Research shows movement can decrease pain when it’s done right. That’s where North Kansas City Hospital’s Move Plus Physical Therapy Clinic can help.
The Difference
Different from traditional PT, the Move Plus program uses active versus passive approaches for treatment of people with chronic pain.
“My patients have benefitted a great deal from Move Plus, thanks to how the therapists provide an active approach to physical therapy, insight into the cause of pain and a feeling of community,” said Dustin Woyski, DO, orthopedic surgeon with Northland Orthopedics & Sports Medicine.
By combining research-based methods for restoring function and movement with proven pain management strategies, Move Plus PTs:
- Address patients’ fears of physical movement, so they can confidently perform activities
- Guide patients safely through progressive resistance movements to improve their ability to move
- Help patients understand the science of pain to shift the mindset and fear of activity
The Program
Make a Referral
Sessions are held in groups of two to four patients. A referral is needed to participate in the Move Plus Physical Therapy Clinic. To refer a patient, call 816.691.1795 or fax orders to 816.346.7065. Most insurance carriers cover Move Plus services.
With NKCH patients reporting an over 75% overall improvement (see table), Stephen Reintjes Jr., MD, neurosurgeon with Meritas Health Neurosurgery, is a champion for the program.
“I refer many of my surgical and nonsurgical patients to Move Plus. It's an invaluable tool for chronic neck and back pain treatment,” Dr. Reintjes Jr. said. “Although some patients are skeptical, by and large they agree that Move Plus exceeded their expectations and reduced their pain levels.”
Move Plus PTs partner with patients in two 90-minute sessions per week for up to eight weeks. Treatment sessions provide patients with:
- Individual instruction and education on the science of pain (30 minutes)
- Aerobic exercise, circuit-based stretching and strengthening tailored to help patients meet their specific goals (60 minutes)
- Education on transitioning to a home- or gym-based program for long-lasting benefits
The Candidates
- Age: Late teens to seniors
- Treatment for:
- Acute to chronic disability
- Amplified pain syndrome
- Endurance, spinal flexibility or strength impairment
- Fear of activity or movement
- Fibromyalgia or otherwise generalized pain conditions
- History of motor vehicle accident (>3 months)
- Mechanical spinal pain
- Moderate to severe spinal disability (as determined by an Oswestry Disability Index score of 20
- or greater)
- Nonsevere osteoporosis
- Opioid reduction/weaning
- Postsurgery therapy (>6 months)
- Presurgery conditioning
- Weakness due to pain
- Work-related injury (>3 months)
Move Plus PTs educate patients on the science of “their pain” by helping them understand how to manage their daily activities and not allow the pain to manage them. The focus is on function and what patients want to do, but they presently cannot do.
“Whether a patient is preparing for surgery or is not a surgery candidate, Move Plus gives patients the means to make great strides,” Dr. Woyski added
Stephen Reintjes Jr., MD
Dr. Reintjes Jr. earned his medical degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. During his neurosurgery residency at the University of South Florida, he completed a one-year neurosurgery fellowship in epilepsy at the college and a one-year neurosurgery fellowship at the Swedish Neuroscience Institute.
Dustin Woyski, DO
Dr. Woyski earned his medical degree from Kansas City University and completed his orthopedic internship and residency at Oklahoma State University/St. Anthony Hospital, Oklahoma City. He was a fellow in hip preservation and reconstruction at Duke University Hospital.