physical therapist working with patient back pain

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Lewes Physical Therapy

Our Lewes (Route 24, Angola area) location provides highly skilled physical therapy with a variety of services. We believe in getting our patients to a pain-free life by offering treatment for orthopedic conditions, balance, women’s health, pediatrics, and LSVT Parkinson’s therapy. Using manual therapy, special and individualized exercise programs, aquatic therapy, and other interventions such as dry needling, we get our patients on the right path to recovery!

 

One-on-One Treatment Plan

Aquacare and Fitness Forum Physical Therapy is committed to our patients’ swift recoveries. Our therapists build personalized one-on-one treatment plans for each patient’s specific needs and goals.

With more than 28 years under our belts, Aquacare’s expert physical therapy team is ready to support your health journey.

Golf, pickleball, tennis, racquetball, and gardening are all activities we love to enjoy. They bring us joy and camaraderie – building a sense of community among our friends and peers.

However, these sports can also lead to injuries, especially when you start too quickly, forget to stretch, or play too hard or too long.

 

Is Pain or Injury Preventing You From Being at the Top of Your Golf Game?

Let our TPI-certified physical therapists help you return to the course! And we can come to you on your favorite golf course to develop the proper mechanics to drive your ball better than ever and play as often as you desire!

TPI is the world’s leading educational organization dedicated to the study of how the human body functions in relation to the golf swing. Our TPI Certified Golf therapists have been trained to provide professional golf-specific injury assessment and rehabilitation techniques to get players back in the game. There are injuries associated with the golf swing that few understand better than TPI-certified providers We look at how these injuries develop, how to access and treat injuries, and how specific physical limitations can be addressed to improve performance.

 

LSVT BIG Program for Parkinson’s

This program is designed to meet the needs of individuals with Parkinson’s Disease by using large amplitude based exercise for re-education of the sensorimotor system.  LSVT was developed in 1987 using larger movements to recalibrate the brain’s perception of movement size which reduces with Parkinson’s Disease.  LSVT BIG is the only evidenced based treatment protocol for Parkinson’s patients.

  • 16 one hour sessions, 4 days per week for 4 weeks with one on one instruction.  Programs are tailored to each person’s specific needs.  Homework to be completed daily.
  • All exercises are modelled by the therapist with patient then completing with therapist correcting form.
  • BIG walking is completed at each session in various settings to simulate community ambulation.  Focus is on arm swing, increasing endurance and safety.
  • Functional tasks are addressed at each session determined by the patient’s individual need.

As the brain begins to recalibrate the size of movement, the patient is better able to move with more “normal” movements.  Once the program is completed, the patient is provided an ongoing home exercise program.  With diligence, patients see an improvement in quality of movement.

Ongoing studies consistently show the positive effect of exercise on slowing the progression of Parkinson’s Disease.

 

Balance, Parkinson’s & Neuro Center

Introducing the Balance, Parkinson’s & Neuro Center at Aquacare Lewes – Route 24. The center is backed by technology that lets you push your limits safely and provides specialized care for balance, vestibular, and neurological conditions.

 

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Dry Needling in Lewes, Delaware

If pain or muscle soreness is keeping you from your favorite activity, let Aquacare Physical Therapy’s certified dry needling specialists help.

Offering one-on-one, hour-long sessions. Call today to be scheduled within 24-48 hours.

Dry needling has been proven to:

  • Release muscle tightness
  • Increase blood flow
  • Reduce pain.

During your dry needling session, a thin needle is inserted into the musculoskeletal area causing you pain. After a short time, the needle is removed and the muscle is released.

You may experience some soreness or pain for a short time following your session.

 

Pediatric Physical Therapy

The goal of pediatric physical therapy is to help children reach their maximum level of independence. At Aquacare, we have the benefit of being able to provide both gym-based and aquatic play-based therapy to help children reach this goal.

In the gym, we use play to help children gain strength, and flexibility, improve coordination, reach motor milestones, and improve independent mobility. We can customize their exercise plan based on the child’s needs and abilities, using equipment such as physio balls, resistance bands, treadmills, and of course, toys!

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Frequently Asked Questions

 

 

Usually not. Delaware and Maryland both allow direct access, so you can begin treatment without seeing a physician first. Some insurance plans still require a referral for coverage, so call the clinic to verify before your first visit.

Your first visit is an evaluation, and it is mostly a conversation. Your therapist wants to know what hurts, when it started, what you have already tried, and, just as important, what you are trying to get back to. Walking the beach without stopping. Finishing eighteen holes. Picking up a grandchild. Getting through a shift without your back seizing up. That goal shapes everything that follows.

From there, your therapist will look at how you move. Expect some hands-on assessment of strength, flexibility, balance, and joint motion, and expect to be asked to do a few simple movements so your therapist can see what your body is actually doing rather than guessing from a description.

By the end of that first visit, you will have a plan. Your therapist will explain what they found, what is likely causing it, roughly how often they would like to see you, and what recovery is going to ask of you. In most cases treatment starts that same day, so you leave having already done something about it, usually along with a short set of exercises to work on at home.

A few practical things:

  • Wear or bring clothes you can move in. If your knee is the problem, shorts help. If it is your shoulder, a tank top or short sleeves.
  • Bring your insurance card, a photo ID, a list of your medications, and any imaging reports or surgical notes you have.
  • Patient forms are available on our website ahead of time. Filling them out at home means more of your appointment goes toward you and less toward paperwork.
  • You do not have to be in perfect shape, in pain right that minute, or sure of what is wrong. Not knowing is a completely normal reason to come in.

Follow-up visits are working sessions. You and your therapist will build strength and mobility together, adjusting as your body responds, and you will get exercises to keep up between appointments. That home program is not filler. Patients who do it consistently tend to get better faster and hold onto the progress once therapy ends.

You will see the same therapist throughout. That continuity is the point, and it is a large part of why patients tell us therapy here felt different.

That depends on the injury, the surgery, your history, and your goals, so your therapist will give you a realistic range at your evaluation rather than a number pulled out of the air. What we can promise is that you will always know where you stand. Progress gets measured, and we talk about it out loud.

Three things. It treats the pain you came in with, it finds the mechanical reason the injury happened in the first place, and it gets you back to the activity rather than merely away from the pain. That last part matters. Rest alone will often quiet a sore shoulder, but it will not fix the serve that made it sore.

Yes, and please do. We offer free consultations for exactly this. You can talk it through with a therapist, find out whether physical therapy is the right step, and go from there with no obligation.

Patient Reviews

The first time I came in, I had foot surgery and they helped me with that recovery. During the need for a foot surgery, I ended up with bursitis. I done physical therapy for my hip and dry needling, which was amazing and kept me pain-free for a number of years. Started back with some pain in my hip and the treatment I received here was outstanding. I highly recommend them. I did a mix of aqua therapy and land therapy.

Melissa Graver

January 2, 2025

I’ve been extremely happy with the level of care and knowledge the staff has. Everyone is friendly and cheerful! I would recommend the Lewes location!

Linda Jensen

April 11, 2024

I have been so happy with Erin, Mark and Barbara. They have been impressed by their professionalism and humanity. Yes, sometimes I want to stop, but they rightly keep me working. My body feels so much stronger.
Many thanks to all of them.

Nancy

April 11, 2024

Great therapy by Alec, Mark, Morgan and Barbara. Friendly front desk. Prompt service.Thanks so much!! Will highly recommend you.

Kathy Hilton

April 11, 2024

It's almost like having your own personal trainer. I was diagnosed with PD and went to Aquacare for strategies to deal with the issues associated with Parkinson's. As my therapist Robin was very knowledgeable about PD and supportive of me in my journey. Aquacare deserves a five-star rating.
And now for the second time I have gone to Aquacare for additional therapy. Again the staff was knowledgeable in treating my needs and easily engaged in conversation. They again deserve a five-star rating. - Bill and Bonnlyn

Bill and Bonnlyn

March 17, 2023

The staff is exceptional and the program for me was very helpful. Robin and Jessica were my therapists, but not my only contacts there. They're all awesome. Thanks again everyone! -Mark C.

Mark C.

March 17, 2023

Aquacare is an excellent physical therapy clinic because the therapists are extremely knowledgeable, capable and caring. I highly recommend them. I have been to Aquacare (Lewes, Rte 24 location) to treat two separate issues (shoulder and back). I would not hesitate to go back if the need should arise. The following gives my overall impression and the details of my two experiences. Beware that some may find this long-winded and too detailed! But given what physical therapy can do when done right it is worth making an informed decision. If you read no further know this, it is not a small thing to say that my quality of life has improved since I walked through their door and I am grateful.

Read MoreOverall: The Aquacare facility I have used is not fancy (although they are planning a remodel and expansion), but that does not matter because what is important is the high quality of their therapists and how much time they spend with you. They always spent as much time as I needed and focused on physical treatments that I responded to, not passive* treatments or devices. After you spend time initially with a therapist at each session you will certainly work with techs doing some of the more routine (but very necessary) exercises that do not require the therapist to be present. I also rigorously did the home therapy programs they suggested. The results for me were dramatically successful. I did not use or need aquatic therapy. My experiences with Aquacare have been overwhelmingly positive. I have benefitted immensely from working with them and I am thankful for their help. Although they have multiple locations, this is not a “big-box” physical therapy clinic. I have been to one of those chains in the past along with one affiliated with a physician’s practice. At the big box PT clinic efficiency was as important as client care, perhaps even more so since the passive methods they pushed are simply not as effective as direct manipulation, stretching and strengthening which is what Aquacare focused on with me. This makes a huge difference that I did not appreciate until I experienced the treatment provided by Aquacare. Treatment for Shoulder: My first experience with Aquacare was to treat adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder). After visiting an orthopedic doctor and getting a cortisone injection (which helped only a small amount) I was told I should do physical therapy. Being new to the area, I chose Aquacare due to the positive online reviews, hours of operation, and location. After an initial consult we set to work. Three times a week at first. They understood the condition (it is not uncommon) and focused on areas that were at the root of the issue for me. Honestly I was a little skeptical at first because they initially focused on my neck and the connection to my shoulder. But they have tremendous experience and the extremely detailed initial evaluation led them to the correct approach. I worked hard both at the clinic and at home. In less than six weeks I had made nearly a full recovery. This is an issue that often takes six months to recover from. After six weeks of PT I went back to the doctor who was extremely impressed with my quick progress as a result of the physical therapy at Aquacare. We did an additional cortisone injection to speed along the final bit of external rotation mobility which I understand is always the last and slowest part to respond for this condition. I do not even think twice about my shoulder anymore, which is a small miracle given the months of pain and limited motion I had. I could not be happier or more thankful for their help rehabilitating it. My primary therapist for this was Robin Sipp but I also worked with the therapists Mark Bogle, Bryan Morgan, and Barbara Fidler. All are excellent. The techs Christie and Jeremy are easygoing and pleasant to work with as well. Treatment for Back/Spine: My second experience with Aquacare involved a chronic lumbar back issue. I have multiple bulging and thinning discs and when it flares up it can be debilitating. It is an issue I have tried to manage for 20+ years. I was not intending to get more therapy for it. My doctor and I had decided that injections were the next step. However, our new insurance company wanted me try PT before authorizing the injections. In the past, PT for my back has had limited success, so my expectations were low. I planned to do the minimal PT and then get the injections. However, after the initial consult the Aquacare therapists were able to determine what I responded well to and focused on that. For me it was primarily spinal extension exercises, initially manipulated by the therapists and then purely through exercise and stretching once the pain was under control. Within just a few weeks I was pain free for the first time in many years. We continued to work on flexibility and strengthening for several more weeks. Although the problem is chronic, the Aquacare PT was so successful, that my doctor and I have decided not do any injections for now. I am hopeful that the path Aquacare has set me on will continue to provide relief and prevent major flare-ups. I continue their suggested program at home. My primary therapist for this treatment was Juliana Spotts. I also worked with therapists Mark Bogle, Barbara Fidler and Robin Sipp. Comment about Dry Needling: For completeness, there was one treatment option that Aquacare and I did not agree on — dry needling. I consider that a passive treatment. A therapist had suggested that it may help reduce pain with my adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder) issue. I looked into it and found that there is no agreement on the effectiveness of the treatment. They recognize that fact and in no way pushed it, but did offer it if my doctor approved. I did not pursue it. My personal take is that dry needling is a placebo effect treatment. Placebo effects are real. It may help some, but it was not something I felt comfortable with. Many others feel differently about it.

Mark Seibert

January 12, 2023

Jillian was amazing and so very knowledgeable I am still using the techniques she taught me months after my treatment ended. I would most certainly go there again.

Tamarra Banks

December 28, 2022

Patient, professional, and good sense of humor. Making progress with Gabby. I recommend enthusiastically.

Carol S

December 28, 2022

Katie excellent. Very patient and shares very good information. Very supportive and encouraging.

Cheryl Garland

November 16, 2022

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