Tom Willemann Health Tips

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When you shouldn’t ignore Low Back Pain?

Tom Willemann |


As much as low back pain plagues a great number of people in our society.  Ignoring is not always the most prudent path to take. The irony is the ability to tolerate pain is not always a benefit.

Ignoring the pain?

I still remember a story of a man in Miami, Florida walking bare feet on a extremely hot deck of his boat.  He had no idea he was burning several layers of skin off his feet.  He only stopped after hearing his wife scream behind him.  Pain is good-sometimes.

We don’t want to make patients hypochondriacs when  seeking health care but ignoring significant pain can lead to a patient not receiving timely and more effective treatment.  A few conditions that fall into this category are spine fractures, spinal tumors, breast cancer, etc.  As a rule general don’t ignore pain and seek an evaluation.  Pain is one of  human body’s way of signaling  something is wrong.
Please don’t self treat via the internet but arm yourself with information when seeing a doctor to ask the right questions and provide a clear history of when you starting having problems.

There is a solution

In the state of New Jersey patients have Direct Access.  In most cases, you can seek an examination and treatment by a licensed physical therapist prior to seeing a physician.  Insurance is recognizing and covering patients for care received by a physical therapist.

When I first meet a patient we discuss a thorough history of why they are seeking treatment and first decide whether they are appropriate for physical therapy treatment prior to a starting a treatment plan.  If certain “red flags” come up while discussing their history I will either refer them to their primary doctor for blood work or an MRI by an orthopedist.
If I have certain concerns that don’t warrant an immediate referral monitor the patient for about two weeks depending on the condition.  My general rule of thumb is a patient must show significant signs of improvement during that time.  If not I refer out. For more information on various musculoskeletal problems I often direct people to the consumer section of the American Physical Therapy Associations web site that may help you with.
Committed to you moving better!
Tom Willemann

Personalized Physical Therapy Services in Wyckoff and Ridgewood NJVoted the Most Attentive Orthopedic Physical Therapists in Bergen County

Results-Oriented Back Pain, Neck Pain, Knee Pain Treatment and Solutions

Affordable and Personalized Physical Therapy Clinic serving Wyckoff and Ridgewood NJ

Tom Willemann

Tom Willemann

Tom Willemann is a premier physical therapist based out of Bergen County, New Jersey. He holds an MS in physical therapy from the University of Miami, is credentialed in the world-renowned McKenzie Method of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT), and holds an OCS (Orthopedic Clinical Specialist) certification. As of 2018, there are approximately 14,000 ABPTS certified specialists in the nation and less than 400 of them are located in the state of New Jersey. Tom is the owner and director of Apex Orthopedic Rehabilitation in Paramus. He opened the clinic, which specializes in spine and sports injury prevention, in 2004 after many years of experience in the field. Tom’s caring interest in others and his strong belief in continuity of care, combined with his clinic’s ability to find solutions for the most difficult orthopedic problems, have earned Apex Orthopedic Rehabilitation its excellent reputation with patients and medical professionals in northeastern New Jersey and beyond. A true “family man,” Tom takes pride in his clinic’s warm and welcoming environment.
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