The 7 key differences between Neuro Therapy and Physical Therapy

Neuro Therapy has been able to help clients who had been in pain for years, seen every specialist in the books, and were starting to give up hope.  

Whether it's helping people get back to the gym, tennis court, or working in the yard, it's been a pleasure utilizing this methodology to help people get to where they want to be.

I have been getting a ton of questions recently about the differences between Physical Therapy and Neuro Therapy.  After consulting with the physical therapists on our staff, we've narrowed it down to the 7 most important ones.....

​I hope this answers your questions!

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1)  Hardware vs. Software  

When you are rehabbing an injury in Physical Therapy, there are usually 2-3 major categories that you could be working on:

• Muscular strength,
• Cardiovascular endurance, and
• Flexibility/mobility.

 
We call this our “hardware.”
 
But take a moment to think about what exactly is controlling all of those components – the nervous system right?
 
We call this our “software”
 
There are two driving factors to our recovery and overall performance:

• How well our nervous system is communicating with the affected muscles and
• How well it can coordinate movements in an appropriate manner

 
After an injury those neurological signals can get interrupted, weakened or changed all together.
​
Long after the initial injury has occurred, tissues have healed, and we try to resume our normal activities – there are often underlying nervous system deficits that prevent us from returning to our full potential and increase our risk for developing further issues down the road if left unaddressed.
 
Moral of the story – you could stretch all day but if your nervous system (your software) is in the background saying “no, that’s not happening” – it’s not going to happen. Same with strengthening. You could work on strengthening your quadriceps muscle, for example, but if you’re unable to fully activate those fibers due to a past injury, pain, compensation pattern or protective mechanism, you may not be able to get the strength you’re hoping to gain.
 
Technology has advanced to allow us to tap into those things – your therapy should too!
 
2)  Symptoms vs. Origin of Symptoms.
 
We have a saying in Neuro therapy…

”The location of your pain is typically not where the problem started, but where it ended up.”

For any of my PT friends reading this – of course this is how you've been trained to evaluate these types of things. You need to look at least a joint above and a joint below to assess properly.
 
In Neuro Therapy, we take this concept to the next level. Through our unique “search” process, we pinpoint your unique dysfunctions. We find the exact breakdown in neuro communication that is occurring due to past injury, scar tissue, inflammation, muscle dysfunction, etc.
 
What does this mean for you and the rest of our clients? More effective treatment sessions and often times a MUCH more efficient recovery.
 
3)  Optimization of all body systems

Your body’s ability to heal and recover depends on a number of factors.  In order to ensure your recovery is efficient (and doesn’t drag on for weeks/months), you should focus on giving your body everything it needs to recover.

As an example, you may notice that when you get sick, you feel the need to sleep for hours and sometimes days. Why?

Because the body needs sleep (among other things) to recover efficiently.  The same principle applies to injuries (check out an awesome article on the importance of sleep in the rehab process here:

http://www.apta.org/PTinMotion/News/2017/8/8/PTJOnSleep/
 
When you go through the Neuro Therapy process at Premier, you’ll receive targets for sleep, protein intake, and water intake.  You'll also track your fatigue and stress from day to day.
 
It may seem like a lot of work – because it is. The point of Neuro Therapy is not to be easy.

It’s to get you better.
 
We are asking you to step outside of your comfort zone and really optimize all aspects of your recovery.
 
4)  Time and Attention

 I know that from what I've experienced in a traditional Physical Therapy setting there were some patients that wish they could get more one on one time.
 
Whether it's due to scheduling conflicts, double bookings, insurance limitations or clinic expectations, Physical Therapy sessions often are a bit rushed. 
 
During the Neuro Therapy process, clients receive 60 minute, 1 on 1, detail oriented sessions.
 
These sessions occur 4-5 days/week over the course of 2-5 weeks and are geared solely to helping you achieve your goals.
 
That’s right, no more months and months of therapy before you see results.
 
5)  Passive vs. Active

Neuro Therapy is not a miracle cure. Yes, you read that correctly. I’m saying this to emphasize the point that therapy – whether it be Physical Therapy or Neuro Therapy – it is work, and you are responsible for earning your results.
 
Even if you’re at Physical Therapy, you can’t expect to show up 2-3 times a week for 8 weeks, lay on the treatment table, get massaged and do a few exercises with heat and stim and expect to be ‘fixed.’ You’re going to need to put work in on your own.
 
This is why Neuro Therapy works. It is designed for you to take an active part in your recovery, push you to your limits, and challenge you on a whole different level.
 
6)  The Gold Standard – A plan tailored to your goals

After learning more about your personal history and needs, we design a plan specifically tailored to your needs… and we’ll hold you to it.

From day 1, clients know the plan, expectations, and targets for each day.

We are constantly assessing and re-assessing. Tracking your progress and updating your plan daily.
 
There are specific protocols in place for testing and trialing all the activities clients want to get back to doing.. No matter your goals – big or small – we will ensure that you can do those things successfully under our supervision before leaving us. 
 
7)  #Premierfamily

Not only are you getting an unforgettable therapy experience at Premier Neuro Therapy, you become a part of our family. We get to know you beyond just your pain levels and injury history. We are here to push you, encourage you, help you through the lows and celebrate all of your wins!
 
 If you haven’t already – check us out on social media to learn more about what Neuro Therapy is all about:
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Click to follow Premier on Instagram:  

https://www.instagram.com/premierneurotherapy/

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