Sports and Spine Physical Therapy

Overlake’s Sports and Spine Care Physical Therapy program is home to a team of physical therapists with deep expertise in treating all types of musculoskeletal problems and optimizing strength or athletic performance. Our highly skilled therapists take the time to get to know you and collaborate with your other care providers – so you can get back in action as quickly as possible.

At Overlake Medical Center & Clinics, our sports and spine care physical therapists (PTs) use manual therapy techniques, therapeutic exercise, stretching, balance/agility training, body mechanic education, and ergonomic education to help you feel and move better now – and live with less pain and increased strength and mobility in the future.

Whether you’re preparing for a trip, a big race or just want to be able to pick up your child without pain, our PTs are here for you. And for those facing or recovering from surgery, illness or injury, we’ll develop a plan of care that best fits you and your lifestyle.

Our PTs are masters at easing people of all ages back into activity, while expertly building up their strength and confidence. Our goal is always to better understand what you can do now – and what you’d like to do better in the future – so we can enhance the quality of your life for years to come.

Sports and Spine Conditions We Treat

We treat a full range of sports and spine injuries – in teens and adults.

Sports-Related Injuries

We treat athletic injuries, including:

• Ligament sprains. 
• Muscle strains.
• Dislocations.
• Joint pain and osteoarthritis.
• Shoulder pain (including rotator cuff injuries and frozen shoulder).
• Back and hip injuries. 
• Knee injuries (including ACL and MCL injuries and meniscus tears).

We also provide:

• Pre-surgery and post-surgery PT, for anyone scheduled to have surgical repair of their bones, joints or ligaments. 
• Injury prevention PT, for people who want to have better balance, strength or flexibility, which can all help avoid future pain or injuries. 
• Sports conditioning PT and athletic optimization, for athletes looking to improve their performance. 
• Return to sport PT, for athletes who want to safely return to playing as quickly as possible.

Spine Conditions

We treat a wide range of spinal and neck conditions and injuries, including:

• Acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) back and neck pain.
• Back and spine injuries, including herniated discs, sciatica and spinal cord compression (spinal stenosis).
• Spinal instability and spinal conditions
• Fractured vertebra including spondylolysis in adolescent athletes
• Nerve pain, pinched nerves, and radiculopathy (pain radiating down the arm or leg).
• Recovery from spine surgery

Sports and Spine PT Treatments and Services

At Overlake, our PTs offer a variety of treatments and services at two convenient locations on the Eastside, including:

• Comprehensive evaluations. Your PT will start with a thorough evaluation of where you’re having pain and how it impacts your ability to do daily activities. This comprehensive evaluation is key to mapping out your personalized goals. 
• Manual therapy. During manual therapy, our PTs expertly apply pressure to specific muscles, joints and tissues. Manual therapy reduces pain and inflammation and increases mobility and range of motion. 
• Therapeutic exercises and stretching. During your sessions, we’ll teach you how to do exercises that can help with pain improve range of motion, and improve muscle strength to help reach your specific goals.
• McKenzie Method of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT). Some of our PTs are certified in the McKenzie Method approach, which has been proven to be more effective than some other methods for treating spine and joint problems. 
• Home exercise programs. We’ll design a custom program of stretching, strengthening, balancing or proprioception exercises as “homework” between sessions. Our PT patients love the app we use that gives them a video of each exercise – and tracks their progress. 
• Gait analysis (also called functional gait assessment). During gait analysis, our PTs fully evaluate the way you stand and walk and help identify the source of any muscle, nerve or alignment problems. 
• Bike fitting. Our PTs can evaluate your current bike fit. They’ll help you make adjustments to maximize your pedal stroke, relieve pain in your back, neck, elbows, wrists or knees or help with numbness in your hands or toes. 
• Run analysis. We use special video technology to analyze your running mechanics and identify weaknesses or imbalances that can contribute to running injuries. 
• Functional movement training. Functional movement training helps you do the movements you do most often, with less discomfort. For example, your PT may help you work on strengthening your wrists if you do a lot of computer work, or strengthening your core if you do a lot of gardening. 

Personalized, Expert Care With the Same PT at Every Visit

Our physical therapists are dedicated to providing you individualized care that supports your treatment goals. Some of our PTs are also certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialists (OCSs), which means they’ve completed many hours of additional training in the diagnosis and treatment of injuries to the joints, muscles, and tendons.

Our deep commitment to expert, personalized care often helps people get more out of each and every session – and meet their goals faster. 

Seamless Communication and Coordination of Care

When needed, our physiatrists (doctors who specialize in getting people moving and feeling better after an injury or illness) are just down the hall from our PTs, in the very same building. These doctors are part of our Spine Care program and have deep expertise in the causes and treatment of every type of back and neck pain. Having our PTs and physiatrists in the same building helps ensure seamless communication and care. 

You can also easily communicate with your PT at any time by sending a message through MyChart. We’ll quickly respond to any questions about your care or home exercise program – often the very same day. 

Ongoing Care and Follow-Up

Our goal is always to get you back to work, sports, or your other favorite activities as quickly as possible. But we also know that back pain often returns – or that athletes or older adults can be more prone to injury.

So while we’ll work with you to develop a plan of care that helps you “fly on your own” as quickly as possible, we’re also always here whenever you may need us again. All it takes is a referral from your doctor or orthopedic specialist. Ask your provider to download and complete the referral form, and have the referral faxed to 425.394.0100.

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