NovaCare Introduces...Sports Injury Hotline!

At NovaCare Rehabilitation throughout Western PA, we have the opportunity to work with athletes of all ages and abilities. We provide these athletes with the most comprehensive, state-of-the-art sports physical therapy available. Our goal is to make a positive difference every day for our patients, customers and each other through clinical excellence and customer service.  This is why we are proud and excited to offer access to our team much fast with the addition of the Sports Injury Hotline!

The Sports Injury Hotline will provide athletes with immediate access to Certified Athletic Trainers (ATC) or Physical Therapists (PT) 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Each individual athlete will receive an Injury Hotline Card/Keytag which includes our Injury Hotline phone number.  Whenever you or someone that you know has a sports injury, call the hotline number on the card to be immediately directed by an ATC or PT.

The Sports Injury Hotline number in the Pittsburgh area is 412-420-7312!

The Sports Injury Hotline with ATC/PT access will:

• Provide you with assistance over the phone to discuss your sports injury questions and offer advice on initial injury management
• Help you triage the injury over the phone to determine the best course of immediate action! (ALWAYS CALL 911 if you are someone near you is suffering a life threatening injury).
• Offer you on-site screening at many of NovaCare's convenient locations!
• Give you better access with guaranteed quick appointment scheduling to the best sports medicine physicians in the area.
• Provide you with immediate access to physical therapy treatments, if appropriate.

If you or an organization you know may be interested in utilizing this complimentary service, please contact Amanda Kainz, Director of Athletic Training at akainz@hq.novacare.com for more information.

What Is Manual Therapy?
Manual Therapy is a collection of specialized techniques used by therapists to help muscles relax, decrease pain and restore normal movement to joints.  These techniques, which include massage and stretching, are usually performed in conjunction with exercises and have been shown to be one of the most effective types of treatment available for various conditions.  Our therapists decide which techniques are best suited for each patient after performing a thorough evaluation and discussing treatment goals.

The Ola Grimsby Institute (OGI) is known for its world-renowned education programs in manual therapy.  The uniqueness of the OGI programs lies in the combination of an evidence-based patient management approach, with advanced, hands-on training and the instructor’s dedication to the success and the health of patients.  The following Physical Therapist's recently completed an extensive Clinical Certification Program for Manual Therapy.  The program consists of a series of courses taught over 10 months.  The program consists of 131 instructional hours, featuring 50% didactic instruction and 50% lab experience.  Written and practical exams are conducted on the final weekend of the program.  Through the successful completion of this rigorous program, the below Therapist's have earned his/her Certification in Orthopedic Manual Therapy (COMT) credentials.