Plumas Physical Therapy

04/12/2026

The McKenzie System at Plumas Physical Therapy
Our experience has proven it will work for you

At Plumas Physical Therapy, our therapists use the McKenzie System to diagnose and treat the pain and problems our patients have in their spine and limbs. Studies and our own hands-on experience has shown it brings our patients pain relief more quickly, and they spend less time in physical therapy.

Traditional physical therapy uses treatments such as ultrasound, electrical stimulation, and mechanical traction which takes presssure of the disc or nerve root easing pain. Typically physical therapy will perform general strenthening that does not address the specific dysfunction whether it is a tightness or weakness. We target the specific area with simple easy and straight forward exercises.

Kory Felker, owner and therapist at Plumas Physical Therapy, said, “Studies have shown that traditional PT modalities and non-specific stretching and strengthening are less successful. Our therapists are trained in this systematic method of assessment and treatment to identify and classify problems patients may have with their back, arms, and legs. Our goal is to centralize and reduce pain. We also take a careful look at posture, ergonomics, use of lumbar support, and most importantly a home exercise program to support the therapy.”

It all begins with your first appointment. Your initial appointment is a comprehensive review of your medical history and pain. You’ll be asked questions about your symptoms, especially your pain, when it occurs, when it’s worse and when it’s better.

Your therapist will assess your range of movement and your pain. They’ll also ask you to move in certain ways and from specific positions.

Your physical responses to those movements tell your therapist how to categorize your problem. It also helps your therapist understand how quickly you’ll respond to therapy and what kind of support and education you’ll need to manage your symptoms.

All of that information helps your therapist understand the specifics of your symptoms. It also identifies your treatment going forward.

You’ll be given specific exercises to improve your pain and mobility. Your therapist will tell you how often to do the exercises and what to do if you have trouble completing the exercises. Your therapy sessions will focus on performing your exercises correctly, together with any other treatment you might need.

The success of the McKenzie Method lies with small, repeated movements. Felker explained that those movements are designed to move the pain toward the spine, where it disappears. The movements aren’t hard, and they’re easily done in a few minutes a day.

The ultimate goal is to bring you relief and improvement as quickly as possible and to give you the tools you need to manage your own therapy. You may need to perform your exercises multiple times a day, especially at first. When you learn to manage your pain and mobility on your own, you’ll minimize recurrence.

When first asked why McKenzier, Felker said, “Because it works.” Give our office a call at 530-283-2202, to schedule an appointment as your first step to recovery. We’re confident the McKenzie Method will work for you.

02/21/2026

From Tech Neck to Pinched Nerve
PT can provide relief from neck pain

Just under a third of American adults experience cervicalgia annually. Some 85% of those who have experienced it, will suffer from it again. At Plumas Physical Therapy, we’ve helped our patients get relief from their neck pain.

Cervicalgia, a fancy word for neck pain, is a catch-all for cervical spinal pain. Whether from sleeping on it “funny,” injury, poor posture, aging, or disease, holding your head up can be painful.

Causes of neck pain
There are plenty of reasons your neck can hurt. Sometimes it passes quickly; when it doesn’t, knowing what’s causing your pain determines your course of treatment.

Injuries, such as whiplash, can damage muscles, ligaments, or vertebrae.

Poor posture is a major cause of neck pain. Tech neck is the inevitable result of slumping over your computer or mobile.

Poor posture isn’t confined to leaning over your computer; if your whole spine isn’t properly aligned, your neck is likely to hurt.

If you carry your stress in your neck and shoulders, that’s going to show up eventually as neck pain.

An unfortunate side effect of aging is osteoarthritis and the wear and tear it wreaks on your vertebrae and discs, which can lead to narrowed spaces in your spine and pinched nerves.

Cervical pain is also a symptom of several diseases and health conditions.

Why PT?
If your neck has hurt badly enough and long enough, you’ve seen your doctor. They probably recommended physical therapy, and here you are. What can you expect?

Your physical therapist will evaluate you for things like range of motion, tenderness, and strength. They may ask you to rate your pain on a scale of 1 to 10. Once they have a clear understanding of your pain and condition, treatment can begin.

Your physical therapist will work to reduce your pain and inflammation. Heat, massage, ice, and ultrasound are common therapies.

You’ll also learn very simple exercises to strengthen neck muscles and to improve your posture. Your therapist will teach you the exercises and prescribe the frequency and number of repetitions for each exercise. Remember! More is not necessarily better, and gains can be made without pains. Slow, gentle exercise will benefit you most.

Your physical therapist will also help you work to improve your overall posture. Typically, that involves strengthening your core muscles. While some of that work may seem to be completely unrelated to your neck pain, improved posture will help ease your neck pain and help prevent a recurrence.

You can expect twice weekly appointments for four to six weeks, depending on the severity of your neck pain and your diligence with your exercises. Our experience here at Plumas Physical Therapy has shown that patients who work hard at improving their pain tend to reap the most benefit in the least amount of time.

We’re here to help
If you’ve had a sore or stiff neck for longer than you’d like, you don’t have to suffer through it. Ask your doctor for a referral or just give us a call, 530-283-2022. We’ll get you in and on the road to recovery. We’re here to help and, we get results.

02/02/2026

Hill

Low Back Pain?
Physical therapy can provide relief

If you are experiencing lumbar pain, you are not alone. An astonishing 80% of American adults have reported low back pain at some point in their lives.

For younger people, lumbar pain can be caused by strains, sports injuries, or other accidents and is usually temporary. Adults who are 50 and older tend to have longer lasting lumbar pain because of aging, which can become chronic pain.

Chronic lumbar pain impacts your quality of life. If your low back hurts, you may have trouble standing after a while. You may have decreased mobility, such as walking or other exercise. Persistent low back pain can interfere with sleep and may affect your mood.

Lumbar pain - what and where is it?
Your lumbar spine begins at the bottom of your rib cage and descends downward to your pelvis. When you have pain in that area of your spine, it’s usually a mechanical problem with how your spine works. Degenerative disc disease, osteoarthritis, and stenosis (narrowed spaces in your spine) are an unfortunate side effect of getting older.

Years of poor posture can also aggravate the problem. The problem here is that over time, poor posture has weakened core muscles. Once that happens, it’s not so easy to build those muscles up because you’re in pain.

If you have sciatica or are experiencing hip pain, chances are that it’s not your hip that’s the problem, it’s your lumbar spine. Your doctor is the first step in receiving an accurate diagnosis. Usually, your doctor will suggest physical therapy, which is where Plumas Physical Therapy comes in.

How we treat your low back pain
Here at Plumas Physical Therapy, our therapists are trained in the McKenzie Method. Taught by certified instructors from the McKenzie Institute, the McKenzie Method is a system that assesses your pain and uses specific therapies to manage and improve your pain and mobility.

At your initial appointment, your therapist will assess your mobility, range of motion, and pain level. You can expect treatment to begin in the same session with a series of simple maneuvers that will set you on the road to recovery.

Many of our patients are pleasantly surprised by the relief they get in their first appointment. Your therapist will also give you home exercises, and if you are faithful, you’ll begin to see results quickly.

At Plumas Physical Therapy, we’ve found that patients who do their exercises at home and keep their appointments often spend less time in physical therapy than they expected. Your commitment to your exercises will serve you well.

What else can I do?
Core strengthening exercises can really help you achieve and maintain better posture and mobility. Walking is one way to help increase your mobility. Start with short walks, such as to the end of your driveway, and build from there. A sure way to make things worse and discourage you is to take long or strenuous walks or hikes. Slow and easy is key here, you don’t want to overdo and suffer a setback.

You may also want to consider spending time in our therapy pool. Although pool therapy isn’t standard treatment for lumbar pain, you may want to consider the pool as part of your overall exercise routine to build core strength that will help you in the long run.

If you decide you want to add pool time to your exercise program, ask your therapist about our independent pool exercise program. After an initial session in the pool, you can work independently for a nominal charge.

At Plumas Physical Therapy, our therapists use all the tools at their disposal to help you in your recovery. After all, we like to say, “We get results.”

02/02/2026

Low Back Pain?
Physical therapy can provide relief

If you are experiencing lumbar pain, you are not alone. An astonishing 80% of American adults have reported low back pain at some point in their lives.

For younger people, lumbar pain can be caused by strains, sports injuries, or other accidents and is usually temporary. Adults who are 50 and older tend to have longer lasting lumbar pain because of aging, which can become chronic pain.

Chronic lumbar pain impacts your quality of life. If your low back hurts, you may have trouble standing after a while. You may have decreased mobility, such as walking or other exercise. Persistent low back pain can interfere with sleep and may affect your mood.

Lumbar pain - what and where is it?
Your lumbar spine begins at the bottom of your rib cage and descends downward to your pelvis. When you have pain in that area of your spine, it’s usually a mechanical problem with how your spine works. Degenerative disc disease, osteoarthritis, and stenosis (narrowed spaces in your spine) are an unfortunate side effect of getting older.

Years of poor posture can also aggravate the problem. The problem here is that over time, poor posture has weakened core muscles. Once that happens, it’s not so easy to build those muscles up because you’re in pain.

If you have sciatica or are experiencing hip pain, chances are that it’s not your hip that’s the problem, it’s your lumbar spine. Your doctor is the first step in receiving an accurate diagnosis. Usually, your doctor will suggest physical therapy, which is where Plumas Physical Therapy comes in.

How we treat your low back pain
Here at Plumas Physical Therapy, our therapists are trained in the McKenzie Method. Taught by certified instructors from the McKenzie Institute, the McKenzie Method is a system that assesses your pain and uses specific therapies to manage and improve your pain and mobility.

At your initial appointment, your therapist will assess your mobility, range of motion, and pain level. You can expect treatment to begin in the same session with a series of simple maneuvers that will set you on the road to recovery.

Many of our patients are pleasantly surprised by the relief they get in their first appointment. Your therapist will also give you home exercises, and if you are faithful, you’ll begin to see results quickly.

At Plumas Physical Therapy, we’ve found that patients who do their exercises at home and keep their appointments often spend less time in physical therapy than they expected. Your commitment to your exercises will serve you well.

What else can I do?
Core strengthening exercises can really help you achieve and maintain better posture and mobility. Walking is one way to help increase your mobility. Start with short walks, such as to the end of your driveway, and build from there. A sure way to make things worse and discourage you is to take long or strenuous walks or hikes. Slow and easy is key here, you don’t want to overdo and suffer a setback.

You may also want to consider spending time in our therapy pool. Although pool therapy isn’t standard treatment for lumbar pain, you may want to consider the pool as part of your overall exercise routine to build core strength that will help you in the long run.

If you decide you want to add pool time to your exercise program, ask your therapist about our independent pool exercise program. After an initial session in the pool, you can work independently for a nominal charge.

At Plumas Physical Therapy, our therapists use all the tools at their disposal to help you in your recovery. After all, we like to say, “We get results.”

12/04/2025

Come help us and Quincy Rotary support our local Troop 151 and Rotary summer camp programs! Get a Christmas tree and a free Physical Therapy Evaluation & treatment! (Details below)

09/11/2025

Benefits of a physical therapy home exercise program
Home exercises are key to your successful recovery

Plumas Physical Therapy is in business for one reason: your rehabilitation. Whether you’ve had surgery or suffered an injury, we’re here to help you with your recovery.

Your doctor has told our therapists about your condition and about how long your physical therapy should last. Your doctor also may have outlined a timeline for any limitations on your PT.

After your first PT session, your therapist will give you some home-based exercises. A home exercise program will help you heal and get your life back.

What Is Hep?
Your therapist will assign you a set of exercises, called a home exercise program (HEP). The exercises are chosen with your particular situation in mind. Your therapist will show you how to do the exercises, tell you how many repetitions of each exercise and how often to do them.

For best results, you should be doing your exercises three to five days a week, but follow your therapist’s instructions.

Do Your Exercises
Consistently following your home-based exercise program will speed up your post-op recovery or post-injury rehabilitation. Typically, we’ll see you in our clinic for an hour twice a week. Part of your follow-up appointments includes the home exercises you’ve been given so that your therapist can check your progress.

HEP has been proven to improve outcomes. Home exercises help build your strength and flexibility. In turn, you’ll notice increased mobility. Home-based exercises build your muscle memory and your confidence.

Your road to recovery will be smoother and shorter if you do your exercises.

Perfect Practice Makes Perfect
Pay close attention to how you do your exercises. During your first visit and throughout your follow-up appointments, your therapist will coach you on the correct technique. To avoid further injury, it’s important to stick to the method you’ve been taught. You’ll avoid reinjury if you do.

More is not necessarily better
Most people in PT think more exercise is a good thing. Pain-free, you may have decided that 10 or 20 repetitions three times a day are too easy. Don’t simply decide to double your repetitions. You run a real risk of re-injury. Wait for your next appointment and talk to your therapist about increasing your repetitions.

There’s Really No Excuse
Our therapists know if you’ve been naughty. Sometimes our patients say they are too busy or tired or in too much pain to do their exercises. It’s very likely that your recovery will stall out if you skip your home exercises. If you take the time now, you'll be better faster. If you’re experiencing pain when you’re exercising, give us a call.

Conclusion
Studies show that patients who stick to their home exercise programs see long-term and sustainable improvement in their PT outcomes. Whether it’s your mobility, gait, balance, lumbar or joint pain, you can expect Plumas Physical Therapy will live up to our motto, “We get results.”

If you’re ready to get your life back, call us for an appointment at (530) 283-2202. We’ll get you on the road to recovery.

05/28/2025

Are you looking for a small part-time job? Do you have accounting and math skills?

We want to hire someone to handle our QuickBooks about 5 hours a week in our Quincy office. The job includes data entry and bank reconciliations for multiple accounts.

To apply, stop by Plumas Physical Therapy at 78 E. Central (behind the Safeway center). We're open Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

06/14/2024

Do you have neck pain? We can help!

Having trouble with your mobility? We can help!

05/03/2024

We’re looking for a friendly, self-directed person to join our busy practice. No experience required.

Responsibilities
Collect patient information to create and update patient records
Patient scheduling
Collect and process patient payments

Skills
Aptitude for problem solving
Ability to prioritize conflicting tasks
Ability to work independently

This is a full-time position, Monday through Friday. Salary commensurate with experience. To apply, submit resume and three references to plumaspt530@gmail.com or to 78 E Central Ave., Quincy. No telephone calls.

09/11/2023

Sprains and strains can significantly limit your abilities. But did you know that physical therapy can help restore your movements? 🤔Visit our site to learn more about recovery!

https://1l.ink/4VKMZ53

09/05/2023

At last Steve's time has come. Plumas Physical Therapy is officially recognizing Steve's many years of service to the community. Please join us at our Quincy office, 78 E. Central, Ste. 2, from noon to 2:00 p.m. for our celebration of Steve. There will be food and drink and much jocularity.

09/04/2023

Are you in serious acute or chronic pain? Perhaps you’ve had an issue with your back or hip for a long time. Maybe you’re healing from an unforeseen sports injury, or you’re still coping with the effects of an automobile accident. Physical therapy treatments are effective in helping patients restore the healthy, joyful, and active lifestyle they desire and deserve. Read our blog to learn more

https://1l.ink/FXF64LS