Aquatic Therapy
Participating in physical therapy after an amputation can make a world of difference in successful rehabilitation and a prompt return to life. The H2 Health Family provides a comprehensive amputee evaluation & treatment program, designed to progress patients through the difficult stages of pre & post-amputation recovery and into a state of functional independence.
From the initial days after surgery, through the process of learning to use your first prosthesis, to advancing your mobility skills years after an amputation, physical therapy can help guide you along that journey.
Our Prosthetic Training Approach
Working closely with your primary physicians and prosthetists, our therapists are dedicated to their role within a team of practitioners aimed at returning amputees to a high level of independence. As experts in gait training and body mechanics, physical therapists are able to assess, treat, and eliminate abnormal movement patterns, allowing amputees to function in their environment with maximized safety, efficiency, and decreased pain.
We accomplish this by advancing your strength, range of motion, balance, and functional mobility, depending on your specific needs and personal goals.
Phase 1: Initial Post-Operative Recovery
Initially, your therapist can assist you in regaining your strength and range of motion as your body adapts to a new amputation. During this time, your therapist will work closely with both your physician and prosthetist to prepare your for the receipt of your first prosthesis.
Phase 2: Learning To Use Your Prosthesis
Once fit with your prosthesis, continued physical therapy will focus on advancing your balance and mobility skills as a prosthetic ambulator. In this phase of recovery, therapeutic exercise programs will be tailored to meet your specific needs and rehabilitation goals, as you learn to use your prosthesis for daily movement tasks within your home and community.
Phase 3: Advancing Your Mobility Skills
Having learned to be an independent ambulator, advanced physical therapy training can help many amputees turn to their highest level of previous function. Specifically, progressed physical therapy training programs can be designed to assist in returning patients to work, climbing stairs & inclines, ambulating on uneven outdoor terrain, running, and participating in recreational sporting activities. In this stage of rehabilitation, the sky is often the limit.
Additional Amputee Programs
We have a variety of therapy programs that can help with the amputee and prosthetic training process. Check out the different services below that can help! Curious about which program is best for you? Request an appointment with one of our therapists to create the best treatment plan for your goals.
Gait is the pattern in which you walk and take a step. The gait cycle is broken up into multiple phases and can be assessed phase by phase to improve your overall walking pattern. Relearning proper gait mechanics soon after an amputation is vital for preventing future injuries & abnormalities and returning a patient to normal function.
Most patients, after suffering a neurologic injury, wish to return to normal walking as soon as responsibly possible. To make that happen, we use tools like live video with slow-motion playback to quickly break down abnormalities of gait in order to assess and improve mechanics.
Benefits of Functional Gait Analysis:
- Focus on mechanics at each phase of gait cycle with live video with slow-motion playback
- Visual feedback for patients & therapists of progress
- Increased functional strength during walking
- Improved safety at home and in the community
Dry needling is an innovative physical therapy technique used for targeted trigger point pain relief. Typically used as part of a larger, whole-body treatment plan, dry needling can be remarkably effective at releasing or inactivating trigger points to relieve pain and improve range of motion.
Dry needling, similar to acupuncture, involves needles without medication being inserted through the skin into highly targeted muscle areas. The muscle areas and trigger points typically targeted via dry needling are not easily palpable manually, so dry needling provides a unique opportunity to provide more targeted therapy.
Benefits of Dry Needling:
- Pain Relief
- Improved Range of Motion
- Reduced Muscle Tension
- Normalized Dysfunction of the Motor End Plates
- Faster Return To Normalcy
ASTYM® is a revolutionary treatment method that stimulates the body’s healing response, which results in the remodeling & resorption of scar tissue and the regeneration of degenerated tendons. It is non-invasive, works fast, and provides long-term relief. The ASTYM® treatment method is one of the most well-researched in recent years, and these studies have time and again proven its effectiveness in providing pain relief all across the body. Only ASTYM®-certified clinics may perform Astym® treatment.
Benefits of Astym® Therapy Include:
- Fast-Acting Pain Relief
- Typically Short Treatment Timelines
- Completely Non-Invasive
- Totally Safe & Effective Long-Term
Learn more about ASTYM, where it is offered, and other modalities!
For individuals suffering from both acute and chronic pain, we offer laser therapy as a surgery-free, drug-free pain relief option. Treatment is fast, safe, and painless, with most laser therapy program patients seeing results within 3 to 5 treatment sessions. Additionally, therapy sessions have an added therapeutic effect continuing for up to 18 hours after treatment.
Benefits of Laser Therapy Include:
- Effective Against Difficult Conditions
- Non-Invasive Alternative To Surgery
- Extremely Fast Treatment Times
- Scientifically-Proven To Be Effective
The Alter G® machine is a high-tech, low-impact treadmill that uses precisely tuned air pressure to reduce the impact of walking or running. Its unique unweighting technology allows patients to exercise with a full range of motion while their body is still going through normal healing processes.
Unlike any other weight & impact-augmenting pieces of recovery equipment, the Alter G® is remarkably precise, allowing patients to exercise at anywhere between 20 and 100 percent of their body weight. Patients compare it to running on air, and those recovering from serious lower-extremity pain are able to build strength at much earlier stages than ever before. In fact, the comprehensive weight controls give our physical therapists the ability to slowly adjust a patient’s body weight until they say they are pain-free.
Benefits of Alter G® Therapy Include:
- Rehabilitating After Lower-Extremity Surgery
- Training Through An Injury
- Reduced Impact Training & Conditioning
- Gait Training For Neurologic Patients
- Weight Control & Reduction
- Strength & Conditioning For Older Patients
Learn more about the AlterG and where we offer this service!
Physical therapy on its own is often not enough to improve gait for patients with neurologic injuries that suffer from drop foot, ankle or knee weakness, or frequent falls.We offer recommendations for bracing that assists the lower leg through the proper gait pattern to improve both safety and quality of life.
In select locations, we have onsite custom casting & molding capabilities and make recommendations based on gait pattern and foot positioning, while also working closely with orthotic providers in the area to provide our patients with braces that can radically improve their gait. Once braces are received, we work with patients on practicing normal gait mechanics and improving safety with their device.
Benefits of Orthotic Fitting & Management:
- Reduced Risk of Falls
- Improved Mobility at Home and in the Community
- Return to Normal Gait Pattern
- Prevention of Compensation Patterns or Future Injuries
Learn more about orthotics and where this service is offered!
