Physical Therapy plays an important role in shoulder care as a method:

• to delay shoulder replacement surgery
• to prepare for shoulder replacement surgery
• for rehabilitation after shoulder replacement surgery

There are three general types of physical therapy available:

• Traditional Therapy
• Aquatic Therapy
• Pilates-based or Dance Therapy

Traditional Therapy
Shoulder pain leads to muscle weakness, muscle imbalance and decreased flexibility. Your physical therapist will test the strength of your muscles to see which ones are weak, which ones are strong and evaluate your range of motion to determine which muscles have decreased flexibility. Your therapist will then develop an exercise program to strengthen weak muscles and improve the flexibility of tight muscles. He/she will teach you the program and give you exercises to do at home, sometimes using a theraband or weights.

Saint Francis Memorial Hospital has two venues for traditional therapy:

• Out-patient Physical Therapy 415-353-6475 or
• Center for Sports Medicine 415-353-6400

Please consult with your physician to see which would be best suited to your needs.

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Aquatic Therapy
Water therapy can be an effective way to exercise painful weight-bearing joints. Your therapist will perform an evaluation to discover which muscles are weak and which muscles are stiff. He or she will then create an exercise program for you perform in warm water. The therapist will get in the water with you. The buoyancy and warmth of the water will allow you to exercise in ways you may not be able to on land. Saint Francis Memorial Hospital Center for Sports Medicine offers a Hydrotrack to help you get back in action. The Hydrotrack is like an underwater treadmill.

For more information or to make an appointment, please call (415) 353-6400.

Pilates-based or Dance Therapy
The Dance medicine program at the Center for Sports Medicine is not just for dancers! Pilates has proven beneficial for persons with shoulder pain as a method to avoid surgery, prepare for surgery or rehabilitate after surgery. Pilates rehabilitation and conditioning programs, using apparatus based on the designs and philosophies of Joseph Pilates, improve one's flexibility and balance, increase joint support through core strength and provide for freer, pain-free movement.

The Center for Sports Medicine was the first to offer Pilates in northern California. Its instructors are Pilates certified and have extensive experience working with persons with rehabilitation needs.

For more information or to make an appointment, please call (415) 353-6410.

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