By Bonnie Adams, Managing Editor
Westborough – In today's world, where everyone is striving to be more active, there is nothing more frustrating than getting an injury that stops you from doing what you love. Whether one is a high school athlete, a “weekend warrior,” or a senior citizen, an injury can be multi-faceted, affecting not only one's physical well-being but emotional as well.
That's where Sports and Physical Therapy Associates (SPTA) comes in. Comprised of highly-trained physical therapists, the practice is committed to providing a full range of orthopedic rehabilitation services for all age groups.
SPTA has 16 locations throughout the greater Boston area and Metrowest. Jesse Dimick, PTA, ATC and Kelly Nickerson, MSPT are partners for the Westborough office, which moved to its 24 Lyman St., Suite 120, location from Northborough a year ago. Dimick received his degree from Lasell College and is credentialed as a physical therapy assistant and athletic trainer. Dimick also works with local high school and youth sports programs in and around the area. Nickerson, a former collegiate gymnast, is a graduate of Ithaca College and Springfield College. She is a credentialed physical therapist as well as an athletic trainer.
The team, which also includes two part-time professionals, helps patients rehab from a number of different orthopedic injuries, ranging from chronic overuse to post-surgical. Dimik stressed that although they do have many athletes as patients, the practice also helps the non-athletes as well, particularly senior citizens.
“We can help seniors recover greater mobility after they have had surgery, an accident, or are dealing with a problem like back pain,” he said.
For the injured athlete, SPTA uses an exercise progression program to help bring a patient from the post-injury stage through rehab and then ultimately back to their sport of choice without pain. Specialty programs include lumbar injuries, ACL prevention and post-concussion.
The Westborough facility, which is just over 2,000 square feet, allows them to offer comfort and accessibility to their patients, Dimick said.
“It's big enough so patients don's feel crowded, but intimate enough so that they don's feel lost,” he said. “There is always someone right near them if they need assistance.”
“We have at most two to four patients an hour. This allows us to really have a one on one approach,” he added. “Appointments are usually 30 minutes slots but most people are here anywhere from 45 to 60 minutes.”
Both partners take continuing education courses, Dimick said, as a way to stay abreast of all the most cutting edge research and techniques. That includes post-concussion rehabilitation.
“We can do impact testing for concussions at our Wellesley office,” he said. “We also work closely with Children's Hospital [in Boston] and follow their protocols.”
Normally the team sees patients after they have been diagnosed and/or have had surgery, Dimick said. But they will do one-time assessments to help a patient determine if further medical care is required.
Preventative care is also an important part of SPTA's practice. Its website has a great deal of information on techniques and tips to stay healthy. Dimik also hosts regular chats on ACL injuries on Twitter (#aclchat).
Currently the office is open Mondays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesdays, 9 am to 8 p.m., Wednesdays and Thursdays 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Fridays, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information, visit www.sportsandpt.com and click on Westborough or call 508-393-0306.
