At the Physical Therapy Department of Yong H. Tsai, M.D. a professional multi-disciplinary approach permeates better result oriented rehabilitation protocols. The specific needs of each individual patient are addressed during each therapy session. A combination of Physical Therapy, Manual Therapy, Myofascial Release Techniques, Massage Therapy, Acupuncture, Steroid injections, Trigger Point injections, and a broad spectrum of analgesic modalities is available to treat and prevent pain arising from arthritis, musculo-skeletal and neurological conditions. For example: a single treatment session of a patient with myofascial pain in the shoulder and bicipital tendonitis could include a steroid injection in the short head of the biceps and acupuncture performed by the physician, joint mobilizations and modalities applied by the physical therapist, and myofascial release techniques performed by the massage therapist. In addition the treatment session can include various forms of exercise and the integration of educational and prophylactic procedures. No time is wasted sending the patient back to the referring physician for an injection. A multi-disciplinary approach is far more result oriented, effective and allows better communication between the involved health care professionals.

Conditions treated are severe and chronic pain, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatica, ankylosing spondylitis, low back pain, neck pain, sciatica, herniated disc, fibromyalgia, headaches, tendonitis, bursitis, sprains and strains, paralysis, hemiparesis, carpal tunnel syndrome, RSD, sport injuries and many more.

Physical Therapy (PT) is a healthcare profession that provides services that pertain to the preservation, development, and restoration of optimal physical function. This profession is based on scientific methods and clinical research. Physical therapy involves the evaluation of the patient, the establishment of a physical therapy diagnosis and the application of specific interventions to treat the condition. Techniques aid in abolishing pain, trigger points and inflammation, relaxing muscle and soft tissue, and improving mobility and function.

Manual therapy (hands-on) techniques are often necessary to treat restricted range of motion of soft tissues and joints in involved extremities, neck, and trunk. These techniques are applied to effect changes in the soft tissues, articular structures, neural and vascular systems. Therapeutic exercise is considered when the patient has weakness, contracture, stiffness secondary to spasm, spasticity, decreased range of motion, gait problem, balance and/or coordination deficits, abnormal posture, muscle imbalance, or the patient needs to improve mobility or endurance as part of activities of daily living training, or re-education.

Modalities such as heat, infrared, ultrasound and electrical stimulation are administered for their analgesic effect, to relieve muscle spasm, reduce inflammation and edema, for acute synovitis, hypertrophic scarring, degenerative joint disease, osteoarthritis, post-surgical repairs, status post sprains and strains, contractures caused by rheumatoid arthritis or scleroderma, for strength increase, muscle denervation, muscle re-education and atrophy.

Treatment includes various forms of manual therapy in conjunction with various forms of exercise and the integration of educational procedures. This integration is vital to achieve patient self-management. Education involves both cognitive and behavioral aspects and can range from teaching proper posture, positioning, modifying activities of daily living, improving rest and work positions (ergonomics) to offering stress management strategies. Education efforts are aimed at the prevention of pain and injury by identifying the cause of the problem.