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Comprehensive Pelvic Health Care for All Genders

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Physical Therapist performing Myofascial Therapy Technique
Are you struggling with a leaky bladder, bloating, painful intercourse, or other pain in the abdomen or pelvis? Many people don’t realize that physical therapy treatment is an option. The pelvic floor has many muscles and tendons, and is an integral part of the musculoskeletal system.

It provides vital support to your organs, back and hips. Too often, issues here go unrecognized during a traditional pelvic exam. Pelvic floor physical therapy involves a specialized evaluation that assesses the presence of internal muscle spasms, trigger points, or weakness. Pelvic floor treatment often achieves a major improvement in quality of life. At Saunders Therapy Centers, our physical therapists have had special training and they can help.

Everyone has a pelvic floor! We are an inclusive practice and we work with all genders.

Here are some of the many pelvic health issues we can help with at Saunders Therapy Centers:

  • Urinary incontinence, urgency or frequency
  • Bowel incontinence
  • Constipation
  • Low and mid- back pain
  • Sacroiliac (SI) joint pain
  • Sciatica (leg pain)
  • Pain with penetration or intercourse
  • Painful scars or adhesions
  • Post-surgical pain
  • Pain during and after pregnancy
  • Post-partum pain and dysfunction
  • Diastasis Recti
  • Prolapse
  • Vulvodynia

Pelvic Health Exercise

  • Coccyx (tailbone) pain
  • Vestibulitis
  • Interstitial cystitis
  • Pain from endometriosis
  • Pelvic pain
  • Pelvic Floor Muscle Dysfunction
  • Pain Pre- and Post Prostate surgery
  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome
  • Voiding Dysfunctions
  • Abdominal/groin/hip pain
  • CPPS (Chronic pelvic pain syndrome)
  • Prostatitis
  • Sexual health 

Pelvic Pain Conditions Treated

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Painful Conditions Related to Pelvic Floor Dysfunction:

  • Low back and mid back pain
  • Sacroiliac (SI) pain
  • Pain with penetration or intercourse
  • Painful scars or adhesions
  • Post-surgical pain
  • Prolapse
  • Coccyx (tailbone) pain
  • Vestibulitis
  • Interstitial Cystitis
  • Pain during and after pregnancy
  • Pain from endometriosis
  • Abdominal pain
  • Irritable bowel syndrome
  • Sexual health concerns
  • CPPS (Chronic pelvic pain syndrome)
  • Pelvic floor dysfunction

What can physical therapy do for you?

Saunders Therapy Centers’ pelvic health specialists are skilled at evaluating the many different causes of your pelvic pain. Our program incorporates simple, effective exercises which strengthen or relax your pelvic floor muscles – this is highly variable and based on what YOUR body needs! Strengthening and restoring balance to the core musculature is often an important aspect to treatment. We also perform manual techniques as needed to restore balance to the neuromuscular system. All of these techniques help support your pelvic structures and return your system to more normal, pain-free function. This multi-faceted approach can be life-changing for many people.

Saunders Help for Runners

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runners participate in marathon

Running Injuries and Physical Therapy

Is pain limiting your daily or weekend runs around the lake? Are you a marathon runner who has suffered from several injuries? Our physical therapists can get you on the road to recovery after an injury, assist in injury prevention, and enhance overall performance. As a weekend runner or marathon runner, you can expect a thorough evaluation of your musculoskeletal injury, shoe selection, biomechanical assessment, and foot posture.

  • Musculoskeletal Evaluation: An evaluation of your posture, muscle imbalances including tightness or overactivity, biomechanical assessment, and a foot analysis to determine structure and mechanical faults. All of these components  an assessment of possible etiological factors to your acute or chronic injury.

  • Footwear Analysis: We analyze your specific running shoe and provide recommendations, educate you regarding shoe “health” and types, and orthotic recommendations

Treating the injured runner requires a multi-modal approach, and may include manual therapy, or joint and soft tissue mobilization. This helps improve flexibility, promote healing, and increase efficiency with movement patterns. You can also expect to engage in sport-specific core stabilization training to decrease the mechanical load on the lower extremities and improve balance and proprioception. A home exercise program will be assigned to improve muscular flexibility, strengthen, address balance, and facilitate good muscle memory for return to running.

Orthopedic Treatment Philosophy

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  • Musculoskeletal Evaluation: We will evaluate muscle strength, imbalances, flexibility, posture, and specific functional tests to analyze biomechanics and movement patterns. From there we work to establish an individualized plan of care to address the findings.
  • Manual therapy: Joint and soft tissue mobilization helps to improve the flexibility and stability, promote healing, decrease muscle spasm.
  • Exercise: Very targeted exercises to restore strength, stability, mobility and balance are prescribed. We won’t waste your time with lengthy exercise “protocols”. Instead, we hone in on the most important activities specific to your condition.
  • Modalities: We use modalities like ultrasound, e-stim, heat and cold sparingly – our philosophy is more likely to be geared toward hands-on manual care and exercise.
  • Education: One of the most important features of our care is education to prevent reinjury. Often, simple changes in posture or lifestyle can make a big difference.
 Jenn Joslyn DPT shoulder exam

 

Neck Pain Treatment

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Saunders Therapy Centers clinicians are experienced in treating the complexity of the spine and provide effective, case-specific management of acute and chronic neck (cervical spine) problems. Neck pain is often accompanied by headache, arm, or lower back pain. We are skilled at connecting the dots – your evaluation and treatment plan will address all the related symptoms, and you’ll be on the road to recovery in no time.

Our Process

Musculoskeletal Evaluation: Our consultation starts with a thorough exam that includes an assessment of your posture, muscle flexibility and strength, spinal symmetry, and a neurological assessment.

Treatment: Your individual plan of care may include hands-on techniques to restore spinal symmetry and normal joint motion, reduce muscle tension, increase flexibility, and restore myofascial mobility.

Functional re-training will help normalize posture and body mechanics, correct faulty movement patterns, and strengthen the deep core muscles of the cervical spine. 

When is Neck Pain Serious?

When is Neck Pain Serious?

Neck pain is usually non-serious and resolves within 2-6 weeks. Rarely, neck pain should be considered an emergency, or needs further treatment before seeing a physical therapist. Here are some situations where you should seek immediate medical attention:

What Causes Neck Pain?

What Causes Neck Pain?

Cervical spine pain can be the result of a single event or trauma, or the result of a combination of factors including poor posture, declining physical fitness, and/or repetitive activities, including faulty lifting, bending, or twisting. Previous injury and family history may also be a contributing factor.

Therapy For Neck Pain

Therapy For Neck Pain

Physical therapists can immediately decrease neck pain with manual therapy, myofascial techniques, postural training, and restoring muscular length and strength through specific exercise.

Treatment of Sports Injuries

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Saunders offers treatment of sports injuries as a subset of its orthopedic physical therapy services. Our physical therapists develop individualized rehabilitation plans focused on performance optimization and prevention of reinjury.

  • Musculoskeletal Evaluation: We will evaluate muscle strength, imbalances, flexibility, posture, and specific functional tests to analyze biomechanics and movement patterns. From there we work to establish an individualized plan of care to address the findings.
  • Manual therapy: Joint and soft tissue mobilization helps to improve the flexibility and stability, promote healing, decrease muscle spasm, and improve efficiency with performance.
  • Neuromuscular Re-education Training: This includes performing hands on resistive training or balance/proprioception activities in the gym to improve your body’s awareness and muscular control.
  • Sport specific Training: We educate the individual in appropriate interval training programs for throwing and running, and to assist with a safe return to activity.
  • Education: Especially with young athletes, it is very important to educate both the individual and family on injury prevention, activity modification, and acute medical management of injuries, so these growing individuals can prevent future injuries.
 Sports physical therapy treatment at Saunders Therapy Centers

 

Orthopedic Physical Therapy

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physical therapist educating patient with model of shoulder joint

Saunders clinicians use sophisticated techniques to treat all disorders of the musculoskeletal system: bones, joints, muscles, nerves and connective tissues. We use hands-on techniques to promote pain relief and improved function. We are experts at detecting movement disorders and muscular imbalances, which are often the root cause of many orthopedic conditions – especially the problems that last a long time or keep coming back. Our focus is on long-term resolution of symptoms and self-management to decrease costs and encourage independence.

Good Orthopedic Physical Therapy Treatment Involves Manual Therapy, Exercise, and Education

Injury is inevitable – few people avoid any musculoskeletal pain during their lifetimes. Our focus is on helping your injury heal properly with good strength, range of motion, and balance, so that reinjury is less likely. Even if you need surgery for your condition, high quality post-surgical rehabilitation is key.

We won’t let your body heal stiff or weak, and will guide you in the first few weeks after your procedure to make sure you are adhering to safe guidelines for recovery.
You will find our clinical approach refreshing, compared to many PT clinics. You will see the same physical therapy team each visit. This results in fewer overall visits, since time is not wasted with inefficient progression of your treatment plan. Many of our patients have been to other clinics and tell us that our approach is much preferred. We pride ourselves on developing individualized plans of care – your hands-on care and exercise program will be unique. If you have been disappointed with your care in the past, or have given up favorite activities because of pain – give Saunders Therapy Centers a try.

 

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome Treatment

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome Treatment

A Saunders physical therapist can help determine the most suitable treatment plan for thoracic outlet syndrome. Our goal is to achieve pain relief as soon as possible, and then to restore normal motion, strength, and posture to prevent recurrence of your symptoms.

Whiplash Treatment

Whiplash Treatment

A Saunders physical therapist can help determine the best treatment for whiplash, based on a thorough evaluation and assessment of severity. Our goal is to achieve pain relief as soon as possible, and then to restore normal motion, strength, and posture to prevent recurrence of your symptoms.

Tennis Elbow Treatment

Tennis Elbow Treatment

A Saunders physical therapist can help determine the most suitable treatment plan for your tennis elbow. Proper treatment to restore normal motion, strength, and function is essential to prevent recurrence of your symptoms.

Shoulder Pain Treatment

Shoulder Pain Treatment

A Saunders physical therapist can help determine the most suitable treatment plan for your individual condition. Our goal is to achieve pain relief as soon as possible, and then to restore normal motion, strength, and posture to prevent recurrence of your symptoms.

Tension Headaches

Tension Headaches

With tension headaches, pain is usually experienced on both sides of the head, but can occur on only one side. Symptoms are often constant and do not change with activity or rest.

 

Physical Therapy for Orthopedic Conditions

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occupational therapist assists client with ball exercise in maple grove gym

Common problems we treat:

  • Shoulder tendinitis and rotator cuff injuries
  • Frozen shoulder
  • Tennis elbow, elbow, wrist and hand sprains and strains
  • Neck pain and whiplash
  • Low back pain
  • Brachial plexus injury and thoracic outlet syndrome
  • Hip bursitis, arthritis and tendinitis
  • Piriformis syndrome
  • Knee sprains and lower extremity muscle strains
  • Torn knee ligaments
  • Ankle and foot sprains and strains
  • Plantar fasciitis
  • Pre and post-surgical rehabilitation for all of the above

 

Functional Capacity Evaluation – The Saunders Method

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occupational therapist encouraging client during work simulation as plumber

The Most Comprehensive Functional Capacity Evaluation in Minnesota

Saunders Therapy Centers’ evaluation is 2 days, 16 hours long!

Saunders’ mission is to identify and maximize the work-related functional abilities of those injured on the job. Communication is a hallmark of our service. We work closely with the client, physician, Qualified Rehabilitation Counselor (QRC), case manager, insurance adjuster, and employer to fully understand the unique requirements of each case.

Each of our clinics has a large gym area and equipment that allows us to perform unique FCEs, with the ability to simulate job-related activities for nearly any occupation. The clinicians who provide our FCE services are specially trained and very experienced. They understand industry, the workers compensation system, and the unique needs for evaluating clients with work-related injuries.

In addition to FCEs, we offer Work Hardening rehabilitation services and our specialized Work Ready for Brain Injury Program.

FCE_functional_capacity_evaluation_client

Photo of Maple Grove Industrial Rehab Team

Our Method

We have found that the best way to evaluate a person’s endurance is to observe our clients in a work-like environment for multiple hours and days. Therefore, Saunders Therapy Centers’ FCE is 2, full days long. After a 2-hour baseline assessment, during which we determine maximum capabilities, each client performs repetitive or sustained simulated work tasks for the duration of the FCE. This ensures content validity for REAL LIFE endurance testing.

We spend a great deal of time prior to every FCE to make sure we understand the purpose. The activities tested during the two, 8-hour  days are often very specific to a particular job. We can also perform a more generic FCE if no particular job goal is identified or we are being asked to identify general abilities. Our Functional Capacity Evaluation is appropriate for all types of injuries.

Advantages to the Saunders FCE include:

  • Customized activity selection results in highly relevant, valid results.
  • True endurance capabilities observed – no extrapolation.
  • Referral sources love our reports – Detailed description of evaluation goals, activities performed, and clear, non-ambiguous recommendations.

Realistic, Experienced, Non-Biased

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