Check out the tools Bridget Myers, PT, DPT deploys to bring her clients back from injuries.

Writer: Carly Terwilliger

We asked Bridget Myers, PT, DPT, the following questions:

  • What are your Top Five products to use with physical therapy clients?
  • And what are they used for?

“A lot of products we suggest are largely dependent on the body part injured or requiring rehabilitation,” she said. Below, Myers describes the tools she deploys to bring her clients back from injuries.

Dry Needling
Dry needling, sometimes known as myofascial trigger point dry needling, uses myofilament thin needles (also known as acupuncture needles) into the muscle belly for release of muscle tension. Dry needling can be a very effective treatment for acute and chronic pain, with few side effects when done appropriately. There is no injectable solution, rather it is the needling itself that allows the muscle to reset and become less tense and more buttery.

Kinesio Taping
Kinesio Taping can be used to treat a variety of orthopedic, neuromuscular, neurological and medical conditions, is designed to facilitate support and stability of the muscles and joints without restricting the body’s natural range of motion.

Thera-Band
These exercise bands are latex and available in multiple levels of resistance. Proper use of these bands for resistive exercises can provide concentric and eccentric resistance on the muscles, improving strength, range of motion and muscle balance.

Bosu
The Bosu Balance trainer looks like a blue half-ball, and can be utilized readily for all levels of athletes for balance, endurance, conditioning and strength. It’s a very versatile tool that is a great addition to home or gym. My favorite is to use both sides of the Bosu for strengthening training, such as squats, lunges, planks and more.

Kettlebell And Weights
Using weights or Kettlebells can help tone and strengthen. However, often I see athletes use improper form or overuse the weights, causing strain or muscle injury. Appropriate use of these tools is vital to avoid injury. Keep in mind as individuals age, tendons and muscles become less vascular and more fragile, thus easier to tear. So the 20-pound or 30-pound weights an individual did a long time ago to do bicep curls or overhead press may today cause injury.

Photos courtesy Kinesio Taping, Thera-Band and Bosu