Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy of Cape Cod
Functional training is a specific type of treatment that involves retraining the nerves, muscles, and joints to execute various “functional” movements.
Functional training has a different meaning to different people. For some, their interest might be to return to a sport like basketball or football. For others functional training might be used to help them get out of a chair or walk again.
It Starts with a Thorough Evaluation
When you are seen for your initial evaluation, we conduct an in-depth interview, review your medical history, current complaints, and functional limitations.
This is followed by a detailed physical examination to identify dysfunctions such as weakness, challenges with coordination, limited joint range of motion, and/or muscle inflexibility.
Certain dysfunctions limit a patient’s ability to perform coordinated, purposeful movement and require functional training. Three examples of this are:
- Working with a knee surgery patient and helping them to walk again.
- Working with a baseball player and helping them throw again.
- Changing the muscle balance of a distance runner to facilitate recovery and prevent re-injury.
Functional Training is Our Expertise
Functional training is part of a complete rehabilitation program that may also include the recovery of joint motion, improvement of strength and/or endurance, and training to regain coordination.