We offer a full range of pain management and rehabilitative treatments and services including:
Sports Injury Rehab:
From professional athlete to weekend warrior we pride ourselves on getting you back faster to the game you love. Whether it’s the earliest training stages or the middle of the season, we understand what goes into training and competing at your highest level. We pride ourselves on using the most recent treatment methods, current evidence, and latest technologies to make your recovery as fast and complete as possible. We specialize in working with the following athletes:
Football – Soccer – Baseball/Softball – Running – Golf – Track – Cross Country – Track – Swimming – Dance – Cheer
Recreational Injury Specialty:
Whether it was a fall on the slopes or a slip on the trail; an overuse injury on the jog route or a wipeout on the lake – let Fit Stop get you back to your activity better, stronger, and pain-free. At Fit Stop Physical Therapy we are your specialists in outdoor/recreational injury rehabilitation. As outdoor enthusiasts ourselves, we understand your passion for recreation and desire to return to your activity. Decades of experience combined with cutting-edge rehab technology allow our therapists to provide you with an unparalleled healing experience. The result is a faster, more complete recovery that gets you back to your activity faster with less chance of re-injury. We specialize in the management of the following injuries:
Skiing/Snowboarding – Cycling – Running – Mountain Biking – Hiking – Trail Running – Water Sports
Pre Operative and Post-Operative Rehabilitation
“It’s going to need surgery” is never a sentence that anyone wants to hear. We understand, however, that oftentimes it’s the best (if not only) option. We’re here for you every step of the way. Did you know it’s actually a really good idea to start PT before your surgery date? Our team of specialists can show you stretching and strengthening exercises that will make recovery go even better than expected. The more mobile you are and the stronger you are before surgery the better your outcomes have been proven to be. Post-surgical rehab requires a sound understanding and rehab experience to progress you appriopriately through rehab protocols. We incorporate the best manual therapy, therapeutic exercises, a progressive home exercise program, and patient education to make your post-operative rehab a one-in-a-kind experience. Operative conditions we pride ourselves on seeing:
ACL – MCL – PCL – LCL – Meniscus – Knee Replacement – Hip Replacement – Lumbar Fusion – Discectomy – Cervical Fusion – Rotator Cuff – SLAP tear – Biceps Tendon – Hand/Wrist Surgery – Foot/Ankle Surgery
ASTM (“A-Stim”)
ASTM is an incredible intervention for tendon problems, scar tissue, and fascial adhesions. ASTM stands for “Augmented Soft Tissue Mobilization”; essentially massage to an area with specialized rehab tools to stimulate the remodeling/re-absorption of scar tissue and the regeneration of degenerated tendons. The approach is a non-invasive therapy that works fast and consistently…no meds, no needles, and no surgery. ASTM provides results that physicians and patients have come to expect and trust and yields long-term results with short-term therapy, even when other treatments have failed. Common conditions that respond well to ASTM treatment include
Tendinitis/Tendinosis – Rotator Cuff Tendinitis – Hip Tendinitis – Hip Bursitis – Patellar Tendinitis – Achilles Tendinitis – Plantar Fasciitis – Carpal Tunnel – Post-operative scarring
Aquatic Therapy
After an injury or surgery, your sensitivity to pain may be increased. Your ability to bear weight on the injured area can be limited. In a therapeutic pool, the pull of gravity on the body is not as strong as on land, therefore motion and functional activity is more comfortable. Physical Therapist use water and specifically designed activities to enhance, restore, and maintain a person’s functional abilities. Aquatic therapy is available at our Heber and Downtown Salt Lake locations.
Industrial Rehabilitation
We specialize in rehabilitation of injured workers and partner with you to provide personal and customized service throughout the return to work process. After initial rehab we offer a continuum of services directed toward the prevention and management of work-related injuries.
Joint Mobilization
A type of manual therapy used to increase range of motion and mobility of a joint that has been injured or damaged. This technique of passive movement applied to an injured area of the body in order to increase motion and promote healing is commonly used on the spine (known as spinal mobilization). The difference between mobilization and manipulation when it comes to joints is the speed in which the treatment is performed, with mobilization being much slower. This treatment can be used to increase circulation, restore joint function, decrease muscle spasm and relieve excessive pain or swelling. Conditions that respond well to joint mobilization include:
Rheumatoid and infectious arthritis – Fractures – Ligament Damage – Hypo-mobility – Pregnancy Pain
Manual Spinal Traction
Manual therapeutic traction is treatment for alleviating back pain resulting from injury and other medical conditions such as sciatica, disc problems, and lumbago. It helps to relieve pain by stretching and realigning the spine. Placing a stretch on the spine separates the vertebrae and helps to relieve direct nerve pressure and stress on the vertebral discs. At the same time traction increases hydration and water inflow, making the spinal column stronger and more shock absorbent. Cervical traction is a common nonsurgical treatment for a herniated disk in the neck that relieves pain by reducing pressure on compressed nerve roots exiting the spinal canal. Issues that respond well to traction include:
Bulged discs – Herniated discs – Sciatica – Neck pain – Numbness and tingling
Manual Therapy
Manual therapy, sometimes called hands-on physical therapy uses no devices or machines. With this technique, therapists use only their hands to manipulate muscles and mobilize joints. These techniques are aimed at relaxing tense muscles and restricted joints in order to decrease pain caused by muscle spasm, muscle tension, and joint dysfunction. Results of this treatment are meant to increase flexibility, improve posture and restore natural movement without pain.
Massage Therapy (soft tissue mobilization)
Therapeutic massage techniques utilized by physical therapists are a significantly improved and more scientific version of standard massage techniques used to promote health and wellness. With a thorough knowledge of anatomy and physiology, a physical therapist understands how a variety of “hands-on” techniques can be used, either alone or in combination, to prevent and alleviate pain, discomfort, muscle spasm, and stress. Massage therapy is also known to increase circulation, improve muscle flexibility, and recover overall mobility. A therapist may utilize classic massage techniques or use more advanced techniques including movements designed to lessen scar tissue, absorb swelling, decrease muscle spasm and trigger point/soft tissue release which helps to elongate the muscle fascia and decrease muscle tension.
Muscular Rehabilitation
A combination of exercise and therapy that targets specific areas of pain and discomfort to improve strength and endurance. Muscle tension from exercise, injury or stress compresses the nerve fibers in muscles. Physical and emotional tension creates resistance in the tissue of your body resulting in prolonged contraction of muscles. This interferes with the elimination of toxins that accumulate in muscles and surrounding tissues. The resulting inflammation can lead not only to local pain, but also to referred pain elsewhere such as headache or neck pain etc. Muscular rehabilitation helps relieve this pain while simultaneously reducing inflammation, correcting muscular imbalance, improving motion and increasing the flow of oxygen and other nutrients. This therapy program will also decrease the likelihood of the injury recurring in the future.
Women’s Health
This specialized area of physical therapy addresses the lifelong health of a woman’s musculoskeletal system. We are dedicated to improving women’s quality of life by providing comprehensive therapy and care to women of all ages inlcuding:
Pre and Post-natal Care – Pregnancy Back Pain – SI Joint Dysfunction – Postural Education – Hip and Core Strengthening – Osteoporosis
Edema Management / Elimination
This treatment enhances venous & lymphatic flow. Minor edema can often be managed by compression garments, exercise, and elevation of the affected limb to encourage lymph flow. For more severe swelling a treatment called “complete decongestive therapy” may be used. The initial step often includes manual lymphatic drainage, which feels like a light form of massage and helps improve the flow of lymph from your arm or leg. This is followed by compression bandaging that helps to reduce the swelling. Your therapist will carefully monitor the size of the limb throughout your treatment sessions.
Hand Therapy
Hand therapy is rehabilitation of the upper quarter of the human body. Hand therapy is a merging of occupational therapy and physical therapy theory and practice that combines comprehensive knowledge of the upper quarter, body function, and activity. Using specialized skills in assessment and treatment, hand therapists promote the goals of prevention of dysfunction, restoration of function, and/or reversal of the progression of pathology in order to enhance participation in life situations for individuals with upper quarter disease or injury.
Neuromuscular Re-Education
Together, your nerves and muscles work to produce movements. Nerves send signals between your muscles and your brain that communicate when, where, and how fast to move. Over time, nerve paths are reinforced and muscle movement (motor) patterns are learned and stored in your memory. These patterns are affected when nerves or muscles experience damage or injury. This can result from trauma, medical conditions, and neurological conditions, such as stroke and brain injury. Neuromuscular re-education is one method used by therapists to facilitate the return of normal movement in people with neuromuscular damage.
Orthopedic Therapy and Orthotics
We provide highly specialized orthopedic treatment by evaluating the entire musculoskeletal system including bones, ligaments, tendons, joints, muscles and nerves. We do this in order to provide you the best therapy options allowing you to move, work and be active. Our orthotics are custom-fit arch supports designed to improve foot and lower extremity alignment; commonly used with posterior tibialis tendonitis, flat feet, high arches or plantar fasciitis.
Postural Restoration
The utilization of integrated manual and non-manual techniques to restore positions and postural patterns. We believe the key to injury prevention and treatment is addressing faulty movement strategies and muscular imbalances. When imbalance occurs in the body; joints, bones and muscles are affected resulting in pain and dysfunction.
Vertigo and Vestibular Rehabilitation
Vestibular rehabilitation is an exercise-based program, designed by a specialized physical therapist, to improve balance and reduce problems for people who have been diagnosed with dizziness, imbalance, vertigo, Meniere’s syndrome, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), neck-related dizziness and migraines. Other candidates for this therapy are patients who have had a stroke or brain injury or who frequently fall.