Through my training as a Nationally Certified Rehabilitation Practitioner, and my experience working and spending time with athletic trainers and orthopedists over the years, I have learned to value the importance of incorporating stretches and exercises into every chiropractic treatment. In this way, patients can be taught the tools that they need to help them maintain balance and improve function.
I prefer to teach my patients stretches and exercises that utilize their own bodyweight, as well as Therabands, for resistance. I also like to use physiotherapy exercise balls for balance, strengthening, and maintaining the core. In addition, isometric exercises, which involve the contraction of a specific muscle group without movement, are also very effective. I have found that performing these isometric exercises helps to maintain muscle strength without causing an imbalance in the structural body. An imbalance can lead to slippage of the sacroiliac (SI) joint, which results in pain. I feel that one of the most important exercises to teach patients is the “Penguin Exercise”, which helps to move the SI joint back into place and balance. It is effective to perform this exercise before and after playing sports activities, gardening, sitting at a desk job for hours, hiking, and biking, as well as running around with the kids and dogs!
I have had great success keeping patients pain-free and active using exercise physical therapy rehabilitation with conditions including:
- Spinal Conditions: Cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral spinal musculoskeletal sprain/strain
- Shoulder Conditions: Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis), rotator cuff sprain/strain
- Knee Conditions: ACL, MCL, collateral ligament sprain/strain
- Ankle/Foot Conditions: Plantar fasciitis, ankle sprain/strain
- Elbow Conditions: Tennis/golf elbow
- Hand Conditions: Carpal tunnel
Contact Dr. Ruggiero at 720-328-6494 anytime to discuss any questions you might have about exercise physical therapy rehabilitation to see how it can help improve your quality of life!
