Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy is a branch of physical therapy that deals with the prevention and correction of disorders involving musculoskeletal structures of the body such as the skeleton, joints, muscles, tendons, fascia, ligaments and cartilage.
KIMA specializes in Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy and uses the very latest manual therapy techniques, in addition to evidence-based therapeutic exercise prescription. This hands-on approach combines Osteopathic Joint Mobilization with soft tissue techniques (Myofascial Release, Functional Mobilization, Edema Management, Neural Mobilization) and Targeted Prescriptive Exercise.
KIMA places a high priority on individual attention and one-on-one treatment sessions. We begin by listening to you and your problem. We then perform a thorough physical examination to test for pain-sensitive structures, joint range of motion, mobility, muscle length and strength. We analyze your biomechanics and look for specific movement patterns that may be causing strain on the painful structures. We help you to understand your problem and set up a treatment plan on your first visit.
We use a clinical reasoning model to identify the underlying movement dysfunction that is causing your pain. We prescribe exercise to correct these movement faults. We do not prescribe general strengthening exercises to anyone who has pain, but identify the specific strategy that is needed. If you have pain with many movements and postural tasks, you may need a low threshold strategy like transversus abdominus or multifidus motor control training. If you have pain with high loads like kicking a ball, you may need high threshold strategies to optimize muscle strength and power.
We are proud to be one of the first practices in Manhattan to utilize Realtime Ultrasound Imaging for biofeedback of the deep muscle system such as transversus abdominus, pelvic floor and multifidus. Research has shown that in the presence of pain, these muscles have poor recruitment and delayed timing. Restoring this recruitment and timing using RTUS will optimize stability and prevent recurrence of pain.