Offices:
For McAllen, please see the currently listed information. For Laredo:
6010 Mcpherson Rd. suite 120
Laredo, TX 78041
Phone: 956-724-1962
Fax: 956-724-1967
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About Our Physical Therapist:
Christel M. Sanchez was born in Alpine, Texas and received her undergraduate degree in Kinesiology at the University of Texas at Austin. Early in her academic career Sanchez had planned on becom
ing a pharmacist however, she had a change of heart. "I took a couple of chemistry courses, but my true passion had always been in anatomy and physiology," said Sanchez, "So I decided to pursue a career in physical therapy". Sanchez went on to Texas State where she earned her masters in Physical Therapy. Sanchez now has over 8 years of experience working with Pediatric and Adult clientele. Sanchez is certified in neuro-developmental treatment techniques and is aquatic therapy rehab institute certified. Shortly after studying at Texas State, Sanchez received training in Boston once a month over the course of a 10 month time frame to become N.D.T. certified (Neuro-Developmental Treatment). Sanchez became a assistive technology professional in 2012 after spending extensive time working with both children and adult in need of specialized equipment to accommodate their needs. Sanchez also has had experience working at Brackenridge Trauma center in the wound care department as she was pursuing her graduate degree. Sanchez continues to commit her time to continuing education to stay up to date with any advancement within the Physical Therapy field.
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Physical therapy can address many physical ailments and disorders including the following (but not limited to):
-Pediatric clients: developmental delays, cerebral palsy, down's syndrome, muscular dystrophy, hydrocephaly, autism, seizure disorders, orthopedic injuries, obesity, and other neurological disorders.
-Adult clients: stroke, multiple sclerosis, muscle weakness, orthopedic injuries, arthritis, acute and chronic pain, Alzheimer's, diabetes, balance impairments, gait deficits, etc. Treatment on land can include therapeutic exercise, stretching/ROM, balance training, postural retraining, neuromuscular reeducation, gait training, bed mobility, transfer training, home exercise programs, modalities, evaluation/reevaluations. These treatments can be transferred to the aquatic environment and the benefits of aquatics are as follows:
Treatment in an aquatic environment allows for greater movement freedom due to decreased pain and physical properties of water. The warm temperature will help to promote relaxation of the lower extremity joints and provide weight relief to decrease the impact of movements on weakened structures as well as increase comfort. The pt.’s balance and equilibrium reactions can be improved due to the constant movement of the water resulting in greater somatosensory input to the receptors than movement through air. Treatment in water also increases muscle strength due to the water’s resistive effects (600-700 times that of air). Resistance is provided to all movements when the individual or body part is submerged. Treatment in the water also promotes deeper breathing from hydrostatic pressure on chest cavity and coordination of exercise with breath control as well as improve cardiovascular endurance and aerobic fitness due to the decreased cardiac demands during workouts. All of the above benefits of PT in an aquatic environment are translatable to land.
