Clinic Feature 

 

Oxford Physical Therapy Centers is a physical therapist owned facility committed to serving our neighbors. In 1993, the first Oxford Physical Therapy Centers location was opened in Oxford, Ohio. The goal was to provide excellent, progressive care with the highest in standards of physical therapy care.

 

We have since grown considerably, and still operate a clinic in Oxford, located at 10 North Locust Street by the railroad tracks.  Oxford Physical Therapy Centers has maintained it's commitment to be the leader in musculoskeletal healthcare by serving, rehabilitating, and caring for the total patient and athlete. Our commitment is demonstrated by engaging in education, advancing our profession, and acting as a resource to our community.  

 

Our talented staff at the Oxford Center includes Lara Freidline, PT, MPT, who has been with OPTC for over 11 years, Angie Grunkemeyer, MSR, PT, Cara Miller, PTA, Jessica Wulke, PT, DPT,  and Peter Zulia, PT, ATC, SCS, who is the co-founder of OPTC.  This talented group provides the highest quality of care, with niche services ranging from Aquatic Rehabilitation to Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization.  Jimmy Trombley and Patrick Masciangelo are aides in the clinic and do a great job in assisting the clinical staff.

 

Help us in welcoming Marti Kravitz at the front desk.  She started with us the first of August!

 

Stop in any time and say hello to our Oxford team!

 

*Jen Miller, LAT, ATC was left out of the July Newsletter in error.  Jen has just completed working with the Hamilton Joes this summer and will stay on staff with OPTC as a Grad Assistant.  Jen is studying Health Promotion in the Masters program at Miami.

Lara Freidline, PT, MPT began the Aquatic Physical Therapy  Program at the Oxford Center over ten years ago.   She is passionate about this niche service, which offers additional opportunities for many patients struggling with exclusively land-based therapy.  She has found that the pool is a powerfully uplifting exercise option because, "Exercising in the pool is like giving your joints the day off, but still working your muscles." 

 

She has found that once patients can see and feel the effects of water unloading, it becomes self-motivating. Additionally, once doctors can see and hear about the effects of water unloading, they tell their patients about the benefits of aquatic therapy.   However, because we do not live in the water, a balance of land and water therapy sessions has provided our patients with the best outcomes.   So the goal is to eventually add some land-based therapy as well. Aquatic therapy can truly be the answer for patients who are struggling with pain on land.

 

How Can Water Help?

 

 

BUOYANCY - This is the upward lift of water, which provides assistance and support to the body, decreasing gravitational forces placed on weak limbs that are less able to bear weight on land. Buoyancy allows a person to move more easily with decreased stress on muscles, joints and bones.

HEAT - Aquatic Therapy is provided in a heated pool. The warm water relaxes muscles to reduce stress and allows for improved range of motion in joints.

HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE - The water surrounding the body helps circulate blood from the legs to the heart, often reducing any swelling throughout the entire body. Once swelling is reduced, joint tenderness may decrease, allowing for gains in range of motion.

RESISTANCE - Water provides your body with resistance that increases muscle strength and overall balance. Using resistance coupled with the water's buoyancy allows a person to strengthen various muscle groups with decreased joint stress, which cannot be experienced on land.

 

Benefits of Aquatic Physical Therapy are as follows:

• Early intervention
• Decreased compressive loading to painful joints
• Prevention of overtraining in athletic populations
• Overall strengthening, including postural muscles for core stabilization
• Weight loss
• Reconditioning
• Improved physical endurance from increased proficiency of both the cardiovascular and respiratory systems
• Increased flexibility and decreased stiffness of joints
• Decreased swelling
• Increased balance
• Increased functional gains
• Increased psychological gains
• Increased quality of life

 

Give us a call today to find out if Aquatic Physical Therapy could be right for you!

 

(Not all centers have Aquatic Physical Therapy.  Oxford, Fairfield, Blue Ash, Hamilton, & Florence, Kentucky locations do have Aquatic Phyiscal Therapy.)

 

It's "Back to School" time, which means your children might be vulnerable to injury or experience pain from hauling around all of those books!

 

Carrying a heavy load can stress the joints, particularly the back, resulting in pain or injury. We want to help reduce the likelihood of these issues by giving you some tips for your children on carrying their heavy books and supplies:

 

1-      Always carry a backpack on both shoulders (don't use just one strap). This promotes better, more symmetrical, alignment, which can decrease the loading to the back and other joints.

 

2-      When lifting a heavy backpack, make sure you use good mechanics and brace your back using your abdominals. First pull your tummy "in and up," bend at the knees (not the back) to pick up the backpack, and then lift using the muscles in your legs.

 

3-      Avoid excessive twisting/jumping when carrying the heavy backpack, which can stress your back and joints.

 

4-      If you opt for a backpack you can pull, do not always pull it with the same hand, but instead switch hands periodically to reduce the stress of asymmetrical loading. Try to avoid twisting your trunk as much as possible to reduce loading to your spine.

 

5-      If possible, access class materials online, reducing the need to carry multiple books.