Exergaming in Bethesda

Physical therapists at Bethesda Physiocare® are changing the game when it comes to exercise and physical rehabilitation. Our team has worked to adapt the principles of the motor learning theories, such as Optimizing Performance through Intrinsic Motivation and Attention for Learning (OPTIMAL). To summarize its overall goal, the OPTIMAL approach enhances expectancies and results when performing specific movement skills.  In simple terms, patients are engaged and having fun without realizing they are performing rehabilitation!  Our clinic utilizes various LED targets, virtual reality, motion tracking, and real-time feedback to make patients feel more like they are in an arcade than a PT office. By combining the OPTIMAL model with current concepts of pain neuroscience and biomechanics, our team has revolutionized exercise and physical rehabilitation, especially for individuals suffering from Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Dysautonomia.

Our therapists have been invited to present this innovative form of exercise at conferences worldwide. This has included the EDS Global Conference and many continuing education conventions for physical therapy. Additionally, Dr. Jan Dommerholt and Dr. Nathan Mayberry teach Exergaming – A Innovative Pain Management Approach at our international headquarters in Bethesda, MD. Our clinic’s program is used for the treatment of all kinds of orthopedic and neurological impairments, including: