If you’re not familiar with the physical therapy world, you may not know what Astym is or when you could benefit from it. Astym is a type of physical therapy that can be beneficial to those with injuries from overuse, scarring, and more. It has an incredibly high success rate and a relatively short treatment period compared to other forms of therapy. Here is what you need to know about Astym, how it works, and when you should seek out an Astym-certified therapist to help you recover from your condition. Let’s dive in!

What Is Astym Therapy?

First things first, what even is Astym? This type of therapy works to regenerate soft tissue, like your tendons and muscles. That’s why this therapy is often used to reduce scar tissue, as well as to work with degenerating and fibrosis tissues, which could be limiting your range of motion or causing you pain. It is non-invasive and very effective for all sorts of complex musculoskeletal conditions. 

It’s based on science (of course!) and is currently the only type of soft tissue therapy that has been developed by major hospitals and universities. It works to resolve even the toughest of cases. Many cases involving scars, muscle strains, tendinosis, and more can lower your quality of life and can be difficult to treat, especially without invasive procedures. Astym was formulated to make healing possible and is proven to help with all sorts of different musculoskeletal conditions. 

It has a 96.5% success rate, has been proven by Level 1 research, and with over 15,000+ positive outcomes and 47 peer-reviewed articles about it, this is a thoroughly tested and incredibly effective treatment. Many people can recover from their injury in an average of 4 weeks when they obtain this type of therapy. 

How Does Astym Therapy Work?

So, how does this type of therapy even work? What makes it so effective? Basically, Astym uses a combination of stimulation and stretching to mobilize your body’s natural healing process so that it can regenerate tissue, then works to strengthen said tissue. 

Your physical therapist will use special instruments in order to detect damaged or defective soft tissue. You’ll likely feel bumps whenever their instrument runs over such tissue. Over time, as your body heals, the bumps will lessen. This method re-establishes your body’s inflammatory response to the targeted area, which helps it with the resorption of scar tissue and regeneration of new tissue.

As new tissue develops, your therapist will personalize a series of stretches and exercises that will strengthen said tissue and help you regain mobility. 

As you see, this type of therapy is noninvasive, and since it works with your body, it helps you recover faster and get back to a pain-free life. 

What Conditions Can Benefit From Astym?

This type of therapy has been developed by qualified, experienced professionals to help with a whole wide range of conditions, such as:

• Carpal tunnel
• Trigger finger
• Wrist sprains
• Shin splints
• Shoulder pain
• Post-surgical scarring
• Post-surgical fibrosis
• Soft tissue changes, such as with degenerative arthritis
• Achilles tendonitis
• Plantar fasciitis
• IT band syndrome
• Tennis elbow
• Hamstring sprains
• Ankle sprains
• And basically any type of chronic or acute soft tissue dysfunction

How Do You Know If Astym Is Right For You?

Are you experiencing chronic soft tissue conditions? Is your movement restricted and you’re in pain? You could be a candidate for Astym. This type of treatment has been clinically proven to work when others have failed, and can help you avoid issues such as: surgery, injections, limitations during recovery, continued problems/disability, and excessive costs, as can often happen when you’re trying and failing to find an effective treatment method. 

If you’re experiencing any of the above conditions, you could be a candidate for Astym. You can consult with a certified therapist in order to determine whether or not this type of therapy is a good option for you. As you may expect, given how thoroughly researched and proven this type of therapy is, your therapist will be careful to conduct a thorough evaluation in order to determine whether or not you can benefit from Astym, or whether another type of therapy would be better for you. 

If it is right for you, your therapist will create a customized treatment plan that is tailored to you and your specific needs so that you can recover and enjoy optimal results. 

Astym Certified Therapists In Northern Utah

Wasatch Peak Physical Therapy has Astym certified therapists. To see if this type of therapy is a good treatment option for you, don’t hesitate to contact us and schedule an evaluation today!

Hand and wrist injuries can limit your functioning in leisure and work activities. Sports, repetitive movements, genetics or falls can cause a multitude of hand and wrist injuries. There are some common problems that can injure you temporarily or permanently that can be helped to heal naturally through physical therapy. Here are some common hand and wrist injuries and what you can do with physical therapy and other treatment methods. 

Thumb Sprains

Thumb sprains usually occur when you break your fall with your palm, or fall while your hand is strapped to a ski pole or something else. The collateral ligament is usually what gets sprained. This ligament is responsible for helping your thumb to function properly. 

If your thumb gets sprained, you may lose some ability to grasp between your thumb and index finger. Hand and wrist injuries are best handled in a timely manner as not to loose function in your extremities.

Wrist Fractures

Many wrist fractures occur in the scaphoid bone, which is just one of eight small bones that make up the wrist. This usually occurs from a fall where the wrist is outstretched to break the fall. Depending on the angle in which the wrist hits the ground will determine the severity of the injury. The more your wrist is bent back, or extended, the more the bone is likely to break. If you do fall, it is best not to extend your arms and hands out to break your fall because it can cause more injuries.

Wrist fractures are not always obvious because there may be no obvious swelling. If you have any symptoms of broken or sprained wrists or are in pain, it is best to get it checked out, so that your hand or wrist can heal effectively.

Hand Fractures

Most hand fractures occur in the bones in your hand just before your knuckles, also known as the metacarpals. These are most common in sports injuries and can also occur in your phalanges, or the bones between the joints of your fingers. Similar to wrist fractures, you should have your hand checked out by a doctor, even if you think you may have just sprained your hand.

Baseball or Jersey Finger

Baseball or mallet finger often occurs during baseball when something hits the tip of your finger, bending it down. Bending your finger does not automatically cause a baseball finger, but the added force of a ball can push it beyond the limit. The tendons may tear or may even pull pieces of bone away as well. 

Jersey finger is the opposite and occurs when the ring finger is forcibly extended. It is called jersey finger because it can occur from your finger getting caught in an opponents jersey causing the flexor tendon to be pulled away from the bone. Jersey fingers will cause you to be unable to bend your finger without assistance. 

Carpal Tunnel

This is usually the result of repetitive motions during work or other activities. This usually builds over time but can also be dependent on genetics, sex and age. Pressure on the median nerve causes carpal tunnel which can cause symptoms such as numbness, tingling and weakness in the hand and arm. Symptoms can start gradually and happen occasionally but become more constant over time. 

Healing Hand And Wrist Injuries With Wasatch Peak

We specialize in hand and wrist injuries and therapy treatments. Our hand therapist is certified and has over 4,000 hours of clinic experience, ensuring that you get physical therapy that gets your life back on track. The hands are the most-used extremities that help us to complete day to day tasks. Without the full use of your hands or wrists, it can be hard to live your best life. Our team has years of experience to help patients of all ages and conditions and work to help them feel like the best version of themselves.

You can schedule a consultation with our therapist to ensure that we have the best treatment plan in mind for you. Wasatch Peak will work to restore range of motion, reduce inflammation and promote healing through safe treatments. We want our patients to gain a better quality of life through physical therapy and exercise.  

Working with our team gives you an individualized experience with trained professionals for your hand and wrist injuries. Our team wants to hear from you. Expressing your needs and how you want your treatment to go is important to us.

Meet our team here. You can contact us at all 4 of our locations or on our website. 

After a heart attack or other cardiac problems, rehabilitation can help prevent more health issues in the future. Building healthy habits can improve your quality of life and make your life easier, especially for those in their old age. Studies have found that cardiac rehabilitation decreases the chance of death in the following 5 years by 35%.

What Is Cardiac And Pulmonary Rehab?

Cardiac refers to the needs or issues of the heart. Pulmonary disease is a disease that affects the lungs and respiratory system. Cardiac rehab can help you recover after a heart attack, heart surgery or other cardiac procedures, pulmonary rehab can improve your lung function and improve the ability to exercise. 

If you have been diagnosed with heart failure or heart disease, your physician may refer you to participate in cardiac therapy. Some aspects of rehab include a supervised program that works on physical activity, education about healthy eating and counseling on how to relieve stress.

Pulmonary therapy also focuses on exercise and can include training on how to use an inhaler or breathing retraining. Helping you to find physical exercise that you love will make the physical therapy more enjoyable.

1: Individualized

Each individual will have specific needs when it comes to cardiac and pulmonary rehab. Working with a physical therapist will give you the comfort of knowing that they have your best interest in mind. Specific guidance and education comes from your rehab, and can provide you with a plan to get your health back to where it was before, or better. 

2: Improved Quality Of Life

After a heart attack or heart issue, your body can be weak and you may experience pain in your chest, or other parts of your body. With exercise and healthier habits, you can improve your quality of life. Living longer comes from keeping your body in the best possible shape. 

Preventing a future attack will help you to live longer without issues. Lowering the risk of heart attack and heart failure can lower stress and other factors that can negatively affect your health. 

3: Stress And Mood

Stress and anxiety can have a negative effect on your heart health. Cardiac and pulmonary rehab can help to lower your stress and anxiety levels. Exercise and a healthy diet combined with lifestyle changes can improve your heart health. Participating in rehab can help you to worry less about health issues and make you feel more comfortable about going through out your day.

After a scary situation like a heart attack, it can be easier to get depressed and lose motivation. With therapy, you can feel more like yourself and work with a therapist to decrease stress in your day to day life. 

4: Weight Loss

While participating in cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation you can experience more than just lower stress and lower risk of heart attack. Exercise, a healthy diet and strength training may help with weight loss. Loosing weight may help improve your breathing, movement and overall cardiac function. Without exercise it can be hard to get your body back to functioning order. 

Who Qualifies Or Needs Rehabilitation?

For cardiac rehabilitation those with mild or severe heart problems are recommended to attend rehab. If you have recently experienced a heart attack or heart surgery, your doctor will recommend cardiac rehab to help prevent future attacks.

Pulmonary rehab is for anyone with chronic lung disease or other conditions such as:

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease which causes blockage and breathing problems
• Persistent asthma
• Cystic fibrosis, an inherited disease that damages your lungs and digestive track
• Interstitial fibrosis caused by long term exposure to hazardous materials or by a autoimmune disease
• Sarcoidosis, granulomas or red swollen patches on the lungs or skin
• Those who have had a lung transplant

If you think that you can benefit from cardiac and pulmonary rehab, call our office and we can answer all of your questions. We also have a video series from our therapist on our website for more information about treatment plans.

Wasatch Peak 

Our cardiac and pulmonary rehab program is an inpatient and outpatient service. Located at Davis Hospital, we provide direction and treatment three days per week and work with you on your goals. Depending on your case and coverage, you may be in a program for up to six weeks. 

We can help you in the second phase to discover how this program can continue for the rest of your life. Rehab may only last in person for six weeks, but you will need to keep up the healthy habits for longer period for the best results. You can learn more about our therapists here. 

We have been serving the community of Weber and Davis for over 25 years and now have locations located in Layton, Syracuse, Farmington and Roy. Our services extend beyond just cardiac therapy to include hand therapy, aquatic therapy, sports medicine, pelvic floor rehab and more.