Physical Therapy

Why choose GMA physical therapy?

Experienced, highly skilled therapists. Our physical therapists have extensive training and deep clinical experience, allowing them to treat a wide range of conditions with confidence and precision.

Hands-on, personalized care. Manual therapy is at the heart of our approach. Your therapist stays engaged throughout your session, providing focused, one-on-one attention and techniques that support improved mobility, strength, and function.

Individualized treatment plans. Every plan is built around your goals, whether that’s returning to daily activities, enhancing athletic performance, recovering from surgery, or managing chronic pain.

Seamless communication with your GMA provider. When your care team is under one roof, your physical therapist and physician can easily coordinate your treatment plan, ensuring continuity, safety, and a streamlined recovery.

A dedicated, well-equipped facility. Our stand-alone PT building in Glenwood Springs offers private treatment spaces, convenient parking, and equipment including treadmills, TRX®, free weights, and therapeutic tools to support your rehabilitation.

Accepting New Patients and Referrals. You do not need to be a GMA primary care patient to receive physical therapy. We welcome new patients and referrals from providers throughout the Roaring Fork Valley.

What we treat

Our physical therapists care for patients of all ages and abilities. Whether you’re recovering from an injury, managing a chronic condition, or working toward better strength and mobility, we tailor your treatment to support safe, steady progress.

Common conditions we treat include:

• Post-surgical rehabilitation
• Sprains, strains, and soft-tissue injuries
• Acute and chronic musculoskeletal pain (back, neck, shoulder, hip, knee, ankle)
• Sports injuries and performance-related concerns
• Overuse injuries and tendon/ligament issues
• Joint stiffness or reduced range of motion
• Balance and gait difficulties
• Vestibular disorders and dizziness
• Concussions and post-concussion symptoms
• Age-related mobility changes
• Weakness, decreased endurance, or deconditioning

Specific physical therapy techniques

To support your recovery and help you move with greater confidence, your therapist may use a combination of manual techniques, therapeutic exercises, and evidence-based modalities. Each plan is designed to reduce pain, improve movement, restore function, and support long-term strength and mobility.

Your treatment may include:

• Manual (hands-on) therapy
• Soft tissue and nerve mobilization
• Joint mobilization and stabilization
• Targeted stretching and flexibility exercises
• Strengthening and postural training
• Exercise prescriptions for home support
• Cold laser therapy
• Electrical stimulation
• Taping techniques
• Education on body mechanics and injury prevention

Dry needling

Dry needling is an effective technique used to release tight muscles, reduce pain, and improve mobility. Your therapist identifies areas of muscle tension or “trigger points” and inserts a thin, solid filament needle into the affected tissue. This can stimulate a brief, involuntary contraction, helping the muscle relax and improving circulation.

Patients often experience relief from:

• Muscle tightness
• Restricted mobility
• Chronic or acute pain
• Joint stiffness related to muscle dysfunction

Dry needling is one of the most commonly used and clinically effective techniques in modern physical therapy.

Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy (VRT)

Dizziness, vertigo, and imbalance can make everyday activities feel difficult—but these symptoms are highly treatable. VNG stands for videonystagmography, which is a diagnostic test that records eye movements to evaluate your balance system (vestibular system) in your inner ear, helping to find the cause of your dizziness, vertigo, or imbalance. It uses special goggles to track eye movements while the patient performs tasks like following visual targets or changing head/body positions.

Vestibular therapy can help if you experience:

• Vertigo or spinning sensations
• Dizziness with movement
• Feeling “off,” unsteady, or disoriented
• Difficulty focusing after head movements
• Frequent falls or near-falls

One in three people experiences dizziness, and one in four experiences vertigo at some point. For many people, vestibular therapy provides meaningful relief.

Treatment: Your evaluation may include VNG goggles, which help your therapist assess balance function. Based on your results, your therapist may use habituation, adaptation, or substitution exercises to retrain your balance system and reduce symptoms.

Treatment for BPPV: For Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV), treatment is often highly effective using maneuvers that guide displaced inner-ear crystals back into place. Most vestibular conditions, including vestibular neuritis, labyrinthitis, and Meniere’s disease, can improve with targeted therapy over several weeks.

Concussion Rehabilitation Therapy

A concussion can affect balance, vision, coordination, and cognitive function. Our physical therapists provide evidence-based concussion rehabilitation to help you recover safely and return to school, work, sports, and daily activities.

Concussion therapy may include:

• Vestibular therapy for dizziness or motion sensitivity
• Oculomotor and vision exercises
• Manual therapy for neck pain or whiplash injuries
• Balance and gait retraining
• Graded return-to-activity programs
• Education on pacing, symptom management, and safe recovery

Early evaluation and a personalized treatment plan can help reduce symptom duration, support neurological recovery, and prevent persistent post-concussion symptoms.