, our partner orthopedic surgeons perform minimally invasive procedures.
Preventing injuries is a big focus too. Functional movement screenings catch weaknesses that raise injury risk. We create customized plans that combine strength training, stretching, and nutrition advice. This helps your body handle the stresses of sports. Young athletes learn to warm up properly, stay hydrated, and avoid overuse problems.
To boost performance, our certified trainers design workout routines personalized for your sport. Things like conditioning drills, core exercises, and flexibility training using Pilates make you as strong as possible on the field. Extra therapies like acupuncture and techniques that improve blood flow push you even further.
New technologies aid the process. Digital x-rays and MSK ultrasound scans find issues quickly. Devices for assessing brain function aid in comebacks. Integrating manual care, massage, and mind-body practices also speeds recovery.
A team approach at our California spine center helps keep you playing sports injury-free and at your best. Our goal is to support health, fitness, and enjoyment through every stage of life in sports.
Sport & Spine Physical Therapy Near Me
We offer full spine & sport physical therapy services at our clinic in Costa Mesa, California. Our specialized team of licensed PTs has extensive experience rehabilitating injuries to allow athletes to return to play.
After an evaluation, we create individualized treatment plans that may include hands-on manual therapy techniques, therapeutic exercises customized for your needs, modalities like Shockwave Therapy, Muscle Activation Techniques and an individualized home exercise program. Our goal is to alleviate pain, improve mobility and function, restore muscle balance and stability, and get you back in the game at full strength with a long term plan for injury prevention.
Whether your needs are short term after an acute injury or more involved for a chronic condition, we'll get you back on the road to recovery.
Non-surgical spinal decompression Costa Mesa
Non-surgical spinal decompression explained
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Spinal decompression is often misunderstood. It gets confused with traction. The two words are not interchangeable. Spinal traction is an outdated technique to treat disc injuries. Modern technology uses an innovative process to achieve much better treatment outcomes for spinal disc injuries than traction used to. This technology is called IDD therapy which we will explain here.
Intervertebral Differential Dynamics Therapy is a highly precise computer applied regimen which utilizes treatment forces to manipulate specific spinal segments. IDD Therapy is administered through the Accu-SPINA, a state-of-the-art computer directed spinal rehab system. When properly administrated, the treatment is able to achieve several objectives. First, unloading compressed spinal segments helps reduce built-up pressure on the affected disc. This is primary in relieving and resolving the pain. The nature of the cyclical graduating waveform also creates a spinal pumping effect inducing a vacuum within the disc and oxygen flow essential to the disc health. Finally, a secondary modality called oscillation is delivered to the surrounding muscle tissue working to release and re-educate guarded muscle spasms. All this is performed while you rest comfortably in a soothing glow of light, listening to relaxing music. A heated massage bed feature assures that you will complete your treatment session feeling refreshed.
Patients often ask if spinal decompression hurts. The treatment actually is relaxing and is not painful, but treating a disc injury requires patience. The decompression process is a gradual one. The intensity of the pull on the spine has to ramp up slowly to allow the guarded tight muscles to relax. Prior to beginning decompression, the muscles around the injured disc are very tight and stiff. They are tight for a reason...to protect the injured disc. As the disc starts to improve, the muscles gradually start to relax since they do not need to protect the disc as much. As the back or neck starts to relax, the intensity of the pull increases until eventually the disc bulge has been reduced to a point where it is not contacting the nerve root or spinal cord anymore. At this point, patients' are out of pain and ready to start the rehabilitative phase of spinal decompression. This is where you are prescribed a specific set of exercises to strengthen the core muscles if you have a lower back disc injury or neck and postural exercises if you have a disc injury in your neck. For more information on spinal decompression, how it works and how it can help you, please contact Dr. Zappala.