Guilford Woman July 2012 : Page 24

Lori Dixon Dixon and Associates Therapy Services Providing Quality, Individualized Care 24 | GUILFORDWOMAN.COM

Dixon and Associates Therapy Services

Debbie Faircloth

Lori Dixon is a remarkable woman. This licensed occupational therapist not only operates a private, outpatient clinic, she also raises four teenage boys as a single parent. (Her husband passed away in 2008). Combining care with compassion, and quality with personalized service, she treats patients from throughout the Piedmont Triad as unique individuals rather than clinical diagnoses. “My goal is to make each patient’s experience with therapy a positive one. Personal attention has been the cornerstone of my practice for the past 20 years.” A native of Wilmington, Ohio, Lori attended the University of Georgia and received her Occupational Therapy degree from the Medical College of Georgia in 1987. She also trained at Harmerville Rehabilitation Center in Pittsburgh, one of the top rehab centers in the nation. After working at High Point Regional Hospital, she started her own clinic in June 1992. In her practice Lori has seen patients as young as two weeks old experiencing a birth trauma to a 93-year-old woman suffering from back pain. She has treated NASCAR drivers, professional football players, college and local high school athletes as well. “I strive to provide all people with quality therapy. Most injuries are debilitating and life-altering. Therapy is my passion, and I work with patients so they can make a full recovery, or if not, as close to a full recovery as possible.” Lori Dixon is also unique among Piedmont Triad healthcare providers in that she specializes in a treatment technique known as Myofascial Release. For the past 23 years, she has experienced tremendous success with this gentle hands-on technique that relieves patients from pain spasticity, muscle tightness, soft tissue restrictions, and scar tissue. Training under and working with John Barnes, PT, an internationally-known physical therapist who developed this technique, Lori herself teaches these treatment techniques several times each year to other therapists throughout the country. “I work with patients who have both chronic pain and debilitating injuries and who are looking for treatment options rather than surgery or narcotic medications. I treat the whole person, not just as an isolated, injured body part or a specific diagnosis code. Every injury is unique, and often there is emotional anxiety as well as inter-related symptoms with other parts of the body.” Typical patients include hand and orthopaedic patients suffering from broken wrists, broken arms, rotator cuff injuries, and carpal tunnel syndrome; patients with chronic pain from TMJ, neck and back pain, headache, fibromyalgia, and motor vehicle accidents; pediatric patients who have experienced cerebral palsy and birth traumas; and female patients experiencing chronic pain in the abdomen and pelvic areas, pain from abdominal surgeries, and pain from cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgeries. “My greatest satisfaction comes from helping people. Patients come to me in pain and suffering, and I can see past that to the end result of their returning to their normal lifestyle. I love a challenge. When people with chronic pain or multiple injuries come to me, I love to figure out what is causing the pain and how to treat it.” Since Lori operates a private practice, she enjoys the autonomy and independence of not being owned by a particular hospital system or large corporation. Therefore, she is able to focus on patient needs rather than administrative requirements, treating patients one on one, one at a time, free of restrictive treatment guidelines. Working with more than 350 insurance plans annually, Dixon and Associates Therapy Services are currently in network agreements with Blue Cross Blue Shield and Medicare; however the office staff gladly files with all insurance plans and answers any concerns the patient might have regarding coverage. The practice also offers flexible payment plans to help those patients in need of assistance. Away from the office, Lori enjoys spending time with her four boys, supporting them and being a part of their activities. An enthusiastic animal lover, she is raising three large rescue dogs. She also loves music, exercise, cooking, gardening, and socializing with her friends. “Occupational therapy is not just a 9-5 job to me. It’s a unique opportunity to help people who are suffering from pain, and restore to them a better quality of life. It is my calling. It is what I was meant to do.” Patients Speak: The first I heard of Ms. Dixon’s work was from my son that was suffering with a sports injury. He injured his lower back prior to the start of his spring track season and was desperate for relief and healing. Ms. Dixon was terrific for him, identifying the location of the pain and treating it with exercise, stretching, and her hands-on manipulation of the muscular strain it turned out to be. We were all relieved it wasn’t structural. After facing my third neck/back surgery in less than 2 years I knew I needed to do something to get back into a normal physical routine, despite the recommendation that physical therapy “really wasn’t necessary.” Having had physical therapy sessions in the past that only provided suggestions of exercises to do on my own, including a stack of photocopied instructions, I wanted more. Ms. Dixon does just that by providing personalized service which actually accelerated my recovery; tight muscles loosened, pain relieved, appropriate exercises & stretching recommended, and solid advice to avoid future visits to the operating room. As for my son...he got started with his track season right on time. Ms. Dixon is definitely on the short list of those deserving credit for him achieving his lofty goal of winning all 4 of his individual events in the NC state meet. – Jim Freiberger I first heard about Lori Dixon at Dixon and Associates Occupational Therapy from a close friend a few years ago. I had rotator cuff surgery and was (so I thought) receiving physical “therapy”. Instead, I found myself alone majority of the time, unsure if I was doing the exercises correctly. The Physical Therapist would occasionally come out and show me another exercise and then leave again. After multiple physical therapy (PT) sessions my shoulder was still “frozen” and I had almost maxed out my insurance. I decided to take my friend’s advice and call Lori Dixon at Dixon and Associates Occupational Therapy. To my surprise I found a delightful, caring, and professional Occupational Therapist in Lori. She worked one-on-one with me, asked me to describe how I was feeling during the exercises, and was able to listen to my “body” as when to stop. After a few visits, my shoulder had “thawed out” (even though it was painful) and I had some range of motion. After a few more sessions and doing the at home exercises Lori Dixon prescribed, I was able to get 100% of my full range of motion back! This year I had trigger thumb surgery which remained tremendously painful, stiff, and swollen for four weeks after my operation. Having such great success with Lori Dixon, I called and made another appointment. The first week was spent “unfreezing” the thumb, getting back some range of motion, and donning an edema glove. After almost two weeks of Occupational Therapy (OT) my thumb was back doing the things I love (playing the piano, cello, and flute). Lori Dixon at Dixon and Associates is the only person I fully trust to treat me and other people with care, dignity, and qualified expertise. With her many years of exceptional training and experience, Lori Dixon is truly an extraordinary therapist and person! – Dr Pamela Krueger Having been bothered for months by tendonitis pains (in my forearm, elbow and shoulder) that were not responding to physician prescribed inflammation and pain medications, I, as a last-ditch effort, contacted Dixon & Associates. I had no idea what to expect from my first visit with Lori Dixon, or what the therapy process entailed - and quite frankly, I was not optimistic about getting any pain relief. I thought the pain was just something I would live with for the rest of my life. During my first visit, I immediately realized that Ms. Dixon knew her "stuff", and I found her mastery of occupation therapy sciences to be amazing. Her myofascial release therapy combined with targeted stretches and exercises left me, after just one visit, with lessened pain. And after a couple more visits and a continued regimen of home exercises I am now virtually pain free. Friendly, caring, personal, and one-on-one attention is something hard to find anywhere these days, but it is these things coupled with Ms. Dixon's knowledge and expertise that makes me happy to recommend her to anyone who is suffering with chronic pain. You owe it to yourself - call her today. – Dave Milstead In Jan. 2010, I broke my clavicle in five places in a snow skiing accident. After two surgeries, my orthopedic surgeon recommended physical therapy. I received therapy for six weeks, twice a week. After the recommended therapy I had very limited use of my left arm. This limited use of my arm and shoulder severely affected my profession, my physical activities and my daily routine. The physical therapist that treated me said that he could not do anything further to treat me. He suggested that I would have to work on my own and hope for improvement. I continued exercising my shoulder with little to no improvement. After seeing Lori in my office, I briefly mentioned the limited movement in my left shoulder and how severely it was affecting my life. Lori suggested that I make an appointment with her and let her see if she could help me. She felt very confident that she could help me. I was willing to try anything to get some movement in my arm and shoulder. After only 3 weeks of hands on therapy and manipulation, I had almost full range of motion. I continued treatment for several more weeks until I felt fully recovered. To me, Lori is a “miracle worker”. Currently Lori is treating me for two bulging discs. Her treatment has helped me so much. She is not only a wonderful therapist; she’s also become a very dear friend. She’s the best! – Nancy Ilderton I sustained a terrible injury to my right wrist in June of 2010, shattering my radius and tearing two major ligaments. I am right-hand dominant. I have undergone 2 surgeries and have attended occupational therapy sessions at Dixon & Associates 2-3 times a week since September 2010. My range of motion has improved significantly and my overall ability to use my right arm and hand are better than I ever could have imagined they would be after such a bad injury. Lori has literally changed my life. Her dedication to my complete recovery is both encouraging and motivating. She truly cares about me and how I’m doing – not just as a patient, but as a person. She has an uncanny ability to make therapy a fun place to be. Lori is friendly, patient, kind, empathetic, genuine, understanding and pleasant. There’s no one else I would rather have on my side or with whom I would rather stand in the ring of fire! – Haylee Gurley Treatment Descriptions: To provide our patients with the personal attention they deserve, we offer different types of treatments. Below are a few descriptions of the treatments we provide. Temporal Mandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMJ) Myofascial release can be a safe and gentle way to treat TMJ dysfunction. These symptoms would include chronic headaches, jaw pain, clicking and popping to the jaw, chronic neck and back pain and limited opening and closing to the jaw. These symptoms may also be related to trauma or surgery to the jaw. Myofascial release would help to relieve these symptoms of pain, stiffness, and limited range of motion to help you return to a healthy lifestyle. Hand Therapy Losing the use of your hands is losing your independence. It can be scary when you need help caring for your basic needs, caring for your home and family and returning to work. Many people have pain, edema, stiffness, limited movement and weakness to the hands or entire arm after they’ve had a surgery or a fractured bone to the hand or extremity. Myofascial release can help to decrease complaints of pain, and improve movement and flexibility. Followed with occupational therapy to increase strength and regain the use of your hand obtains your independence again. Common diagnoses seen at our clinic are carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, fractured fingers, fractured hands, fractured wrist, fractured arm, fractured elbow, arthritis, reflexive sympathic dystrophy (RSD), trigger fingers, crushed hands, amputations, and tendon injuries. Women's Health Dysfunction Myofascial release offers a safe and effective way to treat scar tissue, fascial restriction, tight and restricted muscles and soft tissue. For those of you who suffer from pelvic floor pain and dysfunction, bowel and bladder incontinence and dysfunction, problematic breast implant/reduction scars, mastectomy pain and limited movement, endometriosis, interstitial cystitis, painful abdominal scars, menstrual problems, pelvic and abdominal adhesions, coccygeal or tail bone pain, painful episiotomy scars, painful intercourse, and infertility problems due to scar tissue and adhesions. Myofascial release may be the right treatment solution for you. Chronic headaches, neck and back pain may also be related to pelvic and abdominal scars. These persistent problems can be resolved with myofascial release to the pelvic area. Myofascial release can help to relieve the symptoms and help you to return to a healthy lifestyle. Could Myofascial Release Help? If you suffer from chronic pain, stiffness and limited movement throughout your body, this may be due to trauma, repetitive movement, surgery, and/or abnormalposture. Many adults and children suffer with chronic pain, stiffness and limited movement due to many different reasons. Many different health care professionals offer treatment from chronic pain and stiffness. Some may be effective, though some are not. Some drug techniques offer temporary relief from pain but don’t address the problem causing the pain. When traditional therapies, medications, or surgeries have failed to produce the desired results, myofascial release is a safe, effective, hands-on, drug alternative. The myofascial release treatment approach consists of gentle application of trained medical professional hands, using sustained pressure into the body’s fascial tissue that is tight and restricted. The fascial tissue is the tough connective tissue which spreads throughout the body from head-to-toe. Trauma, posture, surgery and inflammation can cause the binding down of this connective tissue resulting in pressure on nerves, tightness to muscles and restrictions to blood and organs. Many of the standard medical tests, such as x-rays and CAT scans, do not show these fascial restrictions. People suffering from pain, limited movement and dysfunction may be due to fascial restrictions. Myofascial release done by a trained medical professional is effective for treating back pain, chronic pain, neck pain, headaches, carpal tunnel, fibromyalgia, spasticity head trauma, TMJ, sports-related injuries, mastectomy pain and swelling, abdominal pain and dysfunction, pelvic pain and dysfunction and women’s health problems. The myofascial release is a unique therapy available to people with a wide-range of chronic conditions. It is a safe, effective treatment to restore a person to a pain free, active lifestyle.

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