Newbury Park Physical Therapy ( NPPT) provides the ability to improve symptoms and maintain progress in a caring and dedicated environment. What makes Newbury Park Physical Therapy unique is our ability to specialize in a myriad of problems. Physical Therapy can provide relief for structural, muscular, and neural problems. Pituitary abnormalities can cause an array of symptoms and impairments. NPPT skillfully works with patients facing these physical hurdles; especially patients faced with symptoms caused by Acromegaly and Cushing’s syndrome. A common complaint of Acromegaly patients is fatigue and muscle weakness. At NPPT, therapists work one on one with patients to strengthen, train, and reduce tension in muscles. Therapists are also able to reduce and eliminate joint pain and increase joint mobility through manual therapy. Cushing’s patients are often faced with muscle weakness, especially in their hips and shoulders. Physical therapy can combat weakness and increase muscle tone in necessary areas to help reduce muscle fatigue. Our clinicians have a holistic treatment approach; we consider the social and emotional factors involved and not just the physical symptoms of the patient’s presentation. Our knowledge of pain science helps patients understand where pain comes from and how it affects the body. Our holistic approach is able to change lives and get people back to their optimal state of wellbeing.

The physical therapist will do a detailed evaluation on a patient with their initial visit and establish what the problems are that need to be addressed during treatment. Physical therapists treat patients using a combination of manual therapy, exercise, modalities such as ultrasound, electrical stimulation, heat or ice and education to help improve a patients identified impairments. These may be due to pain, decreased mobility and muscle weakness. These factors individually or combined can create many functional problems which affect the quality of life of an individual on a daily basis. Each treatment plan is customized to the individual patient’s presentation and change during the course of treatment as the patient’s presentation changes. Physical therapists are movement specialists and our goal is to reduce pain, improve motion, restore function and prevent disability. We use a combination of hands-on treatment, exercise and functional movement training to ensure the best possible outcome for each patient so we can get them back to enjoying their lives to the fullest as far as their daily activities, community and recreational activities go. So essentially getting our patients back to life!

For more info including articles on chronic pain and exercise videos go to:

NPPT’s – Retrain Your Brain

NPPT’s Medical Library

Bernardine Thomas, PT, OCS

Bernardine earned her B.Sc. in Physiology and Human Movement Science in 1993 from the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa. She continued her studies there to complete her Physiotherapy degree in 1997. Since graduation, Bernie has followed her passion working in a variety of Orthopaedic Physiotherapy settings both in South Africa and the United States.

She has attended numerous post-graduate courses including several yearlong Orthopaedic Manual Therapy and Pain Science courses with an emphasis in the Australian Approach. In 2005, Bernie was awarded her certification as an Orthopaedic Specialist (OCS) by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties. In 2015 she recertified as a clinical specialist in orthopedics. She is an active member of the American Physical Therapy Association.

She is a firm believer in practicing what she preaches by maintaining a very active lifestyle. Some of her current activities include CrossFit and mountain biking. When not at the clinic, or working out she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking and traveling.