- National recognition as Physical Therapist Practitioner of the Year for 2008-2009 by Advance for Physical Therapists Magazine.
- National winner of the PT Pillows Award, for Clinical Reasoning from a Certified Orthopedic Manual Therapist.
- Adjunct professor at Touro College and Stony Brook tDPT program, teaching the doctoral students Advanced Orthopedics of the Spine and Pelvis.
- Teaching other physical therapists nationwide on Manual and Manipulative Therapy of The Spine.
- Certified Functional Manual Therapist (1 of 11 on LI), and Certified Orthopedic Manual Therapist (1 of 7 on LI). Dr. Welch is one of two PTs in the state of NY that hold both of these certifications. What does this mean for our patients? More hands on manual therapy!
- Certified Kinesio Taping Practitioner, formally trained in performing Graston Technique.
- We are members of the American Physical Therapy Association and American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists
- We are providers for Workers Comp, No-Fault, Medicare, and 99% of commercial insurance.
Services at Spectrum
Joint Mobilization
Soft Tissue / Myofascial Release
Therapeutic Exercises
Sport / Occupational Specific Training
Gait Analysis and Training
Gait is uniform among patients in that it consists of the stance phase and swing phase, and incorporates the transfer of body weight from one foot to another, but cadence and speed can vary widely. Deviations from normal gait can be a result of numerous affected body parts, particularly the ankle, foot, knee, hip, or pelvis, or from conditions that cause muscle weakness, tightness, spasticity, loss of sensation, pain, or other alteration to function.
When a gait problem presents, PTs must first effectively and accurately analyze the situation, in terms of that specific patient and their definition of normal. After analysis, an appropriate training method must be developed and used to get patients back as close to “normal” as possible.
Coordination and Balance Training
Graston Technique – Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Massage
Kinesio Taping
TMJ Dysfunction
Signs and symptoms of TMJ dysfunction include:
- Decreased range of motion in the jaw
- Noise during jaw movement
- Headache
Spectrum Physical Therapy’s Approach to Treating TMJ dysfunction:
Manual therapy to increase joint mobility and range of motion in the TMJ region, recapture the displaced TMJ disc, decrease muscle tightness and trigger points around the joint and cervical region to restore pain-free mobility
Neuromuscular re-education in proper movement of the jaw that is progressed at an appropriate rate so that deviation, clicking, and painful movement is avoided.
Education and Home Exercise Program on proper posture and movement to reduce clicking and inflammation within the joint, improve function and range of motion, and stabilize the bite.
Wellness Program
Hand Therapy
Treatment options for your patients include: paraffin bath, moist heat, cryotherpay, ultrasound, manual soft tissue mobilization, myofascial release, Graston technique for scar mobilization, joint mobilization, tendon gliding, neural flossing and mobilization, prom/aarom, arom for contractured joints and tissue, splinting off premise, cryotherapy, neuromuscular re-education, therapeutic exercise specific for each patient.
Spectrum Occupational Health & Industrial Medicine:
Pre-employment/Post-offer screens, Return to Work Screens, Back education training, reducing strains & sprains injury training, Job site analysis, and return to work rehabilitation.
Dr. Welch is a certified functional capacity evaluator with many years of experience performing functional capacity evaluations, pre-employment screens, return to work screening, training to reduce the most common strain and sprain injuries, and job site analysis. Pre-employment screens are designed to simulate the essential tasks of a job. The screen helps determine if the potential new employee can in fact perform the job duties required of that position. If the potential new hire cannot perform the essential tasks then HR is notified of this. Retrun to work screens are similar, but performed when an employee is returning to work after an injury, whether the injury was on the job or not. The employer should know whether this employee is capable of performing the essential tasks of their job. The bottom line is that it reduces work related injuries and lowers workers compensation costs. If you are an employer and have any questions with regards to these servicesdon’t hesitate to contact Dr. Welch. A meeting can be set up at your office to discuss the services and potential to offer these services for your company.