Physical therapy is an important component in treating many problems of the bones, joints and muscles. Our staff of licensed physical therapists is dedicated to helping patients get back on their feet—and back in the game—as quickly and safely as possible.
For your convenience, our Physical Therapy Department maintains offices at two locations—MeritCare's Broadway Health Center and the newly expanded MeritCare Southpointe in South Fargo. These state-of-the-art facilities provide our team with 13,000 square feet of total space, including treatment rooms, a 3,500 square-foot therapeutic exercise room, a therapeutic pool and a full line of state-of-the-art equipment.
Sports Injuries
Our physical therapists work in conjunction with doctors and athletic trainers to evaluate and treat sports injuries. Education, functional range of motion exercises, strengthening exercises, aerobic training and Biodex objective muscle and joint testing help patients overcome their injuries and return to the playing field. Treatment may also include:
- heat and/or cold
- electric stimulation
- ultrasound/phonophoresis
- hydrotherapy
For more information, see our Sports Medicine Web site.
Back Care
Back pain can strike anyone at any time, limiting activities and interfering with everyday life. Our physical therapists provide individual care for acute and chronic back pain or dysfunction to help patients heal more quickly. Treatment may include:
- manual therapy
- flexibility exercises
- strengthening
- proper posture and lifting-technique training
- objective trunk ROM and strength assessment via isodynamic B-200 testing
- circuit training
- education
- aquatic pool therapy
- work conditioning/hardening
Learn more about MeritCare's Spine Rehabilitaion Program.
See also:
Chronic Pain
Many people suffer from chronic pain as a result of accidents, illnesses or injuries. Working with nurses, neuropsychologists, occupational therapists and anesthesiologists, our physical therapy team creates individualized treatment plans designed to eliminate chronic pain.
These plans typically involve:
- conditioning and endurance training
- flexibility training
- strengthening
- aerobic conditioning
- lower extremity coordination
- functional activities training
- postural training
Learn more about MeritCare's Pain Clinic.
General Care
Our physical therapists work with patients with a variety of bone-, joint- and muscle-related concerns, including:
Treatment for these conditions may include:
- Pain-relieving measures
- Postural training and education
- Muscle strength balancing
- Flexibility enhancement
- Instruction in activity or daily-living modification to prevent re-injury
- Instruction in home programs to facilitate healing/recovery
- Soft tissue and joint mobilization
Education
Education plays a vital role in rehabilitating injuries and preventing future problems. Once the healing process has begun, our physical therapists teach patients rehabilitation procedures they can do themselves at home. They also educate patients on injury prevention and provide the opportunity for continued training and rehabilitation through independent self-exercise programs and consultation with an exercise physiologist.
In addition to these patient services, our physical therapists hold coaching and student trainer seminars and workshops and provide a number of community outreach programs designed to teach community organizations, businesses and physician groups proper back care, lifting techniques and body mechanics.