Cold Laser - Low Level Laser Therapy
Cold Laser Therapy is a form of alternative medicine that uses low-level (low-power) lasers. We apply the laser directly to the problem area. The tissue absorbs the light. Red and near infrared light cause a biological or chemical reaction within the damaged cells. The cells then have a physiological reaction that helps promote their regeneration and healing of the tissue.
Cold laser therapy has the ability to treat a wide variety of conditions. It can reduce swelling and promote healing of the joints and soft tissue, treat inflammation caused by arthritis and other chronic autoimmune diseases, and promote skin rejuvenation. We have had amazing results using cold laser therapy to treat various skin problems such as cuts, incisions, contusions(bruises), ulcers, burns, and rashes (dermatitis).These pictures are before and after shots using Cold Laser Therapy to treat toe fungus here at Coast Physical Therapy!
Ultrasound
Ultrasound is a noninvasive therapy that uses a wand to apply inaudible soundwaves to an affected area. The soundwaves produce heat within the muscles to relax the muscles of the affected area. Ultrasound can increase local blood flow, which can help reduce local swelling and chronic inflammation, and can breakdown scar tissue.
Phonophoresis
Phonophoresis is a non-invasive way of administering medications to tissues below the skin. We commonly use a topical pain or anti-inflammatory medicine. Which is applied to the skin around the affected area, and then ultrasound is applied. With this technique, the ultrasound forces the medication through the skin, allowing the medicine to penetrate deeper.
Iontophoresis
Iontophoresis is a non-invasive way of administering medications, such as lidocaine or dexamethasone, to tissues below the skin using electrical stimulation. Iontophoresis is not a painful therapy, the patient may feel a slight tingling sensation. First, the medicine is applied to one electrode pad that is placed on the affected area. Then the other electrode pad is placed at a determined distance and place away from the first electrode. Once the electrical stimulation is turned on, the medicine is pushed deeper into the tissues for the desired effect.
Athletic Taping
Athletic taping is the process of applying tape directly to the skin in order to maintain a stable position of bones and muscles during athletic activity. It is a procedure that uses tape, attached to the skin, to physically keep in place muscles or bones at a certain position. This reduces pain and aids recovery.
Coast Physical Therapist, Mark Tonkins, has extensive experience with Athletic Taping. He is also a certified athletic trainer, whose talents have been appreciated by elite college, NFL, U.S. Olympic athletes, as well as his many patients here in Titusville. He has served our local athletes as athletic trainer for Astronaut High School for 12 years.
Kinesio Taping
Coast Physical Therapist, Mark Tonkins is a certified Kinesio Taping Practitioner. Based upon years of clinical use, Kinesio Tape is specifically applied to the patient based upon their needs after evaluation. The findings of the clinical evaluation dictate the specifics of the Kinesio Tape application and other possible treatments or modalities. Kinesio Tape can be applied in hundreds of ways and has the ability to re-educate the neuromuscular system, reduce inflammation, prevent injury and promote good circulation and healing, and assist in returning the body to homeostasis.
Electrical Stimulation
Electrical Muscular Stimulation (EMS) is the elicitation of muscle contraction using electric impulses applied through soft sticky electrodes.
Interferential Stimulation - reduces pain, inflammation and swelling around a joint. It works just like the name infers, there are 2 channels of current at a sensory level to ‘interfere’ with the pain signals that particular part of your body is trying to send up the chain so you are aware you are in pain. Coast Physical Therapy uses this to treat injuries and surgeries involving joints such as the knee, ankle, shoulder, wrist, elbow or low back.
Pre-mod Stimulation - decreases pain and reinforces a change in the tissue after manual therapy such as Graston, trigger point release, other techniques. A pre-mod stimulation involves two pads so the electrical stimulation runs in the area between the two pads. This type of stimulation is typically applied along a ligament or tendon such as your achilles tendon or along a muscle such as one of your quadriceps muscles.
'Russian' Stimulation- strengthens a particularly weak muscle more quickly following injury or surgery. One electrode pad is placed on the muscle’s insertion into the bone and the second on the muscle belly. The electrical stimulation will cause your muscle to contract, and over the course of treatments, strengthen. This is the only type of stimulation where a strong muscle contraction is the goal.