June July 2024 - A3

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
THERAPEUTIC REHABILITATION
Making advancements through innovative, affordable modalities
There are many options to choose from when
looking at rehabilitation for athletes - with new
technologies and innovations coming out regularly,
athletic trainers and physical therapists are given a
plethora of options when it comes to treating and
preventing injuries. So which options are best?
For Ray Barile, head athletic trainer for the St.
Louis Blues, it's about exploring the options
available and figuring out which ones are best
for each situation.
" My advice is to have an open mind when
considering new and innovative modalities, " Barile
said. " 'Do no harm' should always be your guide
when treating athletes, and as long as new and
innovative modalities are not causing harm you
owe it to your athletes to investigate new modalities
and techniques. "
The main modalities Barile and his team have
found effective in injury management are Class
4 lasers, high-frequency neurostimulation,
Shockwave, PEMF, cold plunge and Richmar's
THERADOT. In particular, the two modalities Barile
has found most beneficial to the athletes he treats
are Shockwave and PEMF (pulsed electromagnetic
fields) therapy.
" We have incorporated these two modalities into
all of our rehabilitation and treatment protocols, "
he said. " We have also found these modalities
are advantageous in the recovery of healthy
NHL players. "
So, what innovations will Barile be exploring next
for his treatment protocols?
" I feel that the statement of 'What's old is new
again' will always pertain to therapeutic modalities
and injury rehabilitation, " Barile said. " I can see
Diathermy make a bigger comeback as well as
different forms of ultrasound. "
Dr. Lev Furman is also seeing success with different
options of treatment modalities. As a chiropractor
at LOVA Health in St. Louis, Missouri, and the official
chiropractor for the St. Louis City SC and St. Louis
Surge teams, Furman specializes in the treatment of
musculoskeletal pain and sports injuries.
" Electrotherapy has many uses in the rehab world
including pain neuromodulation, muscle activation,
as well as helping to increase circulation/decrease
inflammation, " he elaborated.
Furman is particularly passionate about the Richmar
THERADOT, a Deep Oscillation Therapy Device, as
well as the Richmar TheraTouch LX2 3B Laser.
Furman uses the THERADOT in cases where there
is acute swelling from injuries and has seen great
results for swelling reduction in ankle sprains,
which is a common complaint he sees in his office.
He often finds the 3B Laser a preferred method of
treating ankle pain and knee sprains. The laser
also is used for chronic pain and some arthritic
conditions.
As an athletic trainer you have many options of
modalities. How do you determine which one is
most beneficial to the patient?
" Any modality that helps the patient feel better
and gives them more confidence to move and use
their body will help in their recovery program, " he
said. " If the patient is looking to get out of pain,
TENS therapy is a great beginning option. If the
patient is looking to get back to activity after an
ACL knee surgery and wants to get their knee
muscles 'firing,' I love utilizing NMES
(Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation). "
Furman is looking forward to seeing where treatment
protocols with electrotherapy go in the future.
" The future of electrotherapy in the management
of musculoskeletal pain is exciting because we are
seeing there are more ways we can tap into the
body's healing mechanism, " he said. " I am seeing
patients recover from injuries faster than ever due
to the innovations that are coming out every year. "
Richmar InFocus | A3
June July 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of June July 2024
