Performance Physical Therapy

Lorraine Jackson
I was treated for my neck and shoulders, primarily by Jennifer. I also saw a few other therapists, but not once did I have to repeat my story. The environment of PPT and the friendliness of all the staff made my visits enjoyable! I can’t believe how pain free I am! I’ve been to other therapy places; PPT is TOPS!
Joseph Ford
Always helpful professional knowledgeable. Just an all out great experience.
Eva Dreyer
Before coming to PPT I saw another physical therapist about hip pain. After seven weeks there wasn’t any improvement. A friend recommended PPT and the results were phenomenal! Sean thoroughly tested my range of motion and prescribed several stretching and strengthening exercises. He progressed these weekly. He re-tested my ROM after six weeks and the improvements were remarkable. Plus the pain was gone! Sean will be my PT for life!
linda bradford
From the start of my PT everyone I encountered was very friendly and pleasant. I was impressed with the interaction between staff and how knowledgeable Taylor (PT) as well as the techs were when I asked questions. I would recommend this office!!!
barbara brockett
I came to Performance Physical Therapy several years ago because I had heard good things about them, having been disappointed in other PT practices I had used over the years. Most recently, the last two sets of therapy have been with Jordan Morris, who is an outstanding diagnostician and therapist. He carefully evaluated my aches and pains and the exercises he used and therapies he applied succeeded in vastly improving my strength and flexibility. I would most definitely work with him again if I have any other issues. He is an asset to the practice.
Gary Rose
Knowledgeable, friendly, and great staff well organized.
Karen Riordan
Highly Recommend! I was extremely impressed w/the quality of care I received. The Physical therapist, Sam Bachman, had her Doctorate in Physical Therapy - was up to date on the latest treatments and had me 100% for a shoulder issue in just a few short weeks, after months of pain. I would definatly go back to PPT for any future needs!

WE HELP YOU QUICKLY REGAIN THE ACTIVE LIFESTYLE YOU LOVE.

physical therapy patient stories

Are You Too Old to Exercise?

physical therapy patient storiesI get literally hundreds of questions each week from patients, gym members and even folks accessing me through our website about exercise. One of the questions that I am getting more frequently concerns exercise and aging.

“Am I too old to exercise”?
“Will I get hurt exercising at my age?”
“What kind of exercises should I be doing at age 80?”

These are all very valid questions. Fear over getting hurt or even just concern whether an exercise is useful are reasonable thoughts for most people. The short answer is that it is largely dependent on what type of exercise you do. Of course, the current state of your body regarding strength and flexibility also has bearing on how well you will tolerate a fitness program in your later years. I could have two people of exactly the same age start the same exercise program and experience totally different results. This would be explained by understanding the fact that each may have differing levels of fitness going into the program.

I can think of no other situation that demands professional guidance more than a senior individual wanting to start an exercise program. So, my first advice would be to see a physical therapist to determine your readiness to start a fitness program and assess what type of exercises most suit you. Part of this assessment would involve discussing with you what your goals for exercise are. In other words, do you want to improve your golf or tennis game? Do you want better balance to prevent a fall? Or, do you simply want to be able to get up off the ground when you are gardening or playing with your grandchildren? The answers to those questions will greatly affect your exercise program.

It has been my experience that the safest and most effective fitness programs are the ones specifically designed with your personal health issues and goals serving as the backbone of the program. There are countless people who have invested considerable time, money and effort in exercising very diligently with a “canned” program. Simply put, they walk into a gym and start using one machine after another until they are done with all the equipment. The hope is that they will do something that is helpful, even if most of the exercises are not helpful, or worse yet, some may be harmful.

It would be beyond the scope of this article to detail the “perfect” fitness program for a senior exerciser. But, I have hand selected the three exercises I teach often that provide direct benefit for someone who simply wants an enhanced quality of life for activities such as getting up from the floor or climbing a set of steps. Go to delawareonline.com to see a video detailing these exercises. They are extremely simple, require essentially no equipment, and are directly applicable to your daily life.

1. This is great for helping you get off of the floor: Stand next to a counter or railing so one hand can rest on it for balance. Put one leg out in front of the other in a stride position. Bend both knees at the same time slightly as if you were kneeling down. Straighten back up. Do this 20 times with each leg taking a turn at being in the forward position.

2. Stand next to your counter as in the above description. Pick a spot on your cabinets that is about 6 inches higher than your knees. Start marching your legs up and down, each time, making sure your knees at least hit that mark on the cabinet. Do this continuously for 2 minutes. Keep track of the number of marches you do. You should see a gradual increase in the number of marches over time.

3. Place a small stool or block of wood about 4 inches high in front of you. Alternately step up and down from the stool with the right and left leg. Do 30 times on each leg.

Remember our slogan for our older patients….”Exercise like you are ninety!”

Written by John Bradley, PT
Performance Physical Therapy and Fitness