About ACTIV Physical Therapy and Our Mission

The ACTIV therapeutic philosophy is based on the Interational Academy of Orthopedic Medicine's (IAOM) model that successful treatment follows a thorough history, detailed examination, and an accurate assessment of the problem.

• After a thorough explanation of the problem, the therapist and patient work closely together to achieve a successful outcome. Along the way, the therapist teaches the patient specific exercises that target their strength and control deficits.
• Manual therapy is added to almost every treatment session to improve joint or soft tissue mobility and decrease pain. This kind of approach takes time, so each one-on-one session can take about 2 hours.
• The focus is on the solution, period. This comprehensive and caring approach works especially well with recurrent or chronic cases that have been resistant to other methods. 

The ACTIV concept has been developed by Edward Ash, PT (read more about him under Team ACTIV). Ed's focus is on functional movement, injury prevention, and development.

ACTIV Physical Therapy is committed to helping each individual restore confident movement and regain the freedom of an ACTIV lifestyle. ACTIV's core programs include orthopedic, spine, and sports rehabilitation. Additional proactive programs emphasizing injury prevention and functional training complete ACTIV's specturm of care. This progressive approach allows ACTIV to change traditional perceptions of physical therapy by revealing a more contemporary clinic that is accessible to both the injured and anyone else who wants to prevent injury, solve movement dysfunction, and stay active. 

ACTIV has a special interest and passion for the care and prevention of adolescent and youth sports injury, and ACTIV wants to help active and athletic individuals of any age or ability stay active. This includes: youth sport injury, adult sport injury, "everyday" injuries, back and neck pain, and post-surgical rehabilitation. Special populations include: Adolescent low back pain related to stress fractures or disc (spondylogenic low back pain), elementary and high school sports injuries, overuse sports injuries, runners, bikers, baseball and softball pitchers, nordic and alpine skers, dancers and performing artists, gymnasts and tumblers, "everyday athletes" like moms, and gardeners, and "occupational athletes" like firefighters, policemen, and heavy equipment operators. 

The Functional Training concept centers upon training "movement" and "control of movement" not just "doing exercises." Regardless of ability or level, the human body moves and functions in very predictable ways, the problem is that we were never given a "user manual" on how our bodies move and what to do when things aren't right. The first step is to achieve quality movement patterns while "anchored" on a stable, balanced, and strong base of support. In other words, we need to learn how to effectively produce and reduce everyday forces while standing or moving on our own two feet! The next step is progressively challenging these functional movement patterns with more resistance, more speed, or a more challenging support surface. It's really simple, and fun! The ultimate goal is heightened awareness of movement, confident and efficient movement patterns, improved performance, and significant less risk of injury. Every ACTIV patient and exercise client will learn the "pillars" of functional movment and be able to easily incorporate these into a meaningful, intelligent, and long-term exercise program.

The Injury Prevention approach centers on identifying and avoiding faulty movement patterns that have been identified in recent research as predictors of sports-related injury. Other goals include improving "anticipation-strategies" and maximizing specific strength and coordination. Recent international research has outlined specific exercise programs that significantly decrease the risk of serious knee, ankle, and hip injuries. There is growing evidence that almost every injury related to overuse can be prevented through better awareness and an intelligent and functional training program. This approach eliminates training errors, solves the movement problems, and specifically addresses the strength and coordination deficits.

ACTIV has some of the best and most modern rehabilitation and fitness equipment available including a climbing machine, a rowing machine, Cybex TRAZER, top-of-the-line treatment and massage tables, and the same treadmill used by major universities and profressional teams. The TRAZER is a modern virtual rehabilitation system that Ed helped develop. A movement analysis system will help patients and clients improve faster by visually reviewing their own problematic movement patters and then quickly correcting them.

ACTIV has a variety of simple and inexpensive functional exercise products like stability balls, elastic resistance bands, medicine balls, balance devices, and sport-specific equipment. Many of these unique items that patients use in the clinic will also be available for purchase so patients can seamlessly continue the valuable programs they have learned after they "graduate." These simple and functional exercise products create an extrememly productive, fun, and cost-efficient home gym. ACTIV wants to make it easy for people to continue to exercise independently, get stronger, and stay active without feeling like they have to join a gym or buy an expensive piece of home exercise equipment. 

ACTIV also brings hope and success for longstanding and complex cases like stubborn sports injuries and chronic lower back and neck pain. We work very closely with fellowship-trained sports medicine specialists and a fellowship-trained interventional pain physician, and other physician-specialists for these complex and chronic cases. Patients are often referred to ACTIV who have not progressed as anticipated elsewhere. These patients are often quickly and pleasantly surprised by the amount of individual one-on-one attention that they receive. They are also reassured by the thorough explanation, detailed instruction, and intensive feedback they get during everything from their initial examination to their comprehensive home exercises and strengthening programs.