Massage & Wellness

Wellness Center, Therapeutic Tune-ups and Massage

More than just Physical Therapy

You do not need to be injured to enjoy our Wellness services. We offer programs to help you stay well.

Our services include:

• Myofascial ReleasePost-Surgical
• Recovery and Rehabilitation
• Pilates-Based Movement Therapies
• Massage
• Personal Training
• Cardiovascular conditioning
• Sports-specific training
• Weight control and management
• Classes and workshops

Therapeutic Tune-ups (Save Time and Money)

Get 15 minutes of treatment and pay a small fee without worrying about doctor’s prescriptions or insurance issues.

These are minor treatments for pains, strains, and sprains. Have you ever awoken with a kink in your neck and wished someone could treat your discomfort for just 15 minutes that day? Or perhaps you twisted your ankle or flared up your knee during a hike and wished you could get some minor attention to prevent this from getting worse. Then you realize that a massage is costly and takes time. In general, to see a Physical Therapist, you would need to see your doctor first, get a prescription, then call the PT office and schedule. Perhaps your insurance does not cover Physical Therapy.

What if you could just walk into the PT’s office, get 15 minutes of treatment and pay a small fee without worrying about doctor’s prescriptions or insurance issues. Well, that is exactly why we created Therapeutic Tune ups. Now, you can walk into North Tahoe Physical Therapy, talk to the therapist about your issue, and receive a 15 minute treatment for only $35. Treatment may consist of massage, Myofascial Release, craniosacral therapy, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, stretches or spinal mobilizations. It just depends on what your body needs.

Benefits:

1) Direct Access to a therapist. No need to see an MD first
2) Less waiting time between injury and treatment
3) The sooner treatment occurs means quicker recovery time.
4) No insurance issues
5) Low cost
6) Brief appointment times

Orthopedic Massage

Orthopedic Massage is a form of manual therapy that specializes in the treatment of musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction.  In addition to the benefits of traditional massage such as relaxation and increased circulation, orthopedic massage has several other treatment goals.  These include increasing the range of motion, decreasing and managing pain, and normalizing musculoskeletal function.  The therapist works to dissolve adhesions in muscle and connective tissue, lengthen connective tissue, balance muscle function by strengthening weak muscles and releasing tight ones, as well as normalize the position of soft tissue, restore joint function, release entrapped nerves, and facilitate normal neurological function.

A session typically lasts from ½ hour to 1 hour.  The work will be both gentle and deep.  For lasting results, the therapist will want to see the patient 2-3 times a week initially, as frequency is the key.  During the course of a session, the therapist will evaluate the entire body and address the body as a whole, to see how is responding to the injury.  The therapist will then specifically address the area of trauma to increase the fluidity in the tissue and range of motion in the effected joints.   This can be done by a postural evaluation, checking passive range of motion, or movement analysis.

Simply call 775-831-6600 and schedule your appointment
Walk-ins welcome

Getting in Shape for Skiing

What are the most important elements to getting in shape for ski season?

The first thing that comes to mind for getting in “ski shape” is strengthening. I believe everyone would agree that strengthening of the lower extremity or leg muscles is top on the list. The legs are doing most of the work during a ski or snowboard run, so, focus strength training here. The muscles to emphasize are the quads (front of the thighs) the hamstrings (back of the thighs), the calf muscles, and the glutes. It is very important for one to gain strength of the proximal leg muscles, those closest to the trunk, typically called the hips. The stronger one is in the hip region, the less strain will occur across the knee joint.
A great exercise for the whole lower extremity is the squat. This uses the buttocks, the quads, the calves and the hamstrings. Also great are lunges and leg presses. These exercises directly correlate to the motions used in telemark skiing and downhill skiing. Bicycling is a wonderful outdoor activity for lower extremities. Lastly, calf raises (going up and down on tip toes) is great for balance and calf strength.

Besides strength, flexibility is highly important for all activities. A tight muscle is more likely to tear or be strained because there is no slack in the system. Stretches create length in the muscle and allow for freedom of motion.

While everyone agrees that training the lower extremity muscles is highly important, I also want to emphasize the importance of training the trunk or core muscles. The trunk is the “power center” of the body. These muscles include, among others, the abdominals, the iliopsoas, the glutes, hamstrings, and the spinal extensors. A strong core helps with speed, balance, strength, and power, quickly changing directions, improvement of skill level and prevention of injury. A training program needs to consist of trunk flexibility and strength conditioning. Having a strong and flexible core allows one to twist, turn and stabilize the body during the downhill journey. According to Douglas Brooks, MS, who wrote Effective Strength Training, the trunk is the base or foundation of the body. A body is only as strong as its weakest link. A body needs a strong base from which to direct its energy. If the core is weak, it leads to poor performance or worse, injury.

Join our email list to get our special report on the 3 Keys to a Fantastic Ski Season.  Just leave your name and email address in the space on the right side of this page.

Physical Therapy Hows & Whys

Is Physical Therapy a good way to get started on an exercise program if you have been inactive for a long period of time or is a personal trainer a better option?

It is always best to consult with your doctor before beginning an exercise after prolonged inactivity. Your doctor will perform a complete physical and determine if you will be at risk or if you are safe to begin an exercise program. If the MD gives you the “Go Ahead”, physical therapy is your best option for proceeding.

The PT will evaluate your body before developing an exercise program. Tests may include an assessment of muscle strength in your arms, legs and core. He or she will assess your flexibility, your ligamentous stability, your range of motion in your joints, your endurance level, and your current fitness level. The PT will measure our blood pressure and your heart rate at rest and determine an appropriate activity level for your exercise program. He or she can tailor the program towards your specific fitness goals, for example, weight loss, improved endurance, strength gains, toning or others you may have in mind. If you wish, the PT can also measure your body fat level and develop a plan to reduce that level.

One benefit of beginning a fitness program with a PT is that you are being medically monitored. As you proceed with your fitness program, the PT will assess your heart rate and blood pressure before, during and after activity. Your exercises will be adjusted accordingly. If you have any previous injuries, alert the PT so that area can be protected in your program to prevent a flare up. Additionally, the PT can add exercise to your program to rehabilitate the injured area.

One last advantage of a fitness program which is performed under the direction of a Physical Therapist is the price. A medically guided program may be covered under your health insurance. This means that you may only need to pay for your copayment or coinsurance. If, however, you do not have insurance, many Physical Therapists provide personal training to their clients. The cost may be slightly higher than the fee a personal trainer may charge (about $10-$20 on average). But, the Physical Therapist is a medical professional who has either a Masters or a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree and is trained in the biomechanics of the body, muscle structure and function, injuries and rehab, anatomy and physiology, orthopedics, and strengthening and conditioning.
North Tahoe Physical Therapy works with many clients for reconditioning programs both through insurance and on a cash payment basis. We also offer personal training and Pilates exercise programs.

-Jane O’Brien, MSPT

Rotator Cuff Surgery and Repair

How long does it take a rotator cuff tendon to heal after a surgical repair?

A surgical rotator cuff repair requires a tendon reattachment into a bony anchor in the shoulder. The bone site of tendon reinsertion requires eight weeks to heal. Physical therapy, although specifics depend on the surgeon’s rehab protocol, usually begins three-five days after the surgery and continues for up to twelve weeks in three distinct phases until all prior shoulder function returns.

During phase one, the first eight weeks of physical therapy, while the bone is still healing, rehab is focused on symptom control and the return of symmetrical range of motion (ROM). Educating the patient to ice, encouraging the use of an arm support to rest the irritated tendons, and introducing the Codman pendulum exercises are all common strategies for controlling shoulder symptoms. ROM activities are limited in phase one to passive stretching (the patient must keep the muscles relaxed while the therapist stretches the rotator cuff muscles).

After the surgical repair site has healed and the patient has full ROM, emphasis shifts in phase two to shoulder strengthening. Strength work focuses on both rotator cuff muscles and the interscapular muscles to promote the return of normal shoulder biomechanics. Rotator cuff strengthening begins with isometric contractions and progresses to eventual strengthening with weight or Theraband resistance.

Phase three involves proprioceptive training for the upper extremity to ensure proper reaction time and future injury prevention. During week twelve of physical therapy the patient performs final assessment to determine if they can safely return to all activities of daily living before formal discharge from physical therapy. Once discharged, the patient is encouraged to maintain shoulder flexibility and strength with an independent exercise program.

-Rebecca L. Deal, MSPT

Orthopedic Massage

Orthopedic Rehabilitative Massage is an advanced form of bodywork in the current mainstream health care community. This type of massage is indicated for post-surgery, chronic pain, overuse, and repetitive stress injuries. It is indicated for people of all ages and body types. This deeper (more pressure, deeper layers) type of massage is very useful when patients/clients are in some sort of discomfort or pain and is useful (and in some cases more results with) as preventative medicine, which seems more important in this day and age. It compliments treatments by physical therapists, chiropractors, acupuncturists, osteopaths, and medical doctors.

This advanced style of bodywork requires more training from therapists specifically in the areas of anatomy, physiology, and pathology of injury. This work can be applies to any body part ranging from the neck all the way down to the feet. You will find practitioners of this work in multiple work settings, whether it is in a physical therapy or chiropractic clinic or day or resort spa. But if you decide to receive this type of therapy, please do your research. Not every massage therapist is qualified or for that matter good. So do your homework, find out the massage therapist’s history, education, and experience in body work. At North Tahoe Physical Therapy we are constantly increasing our understanding of how to address pathology, as continuing education is required for all licensed therapists.

Orthopedic Massage is a form of manual therapy that specializes in the treatment of musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction. In addition to the benefits of traditional massage such as relaxation and increased circulation, orthopedic massage has several other treatment goals. These include increasing the range of motion, decreasing and managing pain, and normalizing musculoskeletal function. The therapist works to dissolve adhesions in muscle and connective tissue, lengthen connective tissue, balance muscle function by strengthening weak muscles and releasing tight ones, as well as normalize the position of soft tissue, restore joint function, release entrapped nerves, and facilitate normal neurological function.

What to expect from Orthopedic Massage

You may ask, why a deeper more rehabilitative massage as opposed to your traditional Swedish massage? I prefer to label what I do as body work as opposed to massage. For a few reasons; when people think of massage they tend to correspond it to your every day Swedish massage, “which is nice to get”. Yes, I am doing tough “massage strokes”, but I am providing the body the therapy is desperately needs to return it to normal working order. I provide this type of work when everything else fails with traditional massage therapy and the pain and dysfunction persists. Also, I will incorporate other therapies such as Myofascial Release, myofascial stretches, manual traction, muscle energy techniques, and craniosacral therapy. So it is not necessarily massage strokes.

A session typically lasts from ½ hour to 1 hour. The work will be both gentle and deep. For lasting results, the therapist will want to see the patient 2-3 times a week initially, as frequency is the key. During the course of a session, the therapist will evaluate the entire body and address the body as a whole, to see how is responding to the injury. The therapist will then specifically address the area of trauma to increase the fluidity in the tissue and range of motion in the effected joints. This can be done by a postural evaluation, checking passive range of motion, or movement analysis.

-Brian Hrindo, MT

Massage & Wellness

Therapeutic Massage

Wellness Center, Therapeutic Tune-ups and Massage

More than just Physical Therapy

You do not need to be injured to enjoy our Wellness services. We offer programs to help you stay well.

Our services include:

• Post-Surgical Recovery and Rehabilitation
• Myofascial Release
• Pilates-Based Movement Therapies
• Massage
• Personal Training
• Cardiovascular conditioning
• Sports-specific training
• Weight control and management
• Classes and workshops

Therapeutic Tune-ups (Save Time and Money)

Get 15 minutes of treatment and pay a small fee without worrying about doctor’s prescriptions or insurance issues.

These are minor treatments for pains, strains, and sprains. Have you ever awoken with a kink in your neck and wished someone could treat your discomfort for just 15 minutes that day? Or perhaps you twisted your ankle or flared up your knee during a hike and wished you could get some minor attention to prevent this from getting worse. Then you realize that a massage is costly and takes time. In general, to see a Physical Therapist, you would need to see your doctor first, get a prescription, then call the PT office and schedule. Perhaps your insurance does not cover Physical Therapy.

What if you could just walk into the PT’s office, get 15 minutes of treatment and pay a small fee without worrying about doctor’s prescriptions or insurance issues. Well, that is exactly why we created Therapeutic Tune ups. Now, you can walk into North Tahoe Physical Therapy, talk to the therapist about your issue, and receive a 15 minute treatment for only $35. Treatment may consist of massage, Myofascial Release, craniosacral therapy, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, stretches or spinal mobilizations. It just depends on what your body needs.

Benefits:

1) Direct Access to a therapist. No need to see an MD first
2) Less waiting time between injury and treatment
3) The sooner treatment occurs means quicker recovery time.
4) No insurance issues
5) Low cost
6) Brief appointment times

Orthopedic Massage

Orthopedic Massage is a form of manual therapy that specializes in the treatment of musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction.  In addition to the benefits of traditional massage such as relaxation and increased circulation, orthopedic massage has several other treatment goals.  These include increasing the range of motion, decreasing and managing pain, and normalizing musculoskeletal function.  The therapist works to dissolve adhesions in muscle and connective tissue, lengthen connective tissue, balance muscle function by strengthening weak muscles and releasing tight ones, as well as normalize the position of soft tissue, restore joint function, release entrapped nerves, and facilitate normal neurological function.

A session typically lasts from ½ hour to 1 hour.  The work will be both gentle and deep.  For lasting results, the therapist will want to see the patient 2-3 times a week initially, as frequency is the key.  During the course of a session, the therapist will evaluate the entire body and address the body as a whole, to see how is responding to the injury.  The therapist will then specifically address the area of trauma to increase the fluidity in the tissue and range of motion in the effected joints.   This can be done by a postural evaluation, checking passive range of motion, or movement analysis.

Simply call 775-831-6600 and schedule your appointment
Walk-ins welcome