Modalities

In addition to exercise and hands-on treatment, Physical Therapists at Edge PT use several specialized treatments referred to as modalities. These vary in purpose from pain control to swelling reduction, wound care to medication delivery. The most obvious and simplistic of these are heat and ice. Electric stimulation is commonly used by Edge PT’s for a variety of reasons including pain reduction, swelling reduction, muscle re-education, and wound care. Ultrasound can provide heating of tissue when needed, or be set to decrease swelling. Iontophoresis is an electrical modality used to deliver compounds/medications rather than undergoing injection or taking pills. Commonly dexamethasone, a steroidal anti-inflammatory, is delivered via iontophoresis in the treatment of tendonitis and bursitis. A recent advancement in technology called Hypbresis allows for more efficient delivery and with less in-clinic time. Spinal traction provides gentle mechanical stretching of either the neck or low-back in the treatment of various spinal diagnoses, most notably disc herniation.