Physical Therapy
Mercy Urgent Care is pleased to now offer physical therapy evaluation and treatments through Mercy Motion. The service is available for patients by appointment at the West Asheville location, 1201 Patton Avenue, on Tuesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Why Physical Therapy?
Physical therapists are movement experts who assist people of all ages and abilities. Physical therapists identify, diagnose, and treat movement problems. They help people overcome barriers to physical activity, as well as maintain or restore as much function as possible. Physical therapists design treatment plans specific to each person’s needs, challenges, and goals. They collaborate with you to develop strategies to achieve your goals. Physical therapy can reduce the symptoms of many chronic diseases and conditions that affect movement. It also can keep many movement problems from getting worse. Physical therapists can prevent the need for surgery along with the costs and risks of surgery. In some cases, surgery cannot be avoided. When surgery is necessary, physical therapy can prepare people beforehand and assist in the recovery after surgery.
Services Offered
Areas of Pain
For acute pain, our physical therapist will identify the injured tissue (e.g. bone, tendon, muscle) and devise treatments to promote healing and reduce stress on the injured area. If your pain is of a more chronic nature, your physical therapist can identify factors (faulty movement patterns, muscle weakness, fear, negative emotions, and other behaviors) that may be leading to the prolonged pain. Physical therapy can benefit pain located in these parts of the body:
- Back
- Neck/Headaches
- Hip
- Knee
- Foot & Ankle
- Shoulder
- Jaw and TMJ
- Hand, Forearm/Elbow, Wrist
Medical Conditions
Pain management is just one reason to work with a physical therapist. Some medical conditions lead to significant impairments in movement and/or function. Following certain medical diagnosis, the goal of therapy will be to restore function as much as possible. If the prior level of function cannot be met, your physical therapist will work to help you adapt or compensate improving your overall health and quality of life. Some medical diagnoses include:
- General orthopedic pain or injuries
- Work-related
- Sports injury
- Sprains, strains, fractures, and nerve entrapments
- Pre & post surgical rehabilitation
- Balance & Fall Risk
- Dizziness, Vertigo, & other vestibular dysfunction
- Cardiopulmonary
- Post-COVID Recovery
- Chronic Pain
- Concussion
- Osteoporosis management
- Diabetes management
Treatments
In order to reduce pain and regain function, physical therapists use many different types of treatments. At Mercy Motion, treatments could include the following:
- Therapeutic Exercise
- Muscle strengthening
- Range of motion exercise
- Stretching
- Endurance training
- Manual Therapy
- Soft tissue mobilization including IASTM (instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization)
- Myofascial decompression
- Joint mobilization
- Spinal manipulation
- Functional Training
- Gait and stair training
- Running gait analysis
- Neuromuscular Re-education
- Vestibular/Balance training
- Coordination activities
- Modalities
- Hot/Cold Treatments
- Taping
- Vasopneumatic compression
- Traction
Dry Needling
Dry needling involves placing a thin, solid filament needle to treat myofascial trigger points, muscle spasms, or dysfunctional tissue to stimulate a healing response. Dry needling is not acupuncture or Oriental Medicine; that is, it does not have the purpose of altering the flow of energy (“Qi”) along traditional Chinese meridians for the treatment of diseases. Dry needling is a modern, science-based intervention for the treatment of pain and dysfunction in musculoskeletal conditions.
Like any treatment there are possible complications. While these complications are rare in occurrence, they do occur and must be considered prior to giving consent to treatment.
Risks of dry needling
Dry needling is very safe; however serious side effects can occur in less than 1 per 10,000 (0.01%). The most serious risk associated with DN is accidental puncture of a lung (pneumothorax). If this were to occur, it may likely only require a chest x-ray and no further treatment. The symptoms of shortness of breath may last for several days to weeks. A more severe lung puncture can require hospitalization and re-inflation of the lung. This is a very rare complication and in skilled hands should not be a concern. Other risks may include infection or damage to internal organs. These are extremely rare events and have been reported in medical literature to occur in less than 1 in 200,000. As the needles are very small and do not have a cutting edge, the likelihood of any significant tissue trauma from DN is unlikely. Only single use, disposable needles will be used.
You should expect some temporary mild soreness post needling. Minor bruising may occur and is considered normal. The feeling of drowsiness, tiredness or dizziness may occur following needling but is rare (1-3%) of patients.
If you have any of the following medical conditions let your practitioner know before undergoing dry needling treatment: fainting spells or history of seizures; Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV, or any other infectious disease; diseases or infections that can be transmitted through bodily fluids; allergies to metals; a pacemaker or other electrical implant; currently taking a blood thinner (i.e. Warfarin, Coumadin; cosmetic implants in areas of the body that require treatment; currently taking antibiotics for an infection; any form of surgery in the past 3 months; diabetic or suffering from impaired wound healing; currently pregnant or trying to get pregnant.
Intake process for new patients
- Submit the Mercy Motion patient request form.
- You will be contacted within one business day to schedule an appointment. If you do not hear from someone, call 828.412.3262 and leave a voicemail with your name and number.
- If you are a new patient, click here and select ‘New Portal User Registration.’ Follow the steps to provide your medical history and sign documents. If you are unable to complete forms online, please arrive to your appointment 30 minutes early to fill out paper documents.
Mercy Motion appointments take place at Mercy Urgent Care West Asheville, 1201 Patton Ave. on Tuesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Insurance coverage of physical therapy at Mercy Urgent Care is dependent on the insurance provider and plan. Keep in mind that many insurers will pay for a predetermined number of visits and may not cover all treatment modalities recommended by the physical therapist. We suggest checking with your insurance ahead of time. If you choose to have visits or treatments beyond what your insurance covers, Mercy Motion is able to provide a cash pay option at the time of service. Pricing is as follows:
- $115 (initial visit, 60 min)
- $75 (45 min follow-up visit)
- Special offer — $195 (60 min evaluation, plus [2] 45 min treatment visits)
What to expect
At your first Mercy Movement appointment, the provider will perform a thorough evaluation that includes:
- A review of your health history and specific symptoms
- A thorough examination that includes assessing the quality and quantity of your movements, and any factors that may put you at risk for delayed recover or might indicate a more serious health issue
- Assessment of how you use your body at work, at home, during sports, and at leisure
- Determination of the diagnosis and impairments that are causing your pain and establishment of a treatment plan of care
Meet your Mercy Motion Provider
Michael Ferguson, PT, DPT
Michael first earned his undergraduate degree in accounting and practiced as a Certified Public Accountant before finding a passion for human anatomy and physiology. He was introduced to physical therapy through his own multiple knee injuries and eventually returned to school to follow his dream of becoming a physical therapist. Michael attended Western Carolina University earning his Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2018. He has worked with a wide range of patients suffering from low back/neck pain and other musculoskeletal injuries to those afflicted with neurological disorders, including stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and balance disorders.
Michael is a native to Asheville. In addition to spending time with his wife and children he enjoys weightlifting, Crossfit, swimming, and pickleball.
