What We Treat

At UnLock Physical Therapy, we provide expert care and customized treatment for a wide range of orthopedic and musculoskeletal conditions. Whether you’re recovering from an injury or managing a chronic condition, our team is dedicated to helping you regain strength, reduce pain, and restore your quality of life. Explore some of the common conditions we treat below:

Sports Injuries

• Sprains — when ligaments (connecting bone to bone) are overstretched or torn.
• Strains (Pulled Muscles / Tendons) — tendons or muscles stretched beyond their capacity.
• Shin Splints (Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome) — stress on shin bones and connective tissues, often from running or impact.
• Knee Injuries — the knee is a common locus of injury (ACL tears, overuse, patellofemoral stress, etc.).

Throwing Injuries

Two broad categories:

• Acute injuries — from a single event (strain, sprain, tear)
• Overuse injuries — from repetitive motion over time

Common specific injuries discussed include:

• Ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) damage or tears (“Tommy John” ligament)
• Scapular dyskinesis (improper shoulder blade motion)
• Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis)
• Little Leaguer’s Elbow (in children, overuse on inside of elbow)
• Flexor tendonitis (inflammation of tendons controlling hand/forearm)
• Little League Shoulder (growth plate stress in young throwers)

Work Injuries

• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Compression of the median nerve in the wrist, often from repetitive typing or assembly line work.
• Tendonitis: Inflammation of tendons due to overuse; can occur in elbows, shoulders, knees.
• Back Pain: From prolonged sitting, lifting incorrectly, repetitive twisting, or poor ergonomic posture.
• Auto Accidents / Vehicular Incidents: If driving is part of the job, accidents may lead to injuries covered under “work injury.”
• Sprains & Strains: Damage to muscles or ligaments from slips, falls, overexertion, or misuse of equipment.
  Causes / Contributing Factors

Back Pain and Sciatica

General Back Pain

• “Back pain” is a broad term: it may stem from posture issues, strains, lifting injuries, accidents, or degenerative conditions.
• It can be acute (short-term) or chronic (lasting 3+ months)
• Pain may originate from muscles, spinal bones, discs, or ligaments.

Sciatica

• Sciatica refers to pain along the sciatic nerve, often felt as “shooting,” “stinging,” or “burning” sensations radiating down the leg.
• It occurs when the nerve is pinched, irritated, or compressed—sometimes from disc herniation, bone spurs, arthritis, or overuse.
• It’s more likely in adults aged ~30–50.

Neck Pain Relief

Symptoms can include:

• Headaches
• Stiffness or tightness in upper body muscles
• Numbness or tingling
• Discomfort or pain when staying in one position too long
• Arm weakness
• Difficulty sitting or standing upright properly

Causes / Contributing Factors

• Injuries / trauma
• Whiplash from car accidents or forceful collisions
• Muscle strains / overuse
• Poor posture (e.g. craning the neck toward a computer screen)
• Nerve compression
• Herniated discs that press on spinal nerves — possibly causing radiating pain (radiculopathy) into arms or fingers
• Illness / systemic causes — conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, meningitis, or cancer may contribute
• Degeneration / aging — osteoarthritis or disc degeneration reducing cushioning & joint health in neck vertebrae

Shoulder Pain Relief

• Tendonitis (overuse, inflammation)
• Bursitis (inflammation of bursae)
• Arthritis (wear of cartilage)
• Dislocation (joint misalignment)
• Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) — stiffness or limited mobility developing over time

Hip and Knee Pain Relief

• Overuse injuries: Tendonitis, muscle strain, chronic stress on joints.
• Acute injuries: Sprains, strains, dislocation, or trauma.
• Referred pain / nerve issues: For instance, a pinched sciatic nerve might contribute to pain felt in hip or knee.
• Biomechanical imbalance: Poor posture, abnormal stance, gait mechanics, or muscle weakness in hips/glutes can cause extra stress on the joints.
• Joint-specific conditions:
  • For hip: Labral tears
  • For knee: Bursitis, patellofemoral pain, structural misalignment
• Weakness or tightness in hip musculature (e.g. hip flexors, gluteus medius) can cause compensations that overburden the knee (e.g. IT band issues, patellar stress).

Foot and Ankle Pain

• Strains & Sprains — Overstretching of muscles/tendons or ligaments
• Fractures — Trauma causing bone breaks
• Tendinitis — Tendon inflammation from overuse
• Bursitis — Inflammation of bursae (anti-friction sacs)
• Plantar Fasciitis — Inflammation of the plantar fascia, often from overuse, poor footwear, or posture issues
• Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome — Compression or irritation of the nerve in the ankle/foot (similar to carpal tunnel in the wrist)
• Arthritis — Degenerative or inflammatory joint disease affecting foot/ankle joints
• Fallen Arches / Flat Feet — When the tendons fail to maintain proper arch support, leading to pain over time

Elbow, Wrist, and Hand Pain Relief

• Arthritis — affecting the joints, especially from repetitive motions or prior injuries.
• Elbow Bursitis — inflammation of the bursa at the elbow (sometimes called “tennis elbow,” or “golfer’s elbow” depending on location and mechanism).
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) — compression of the median nerve in the wrist, leading to pain or tingling in the hand and fingers.
• Cubital Tunnel Syndrome — pressure on the ulnar nerve around the elbow (“funny bone” area) leading to symptoms in elbow, hand, or wrist.
• Strains / Sprains — soft tissue injuries to muscles, tendons, or ligaments in these joints.

Pre-Surgical Physical Therapy

Purpose & Concept

• Pre-surgical rehabilitation (“pre-hab”) is physical therapy you do before undergoing a planned surgery.
• The idea is to get your body stronger, more mobile, and better prepared so that postoperative recovery is faster, smoother, and with fewer complications. Surgeons increasingly recommend pre-hab because evidence suggests it can improve surgical outcomes and reduce recovery time.

Benefits of Pre-Hab (How It Helps)Reduces Pain

Through interventions like exercise, manual therapy, ice/heat, etc., you may enter surgery with less pain.

• Improves Outcomes
  A stronger, healthier body going into surgery increases the chance of better surgical success.
• Reduces Complications
  Better fitness and strength may help with immune function, reducing risk of post-surgical complications like infections.
• Increases Stamina
  Pre-hab helps build endurance and muscle reserve so that you lose less strength during recovery.
• Shortens Recovery Time
  Because your body is in better shape before surgery, rehabilitating afterward can progress more quickly.
• Possibility of Avoiding Surgery
  In some cases, pre-hab may improve condition enough that the surgery becomes less critical or can be postponed, though this is not guaranteed.

Post-Surgical Rehabilitation

Why Post-Surgical Rehab Matters

• Surgery itself is a trauma: even minor procedures can lead to pain, swelling, reduced motion, and functional limitations.
• A tailored rehab program helps minimize pain, accelerate healing, restore mobility, and reduce postoperative complications such as infection, blood clots, scar tissue, muscle weakness, etc.
• It also offers a pathway to rely less on prescription painkillers (including opioids), which is a public health concern.

Types of Surgeries & Challenges

• Knee replacements (full or partial)
• Hip replacements
• ACL, MCL, meniscus repairs
• Surgeries beyond orthopedics—cardiac (e.g. stents, pacemaker insertion) as well