Here’s how you can avoid orthopedic surgery and get back to living life on your own terms

By Dr. Adam Cramer, PT, DPT; MyoFit Clinic

Between 60% and 80% of people currently living in the United States will experience joint, muscle or nerve pain at some point in their lives. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, pain is one of the most common occupational limiters in the country.

Avoiding Orthopedic Surgery
Nobody wants surgery, so why do individuals consult with an orthopedic surgeon? Surgery is a surgeon’s specialty. That’s what they are trained to do. Sure, they will offer costly imaging, ineffective injections and tell you to “rest and see how it feels.” The problem with this common conservative approach is that it does nothing to help correct the underlying issue that’s contributing to your symptoms.

Then, after four weeks of letting it rest, the pain is even worse. Even if they suggest you go to their own physical therapy office, these physical therapists only treat post-operative patients and are not equipped to help you avoid surgery. So, when your symptoms are worse in four weeks, of course the only option left is surgery.

Avoiding surgery takes an independent Doctor of Physical Therapy whose only focus is helping people avoid surgery, providing focused care and taking the time to teach patients how to effectively control their symptoms and return to normal, symptom-free mobility. This is what we do at MyoFit Clinic.

The goal at MyoFit Clinic is to provide safe treatment for knee, back, foot, shoulder, neck and hip pain. The Doctors of Physical Therapy at MyoFit Clinic are able to diagnose injury and address its root cause immediately. They treat patients conservatively, avoiding surgery, injections and pain meds.

As Doctors of Physical Therapy, we are trained to diagnose injury through a detailed, one-on-one exam, where strength and range of motion are measured, and joint and ligamentous tests are performed. It is not necessary to resort to costly X-rays or MRIs for diagnosis, as they often present a false picture of what’s really happening within the body.

When Should You See an Independent Physical Therapist?
Most sprains, strains or bruises should resolve themselves in three or four days. If you have pain limiting your movement that doesn’t go away in that time, or even chronic, long-term pain, it’s time to seek help from an independent Doctor of Physical Therapy.

MyoFit Clinic Doctors of Physical Therapy are capable of and are licensed to treat numerous orthopedic and neurological conditions such as joint arthritis, rotator cuff tears, herniated bulging discs, chronic pain, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis by providing state-of-the-art treatment techniques, including trigger point dry needling, massage, stretching, strengthening exercises and education/training so clients understand exactly what is occurring and how they can alleviate symptoms independently at home.

Strength and Mobility Programs
When physical therapy is coupled with specially prescribed motor control exercises, we have observed significant success in treating patients with joint, muscle and nerve pain. The focus of these special exercises is to improve the neuromuscular control of those body segments involved in movement of the spine in order to improve stability of the spine, making it stronger.

In essence, while back pain is not usually a “quick fix,” the condition can often be treated effectively with a combination of different physical therapies. Physical therapy aims to correct the debilitating dysfunction versus just treating the symptoms.

Dry Needling
At MyoFit Clinic we have also brought relief to many sufferers of joint, muscle and nerve pain by using an advanced treatment procedure known as Intramuscular Stimulation or Dry Needling.

This is a unique procedure designed to target muscle function to improve tissue healing and muscle restoration. It is especially effective if your back pain is linked to an underlying injury.

You can expect to be treated with thin solid filament dry needles that will deactivate and desensitize trigger points within the muscle itself. These trigger points are known to contribute to pain, poor muscle function, low blood circulation and reduced flexibility.

Hands-on Manual Therapy
Joint, muscle and nerve pain can also be relieved substantially with hands-on manual therapy, which includes myofascial release, massage, instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization, stretching and range of motion.

Physical therapy is not something that can be done on your own or by any other health/medical practitioner. You need the critical and trained eye of a licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy. No referral is needed in Ohio for physical therapy, so you can skip seeing a physician or orthopedic surgeon and go straight to a physical therapist not associated with a large hospital system or surgeons office.

Call MyoFit Clinic for an initial consultation so you can keep moving forward pain-free while avoiding orthopedic surgery.

Dr. Adam M. Cramer is a licensed physical therapist, pain specialist and founder of MyoFit Clinics in Chardon, Middlefield and Ashtabula. Call MyoFit at 440-286-1007. You can also visit MyoFitClinic.com.