Therapeutic Exercise
Therapeutic exercise is the core of physical therapy: specific movements chosen for your condition to restore strength, flexibility, balance and stamina. At Western Slope Rehab and Performance, we build your plan around your injury and your goals and run it in our clinic and on-site gym in Grand Junction. We see patients from Fruita, Palisade, Orchard Mesa, Appleton, Clifton and the Redlands.
Why resting an injury usually is not enough
After an injury it feels natural to stop moving. The trouble is that muscles you stop using weaken and tighten, and that can add to your pain and slow your recovery.
Our physical therapists are movement specialists. They pick exercises that load the injured area at a level it can handle, then build up as you improve. The aim is a body that moves better, so you can get back to your work, sport and daily routine with less pain.
Types of exercise you may do here
Your plan draws on whichever of these fit your condition.
Posture exercises
Long hours at a desk or leaning over a keyboard can lead to aches. Posture work helps daily tasks feel easier.
Strength and endurance
Resistance and endurance work builds muscle that supports your joints, balance and stability.
Flexibility and range of motion
Active, passive or assisted stretching helps joints and soft tissue move more freely.
Balance and coordination
Important after an injury or illness, when control of your body matters for avoiding falls.
Relaxation
Helping tight muscles and soft tissue release, sometimes alongside Massage Therapy or Manual Therapy.
Area-specific exercises
Targeted work for an arm, a leg or the back, based on where you were hurt.
Your sessions in our clinic and gym
Exercise here is one-on-one and supervised, not a handout of printed sheets.
Private space
We work in private treatment rooms and in our on-site Gym Memberships, so equipment is on hand when your plan calls for it.
Hands-on care as well
Exercise is often combined with Manual Therapy or other treatments your therapist recommends.
Progress as you improve
Your therapist adjusts what you do as your pain, strength and movement change. Where it helps, we can measure progress with Force Plate Testing.
Retraining movement
When a movement pattern has been disrupted by injury, Neuromuscular Re-education work can come first or run alongside.
Where therapeutic exercise fits
It is part of care for many of the conditions we see in Grand Junction.
Questions about exercise-based therapy
Will exercise hurt if I am already in pain?
Your therapist chooses exercises at a level your body can handle and changes them as you recover. Tell us if something does not feel right.
Do I need a doctor's referral?
You can start physical therapy without a referral from a doctor in most cases. Some insurance plans, including Medicare, still need a doctor's sign-off on the plan of care. If you are unsure, call us and we will check your plan. Learn more on our Direct Access page.
Does insurance cover it?
Therapeutic exercise is part of your physical therapy visits. See our Insurance page for the plans we work with.
Start an exercise plan built for your injury
Request an appointment with Western Slope Rehab and Performance in Grand Junction. You can start physical therapy without a referral from a doctor in most cases. Some insurance plans, including Medicare, still need a doctor's sign-off on the plan of care. If you are unsure, call us and we will check your plan. Call (970) 314-9822 or send a request online.
We see patients from Grand Junction and the surrounding Grand Valley: Fruita, Palisade, Orchard Mesa, Appleton, Clifton and the Redlands.