Physical therapy can come with some impressive-sounding terminology. Manual therapy. Neuromuscular re-education. Functional training.
Don’t worry—you don’t need to learn the vocabulary.
At Florida Spine Chiropractic, Dr. Lisa Weiss, DPT, and our physical therapy team use a variety of treatments to help restore strength, movement, and function. Lisa will explain what she’s doing, why she’s doing it, and how it fits into your recovery.
Therapeutic Exercise
This isn’t about handing everyone the same sheet of exercises.
Therapeutic exercises target specific areas such as strength, flexibility, range of motion, stability, coordination, or endurance.
After surgery or an injury, exercises may start simply and progress as your strength and movement return.
Manual Therapy
Sometimes a physical therapist’s best tools are her hands.
Manual therapy is hands-on work with muscles, joints, and soft tissues. It may improve mobility, address stiffness or muscle tension, and make movement more comfortable.
It’s often combined with exercise and movement as part of treatment.
Stretching and Mobility
You don’t need to touch your toes.
You need enough mobility to comfortably do the things your day requires.
That might mean bending, reaching, turning, getting in and out of a chair or car, or simply moving without feeling so stiff.
Balance and Coordination
Balance problems can make you less confident about moving around, particularly after an injury, surgery, or period of inactivity.
Physical therapy can target balance and coordination at a level appropriate for you, and progress as your ability improves.
Neuromuscular Re-Education
Here’s one of those impressive-sounding terms.
It simply means working on the connection between your nervous system and your muscles.
After an injury, surgery, or period of limited activity, movement patterns can change. Specific exercises can help improve coordination, balance, posture, and movement control.
Dry Needling
Dry needling uses very thin needles placed into specific muscles or soft tissues. Lisa may use it when appropriate for muscle tightness, trigger points, discomfort, or restricted movement.
It’s not acupuncture, and not every patient needs it. It’s another treatment option available when appropriate.
Functional Training
Functional training takes the strength and movement you’ve been working on and applies it to real activities.
That could involve standing, walking, stairs, lifting, or getting in and out of a chair or bed. For other patients, it may involve returning to work, golf, or pickleball. Younger patients recovering from a sports injury may eventually work on sport-specific movements.
What Will My Treatment Include?
You don’t need to choose from a menu of treatments.
Lisa will evaluate you and explain her recommendations. If you’re recovering from surgery or another medical procedure, we’ll also follow your physician’s or surgeon’s instructions and precautions.
And ask questions. We want you to understand what we’re doing and why.
For more about our overall approach, visit Physical Therapy in Vero Beach. If you’ve never had PT before, read what to expect from physical therapy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of physical therapy treatments do you offer?
Treatment may include therapeutic exercise, manual therapy, stretching and mobility work, balance and coordination training, neuromuscular re-education, functional training, and dry needling. The treatments used will depend on your condition and evaluation.
Do all patients receive the same physical therapy exercises?
No. We select your exercises based on your strength, mobility, balance, range of motion, and other findings from your evaluation. They can also change as you improve.
Do you offer dry needling?
Yes. Dry needling is one of the techniques available when your physical therapist determines it’s appropriate. We may use it to address muscle tightness, trigger points, discomfort, or restricted movement.
What is functional training in physical therapy?
Functional training uses exercises and movements related to everyday activities. Depending on the patient, that might include standing, walking, stairs, lifting, getting in and out of a chair, work activities, or returning to a sport.
Contact Florida Spine Chiropractic to schedule a physical therapy appointment in Vero Beach.
📍Florida Spine Chiropractic (Get Directions)
780 US-1, #201
Vero Beach, FL 32962
- Convenient location at US-1 & 8th Street (avoid Route 60 congestion)
- Easy parking and ground-level access
- Serving the Treasure Coast for over 15 years