We provide quality, comprehensive treatment for patients who are injured or suffering from any type of movement or function disorder.

As a key member of today's dynamic health care team, we prescribe a goal-oriented program of evaluation, treatment, and prevention for our patient's specific needs. 

Conditions we treat include but are not limited to: 

• Orthopedic and sports injuries
• Pre/post surgical rehabilitation
• Back and neck injuries/pain
• Work injuries
• Auto accident injuries

The benefits of physical therapy include: 

• Relief of pain and muscle spasms
• Improved mobility and increased range of motion
• Increased or maintained strength and endurance
• Decreased swelling and inflammation of joints
• Decreased physical stresses

Falls and fear of falling in our senior population are recognized public health crises.

According to the CDC, falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths in older adults by a wide margin. Each year, more than two million seniors experience a fall severe enough to necessitate emergency medical treatment. This number along with the associated personal and societal costs of falling is expected to rise as our population ages. Despite these grim statistics, many falls are preventable with professional interventions that address the causes of falling in older adults.

Our expert clinicians are trained in evidence-based interventions that are proven by controlled clinical trials to effectively reduce the number of falls in older adults.

There are other factors that also contribute to falls. Neurological conditions such as Parkinson's Disease, stroke, multiple sclerosis, brain injury, vestibular disorders, and neuropathy also increase fall risk. Our therapy team is well equipped to address the problems of falling and the fear of falling in individuals living with these conditions.

Our industrial program is designed to return injured employees to the workplace in a timely manner. We thoroughly identify the physical job demands of the employee and develop a program that will break through the barriers allowing the employee to safely and confidently return to work.

Components

1. Assessing the neuromusculoskeletal condition and application of interventions to specific systems and tissues affected by the injury.
2. Determination of safe work activity that will not compromise medical stability.
3. The design of safe, progressive rehabilitation programs that aggressively recondition the injured worker.
4. Minimization of lost work time through aggressive clinical management and promotion of productive work.

1. Work Conditioning

Work conditioning is an intensive, work-related, goal-oriented conditioning program designed specifically to restore systemic neuromusculoskeletal functions, muscle performance, motor, function, range of motion, and cardiovascular functions. The objective of the work conditioning program is to restore physical capacity and function to enable the patient/client to return to work.

Work = Effort

Program Content

1. Development of program goals in relation to job skills and job requirements. Interventions to improve strength, endurance, movement, flexibility, motor control, and cardiovascular capacity related to the performance of work tasks.
2. Practice, modification, and instruction in work-related activities.
3. Education related to safe job performance and injury prevention.
4. Promotion of patient/client responsibility and self-management.

Testing:

2. Functional Capacity Evaluation

A Functional Capacity Evaluation is a comprehensive battery of performance-based tests that is used commonly to determine the ability for work, activity of daily living, or leisure activity.

The Functional Capacity Evaluation quantifies safe function abilities and is a pivotal resource for:

1. Return to work and job-placement decisions.
2. Disability evaluation.
3. Determination of how non-related illness and injuries impact work performance.
4. Determination of function in a non-occupational setting.
5. Intervention and treatment planning.
6. Case management and case closure.

Reporting

Our reports determine an injured worker’s ability to return to work and includes a physical assessment of the injured client.

3. Ergonomics Assessment

What is an ergonomic assessment?

An ergonomic evaluation is a study of a worker at their workstation to ensure that they are in good posture and that their workstation is properly set up.

A good ergonomic assessment is performed to reduce a worker’s exposure to physical hazards such as:

• Uncomfortable or incorrect postures
• Repetitive tasks that can introduce pain or strain
• Straining of the body

We perform a comprehensive ergonomics assessment and will provide a thorough report to the employee/employer at the conclusion of an evaluation, including all findings and advice.

The three parameters that go into an ergonomic assessment are posture, motion, and temperature.

What are the benefits of good ergonomics?

Bad ergonomics is avoidable. The advantages of excellent ergonomic techniques include lowering company expenses, improving quality, and establishing a safer atmosphere at the workplace.

Reduce costs

Employees who are under physical strain at work may develop ailments that can cost your company money. While the expenses associated with ergonomics, such as special chairs and workspaces, may appear to be a barrier at first, the long-term benefits are better and more productive employees, which are ideal for business.

You may save money on your organization's expenses for missed work time in the near term and workers' compensation over time by following good ergonomic practices.

Improves productivity

Employees who are in pain focus on their suffering, not their job. The more severe the pain, the less productive employees were found to be. Comfortable workstations that allow for good posture and fewer movements have been shown to make employees happier.

Workstation design that is properly set up may boost productivity by allowing employees to work in a more comfortable

Improves quality

Workers who are confined in uncomfortable postures might find them distracting and unpleasant. Inadequate workplace design may lead to aggravation and employees that don't perform at their best.

Workers that are suited for ergonomic solutions are more comfortable and productive, allowing them to give their greatest effort.

Improve employee engagement

When you put in the effort to keep your workers healthy and safe, it will increase the overall health and safety of the organization. When employees trust their employer to look after them and are happy doing their job, employee morale and turnover decrease.

Create a better safety culture

Your most important asset as a company is your staff. The accumulation of the four preceding points will result in better employee performance and the creation of a strong safety culture at your firm.

What are the effects of bad ergonomics?

The short- and long-term health impacts of poor ergonomic practices include:

Short term

• Back pain
• Neck pain
• Shoulder, elbow, wrist, and arm pain
• Headaches
• Repetitive injury strains

Long-term

• Postural muscle aches and pains
• Musculoskeletal disorders
• Diabetes
• Heart conditions
• Obesity
• Stroke
• Carpal tunnel

How can ergonomics prevent injury?

When it comes to ergonomic risks, each job type has its own list of issues or red flags. An office worker's fingers, wrists, and arms might be harmed by poor mouse positioning, keyboard posture, or chair design.

A factory employee, on the other hand, is at risk of back and neck injuries due to twisting at the waist while lifting heavy

Symptoms that poor ergonomics causes are frequently mistaken with other problems. Alternatively, they may be minor and difficult to detect at first. You're encouraging more productive work by giving employees tailored, comfortable, and appropriate work stations.

What we offer

We assist clients in achieving their greatest potential through innovation, commitment, and best practices. We specialize in on-site training in manual handling and ergonomics that is customized to your company and industry.

Our Workplace Ergonomic Assessment is designed to help all employees learn how to improve their own working settings in order to prevent injuries and ensure a safe place of business.

4. Corporate Wellness

97% of Fortune 500’s “Top Companies to Work For” have a Wellness Program in place today. The statistics show these programs are no longer a nice addition, but rather a strategic business implementation. Our customizable program consists of a comprehensive step-by-step process that is supported by professionals. We utilize an evidence-based health risk assessment survey, and biometric screening to create data-driven guidance which allows us to take a proactive approach to healthcare.

1. Proven Return On Investment:  Decreased absenteeism, health care costs, and disability claims.
2. Proven Value on Investment: Increased productivity, workplace morale, job satisfaction, and retention.

We offer customized solutions including:

• HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENTS/BIOMETRIC SCREENING • WORKSHOPS • ONSITE/OFFSITE FITNESS CLASSES • GROUP CHALLENGES • PERSONAL TRAINING • NUTRITIONAL COACHING • LIFESTYLE HABIT GUIDANCE • SMOKING CESSATION • RETURN TO WORK • FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY TESTING • MOBILE APP • & MORE!

Schroth Scoliosis Treatment - Curve-specific treatment approach for both adolescents and adults

Have a curvy spine? Having difficulty standing up straight and worry " I am shrinking"?  The Schroth Method could be for you!  This method can help growing kids as well as adults with scoliosis….

When your growing tween or teen is diagnosed with scoliosis, you often hear, “We’ll just have to wait and see…” If you’re an adult with painful scoliosis, you’ve likely consulted a surgeon, with similar results. Many people aren’t satisfied with " just waiting to see or waiting for surgery or bracing, and there is another, proactive option for both.

The Schroth Method for scoliosis management was developed in Germany in the 1920s and has been successfully used in clinics around the world since then. The Schroth Method uses exercises, on their own or with bracing, to help teach you specific movements and breathing techniques that help fight the pull of gravity on your curve.

Schroth has only been in the United States for approximately a decade and has been gaining momentum with parents, adult patients, and physicians alike. The Schroth Method gives you tools and practice than can be used forever, to stay strong, breathe deeply, and walk tall through life.

So, if you want to:

• Improve body appearance by postural corrections
• Improve lung capacity and rib mobility with deep breathing
• Improve posture in sitting, standing, walking, and activities throughout the day
• Learn proper body mechanics to protect your spine throughout the day
• Assist in opening the concavities of the spine
• Instruct in strengthening exercises for specific muscles to assist in supporting the spine in a balanced alignment
• Improve understanding of your scoliosis or hyperkyphosis
• Prevent, decrease, or assist in pain management associated with scoliosis
• Connect the mind to the body and re-educate muscles to do their job

Trained Schroth Method practitioners are fairly rare in the United States, and there are only a few in the Southern region. Sue Simmerman PT, ScD, OCS, COMT is a Level 2 Certified Schroth Therapist through the Schroth-Barcelona Institute.

What is Manual Therapy?

At Greater Therapy Centers we utilize several types of therapy techniques aimed at helping patients recover from pain.  Manual therapy also referred to as manipulative therapy is a hands-on technique to relieve pain and improve range of motion in muscles and joints. Instead of utilizing a machine or device our physical therapists use their hands to apply pressure to particular muscles. This method is used to help decrease pain caused by muscle spasm or joint dysfunction.

Manual therapy helps to restore motion to joints that have been otherwise limited in mobility due to pain. Manipulation, massage and mobilization are three common forms of manual therapy.   With manipulation therapy a licensed physical therapist uses their hands or a small tool to manipulate your muscles and soft tissue to help alleviate pain. Massage therapy is similar to manipulation however it involves working the knots and kinks out of your soft tissues.  For mobilization a physical therapist works on loosening up the joint causing pain.  This is done by moving the joint slowly while increasing the distance of movement directly into the barrier of a joint.

Manual Therapy is used to treat these conditions:

• Headaches
• Low back pain
• Neck pain
• Joint pain
• Sports related injuries

Is manual therapy safe?

Yes.  Manual therapy performed by licensed physical therapists is a safe and effective treatment options for people suffering from pain associated with injuries to the muscles, joint and soft tissue.

At Greater Therapy Centers our licensed physical therapists use stretching and soft tissue mobilization (STM) to help restore function to injured muscles and tissue. STM uses stretching and deep pressure to break up fibrous muscle tissue, also called myofascial adhesions, relax muscle tension and move fluids trapped in the tissues. With this technique our certified physical therapists will determine the area causing the greatest discomfort and work to restore the tissue to its normal texture. This can be done with a variety of tools.

Types of soft tissue mobilization include:

• Strain – Counterstrain
• ASTYM – Graston Technique
• Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD)
• Manual traction
• Trigger Point Therapy / Myofascial Release
• Cross friction

The benefits of soft tissue mobilization include:

• Reduction in pain
• Regeneration of soft tissue
• Increased mobility
• Improve function
• Faster recovery

What conditions can be treated with soft tissue mobilization?

• Ankle sprains
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Chronic back pain
• Chronic neck pain
• Hip pain
• Knee pain
• Muscle sprains and strains
• Plantar fasciitis
• Scar Tissue
• Shoulder pain
• Shin splints
• Tendinitis
• Post-surgical scarring
• Epicondylitis
• De Quervain’s tenosynovitis

Is stretching and soft tissue mobilization safe?

When performed by a licensed physical therapist soft tissue mobilization is a safe and effective form of physical therapy.

Our sports enhancement program is designed to help you recover from an injury, prevent injury, which simultaneously enhancing your ability to compete. It emphasizes individualized strength and flexibility training, plyometric (intense activity designed to produce fast, powerful muscle movements) and neuromuscular (the relationship between nerves and muscles) coordination activities, and education on safe techniques to promote an unrestricted return to sport, as well as improved athletic performance to aid the prevention of future injury.

Even if you have not had success with other treatments, this program is for you. We address the root cause rather than merely treating symptoms. This results in a more long-lasting result which is highly effective in preventing recurrent problems.

Benefits of Our Sports Enhancement Program:

• Safe, unrestricted return to sport after injury.
• Improved athletic performance.
• Avoid lingering effects of an injury.
• Reduce the risk of re-injury.
• Start seeing immediate results.
• Faster recovery period.
• Learn how to avoid future problems.
• Increased flexibility & movement.
• Increased strength.
• Gain power, coordination, and speed.

How long before benefits are realized?

Depending on the severity of your current condition, results can be noticed in as little as 3 visits. Some severe cases may take longer.

Be Wary Of…

Over-aggressive programs that do not take into account your individual mechanics and medical history.