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.

Cancer Exercises

cancer exercises

No one likes to hear the phrase, “you’ve got cancer”. True, recent advances in treatment of cancer are absolutely astounding. However, wouldn’t it be great if there was a pill you could take that would help prevent cancer, or keep it from returning? Well, today’s scientists are increasingly thinking that exercise may be that ‘pill’ for many people.

Let’s discuss why exercise is so important in prevention of new and recurring cancer, and specifically what you should be doing to exercise safely after breast cancer surgery.

A recently published article reviewing over 70 research articles on exercise and cancer recurrence concluded that lifestyle changes are essential for newly diagnosed and recurring instances of breast cancer. Regular exercise may be even more important than good sleep habits and stress reduction. How much is needed to get benefits? 150 minutes of aerobic activity per week is recommended (that’s 30 minutes, 5 days per week). Only 13% of women get that amount of exercise. Yuck! Anything that moves your body counts, as long as you are off the couch!

Here are some ideas:

Exercise lessens the effects of chemotherapy, and assists in losing weight. Excess weight can increase your chance of recurrence. Gaining weight and cancer do not go together. Exercise releases pain killing chemicals in your body, and no prescription is needed! Almost every level of fitness can be accommodated by the correct exercise prescription, even if it means walking in place. The key is to get evaluated and set up by a professional.

If you are sick and tired of not being able to do the things you love, you owe it to yourself and your family to come in and start feeling better today!

Now lets talk about exercising after breast cancer surgery, which is a common treatment for certain breast cancers.

The most common issues that affect post-mastectomy patients are “upper-crossed syndrome” and range of motion limitations in the affected shoulder. Upper cross syndrome is the combination of forward head posture, rounded shoulders, and exaggerated spinal bending. As a result of these postural deviations, mastectomy, lymph node dissection, and/or radiation, the chest muscles may become tight, shortened and spastic. This not only exacerbates the postural deviations, but may limit the ability of the patient to move their arm/shoulder through normal motions needed to function. It’s harder to want to exercise when you are stiff, sore, and tired!

The most important factor in the safety and benefit of the exercise program is the initial assessment. At the very least this should include a comprehensive postural assessment as well as shoulder range of motion measurements taken with a special tool in every physical therapists office. The well-trained therapist will be able to deduce, from the results, which muscles need to be stretched and which need to be strengthened. By selecting the wrong combinations of exercises, the results may not only be undesirable, they may in fact be detrimental. In short, go to experts who have seen this before: this is not the time to improvise or listen to what worked for your neighbor. No two cancer patients are exactly alike!

In our offices, we strongly advocate restoring as much range of motion as possible before starting on strengthening. Please visit our Videos Page to see our commonly prescribed routines shown on video.

Here you can see very basic exercises that the patient can do on their own, including:

The combination of both stretching, followed by strengthening will increase the speed of improvement in most cases.

Once close to full range of motion is achieved, the emphasis can be on strength training. Not only will this help to correct the postural and range of motion deviations, it will help increase bone density and lean muscle mass. Many woman will either be of menopausal age, or thrown into menopause from their cancer treatment. With estrogen no longer being produced, the risk of osteoporosis increases. To make things even more complicated, the long-term side-effects of chemotherapy include osteoporosis, diabetes, and damage to the heart and lungs; all of which can be avoided or improved through proper exercise recommendations.

It is my hope that you can see how beneficial the right amount of exercise can help during and after a diagnosis of cancer, and can even prevent new and recurring cancer, as well as practical tips on how to exercise safely and effectively.