Frequently Asked Questions
Advanced Muscle Therapy offers a variety of options for personal training, stretching, and fitness classes in the Fernandina Beach, FL, area. Call 904-491-4980 or contact us for more information on any of these services.

General Questions

How will Advanced Muscle Therapy resolve my issues with muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, and nerves when my doctor hasn’t been able to do it?

Your doctor usually isn’t trained in the area to relieve myofascial pain as well as the staff at Advanced Muscle Therapy. In a typical scenario, a patient consulting with their primary care physician or urgent care provider regarding joint or muscle pain would be prescribed muscle relaxers, anti-inflammatories, maybe a steroid pack and rest. While prescription drugs may temporarily relieve the pain, ultimately the pain will return. Never will any of the prescribed drugs above create healthy joints or muscle.

What techniques are used by Advanced Muscle Therapy to resolve my muscular and joint pain?

We use various tools in helping us reach homeostasis in the human body. Number one, a fit body is a healthy body, this is why we offer fitness training for everyone. We have fitness for the healthy, we have fitness for the post medical rehab and we have fitness for the senior population.
We offer massage therapy which has shown in study after study to be the best line of defense for muscle or joint pain developed through injuries or just aging.

Massage techniques such as cupping, deep tissue, myofascial release, neuromuscular massage, and Active Release Techniques are used daily in our offices.

Our Doctor is on staff to help with any situations that may need a special assessment or physical therapy prescribed by an MD.

We offer so many modalities that sometimes we can’t put everything in a short concise group, however, here are some of the tools we use to help you resolve your pain:

  • Piezo Wave2: We offer extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) to help remove restrictions and adhesions along the full length of the muscle, tendons and ligaments.
  • Light MD: Our red light and infra-red light machine was developed by a NASA scientist and has shown remarkable results in healing burned tissue, post surgical wounds, strained muscles, chronic sinus issues that present with headaches and chronic pain from post surgical areas.
  • Tool assisted myofascial release: Gua Shau blades remove adhesions along tendons and ligaments. Cupping helps reduce inflammation and assists myofascial release that helps restore tonicity to the human body. Foam Rollers assist in myofascial release and may be used in the office or at home with proper instruction. Hypervolts are state of the art percussion instruments that help reduce sensitivity and pain in an area that needs additional fascial therapy.

Stretch Therapy: We offer a unique fascial stretching technique that, over the last 15 years, has given our clients freedom of movement without pain and our athletes the flexibility they need to compete in today’s high speed endurance races.

My doctor and all my friends have suggested that I call Advanced Muscle Therapy. How can I make an appointment and do I need a prescription?

Making an appointment is as easy as giving us a call. Prescriptions are NEVER necessary for any of the services offered at Advanced Muscle Therapy, including Physical Therapy.

Do you take insurance?

We do not accept or file insurance claims. However, we are happy to provide you with a reimbursement form to submit to your insurance provider. Most insurance carriers, with the exception of Medicare, have issued reimbursements for our client’s visits when the proper paperwork is submitted. We do accept flexible spending accounts that are set up with a Visa/MC through your work or insurance carrier.

Why don't you accept insurance?

Traditionally insurance companies dictate a standard plan of care. We have found our clients are better served by creating an individually tailored plan of care, allowing us to treat you more efficiently and effectively.

How many treatments will it take to resolve my problem?

We hear this question every time we consult with a new client. Unfortunately, there really is no way to answer that question with a definitive answer. Frequency of visits is determined on a case by case basis. For the last 20 years we have developed a comprehensive understanding of what our therapy can and cannot do. However, if there is no change after three visits, we will refer you to your doctor. Typically even our most challenging cases experience at least a 75% improvement within their first three visits.  

What do I wear to an appointment?

Comfortable, loose fitting clothing that allows for movement is best for any of our services.

What types of issues does Advanced Muscle Therapy work on?

Anything to do with muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerve entrapments, myofascial adhesions and restrictions, just to name a few!

  • Neck pain – Headaches
  • Low Back Pain
  • Hip Pain – Trochanteric Bursitis
  • Knee Pain – Jumper’s Knee
  • Shoulder, Rotator Cuff issues
  • Tennis/Golfers Elbow
  • Carpal Tunnel
  • Stress Related Pain in shoulders
  • Achilles Tendonitis
  • Plantar Fasciitis

Where can I learn more about Active Release Technique (ART)?

We would be happy to answer any questions you may have about ART. You can also visit activerelease.com/patients.

Do you offer Personal Training and how frequently should I see a trainer?

We do offer Personal Training. The ideal frequency of personal training sessions varies from person to person. Just getting started with exercise and healthy eating? Need regular motivation and support to get to the gym? Have an injury that you’re working through? You’ll probably need to see a trainer once or twice each week.

Many weekly clients reduce their frequency of personal training sessions to bi-weekly or even monthly once they’ve demonstrated the ability to consistently get to the gym and progress their exercises as recommended. Although we miss seeing their smiling faces, we are always proud when clients reduce their need to see us because they’ve become self-directed exercisers.

What are some other common questions people have about exercising?

Do I need to diet as well as exercise if my goal is weight loss?

We try to discourage “diets”, as they are often only a temporary fix for a long-term problem. We do highly encourage healthy eating through permanent behavioral changes that you can live with. A healthy diet, combined with adequate exercise, will help you achieve your desired goals much faster than either diet or exercise alone. And, exercise and healthy eating together will ensure that you keep off any excess weight for the rest of your life.

How often should I exercise?

In general, it is recommended that you start with 3 exercise sessions a week. Over time, you can progress to 5-6 days a week. If you progress slowly, and vary your exercise routines, you will avoid any overuse injury or exercise burnout. This is why it is important to seek advice from a fitness professional—to discover how to save yourself from injury and burnout.

What are the best exercises for getting rid of muffin tops/bat wings/inner thigh bulge?

Excess fat on the belly, upper arms and inner thighs doesn’t typically occur in isolation. If you’ve got it there, chances are you’ve got it everywhere. You can’t spot reduce. No exercise will target fat cells in just one part of the body. You need to target them all via exercise and proper nutrition. And if you really want to see muscle definition once the layer of subcutaneous fat is shed, make sure you’re following a strength training program designed for building muscle.

Why can't I just do cardio?

While cardiovascular training is great for building strong hearts and lungs, it doesn’t provide the stimulus your body needs to build bigger, stronger muscles and bones. Why? Our bodies adapt fairly quickly to the load we ask them to move; unless you’re gaining weight, your legs will always be subject to the same load and moving that load through the same, limited range of motion.

Adding strength training to your program allows you to (1) increase the load on your legs, (2) change the range of motion you move your joints through and (3) target muscles that you don’t typically use during cardiovascular training.

Have additional questions? For more information on any of our training activities or classes, call 904-491-4980 or contact us now!
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Monday - Friday
8:00 AM - 5:30 PM

Saturday - Sunday (Closed)

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DISCLAIMER: This website is purely a source of information and can at no time replace the expertise of a qualified professional. We recommend seeking professional advice before continuing any form of self-treatment. Neither the content nor any other service provided through Advanced Muscle Therapy is intended to be relied on or in place of medical diagnosis or treatment.