Brittney Shuenfelt, Dr. Travis Robbins and Victoria Johansen
At Benchmark Physical Therapy, people of all ages and activity levels are empowered to start moving with assurance back into the areas of their lives where they may have lost confidence. Patients at Benchmark receive personalized treatment from a dedicated team of experts, no matter which location you visit.
“One-on-one attention and an individualized care plan are central to our ‘listen-and-adopt’ approach,” said Dr. Travis Robbins, PT, DPT, OCS, director of the May River clinic. “You’ll work with the same clinical team throughout your journey, building trust as you build strength, and at every Benchmark location, you’ll find professional, supportive, and results-driven therapists.”
Dr. Travis Robbins has instituted Hawaiian-shirt Fridays at the Bluffton location of Benchmark Physical Therapy.
Robbins has been at Benchmark for a little over a year after previously serving 20 years in the United States Army, where he earned his doctorate in physical therapy as well as his board certification as an orthopedic clinical specialist. While he specializes in rehabilitation of the spinal column, Robbins also practices therapeutic dry needling, which is a Western version of acupuncture.
“With dry needling, unlike acupuncture—which uses an Eastern approach focusing on the chakra systems and meridians of the body and can be a bit vague—dry needling takes a more direct approach by inserting the needles into the specific tissues of the body where the patient is experiencing pain in order to assist and speed up healing,” he explained.
The scientific theory behind dry needling is the use of precise and controlled levels of inflammation created by needling the tissue, which prompts the body to heal the areas that are being treated.
“In truth, different levels of inflammation are what keep our bodies running properly, and we need a certain amount of inflammation to heal and function,” Robbins said. “So, we insert the needles to create just a little—but not too much—inflammation that in turn triggers the body to begin to heal and allow for soothing that area.”
Additionally, Robbins utilizes manual therapy in his practice. As a board-certified orthopedic physical therapist, he is the only doctor in the Bluffton, Beaufort, and Hilton Head area qualified to perform functional capacity evaluations, which are used for patients who may have been injured on the job or in accidents.
“Many times, attorneys, physicians, and employers require disability ratings for people injured on the job,” he explained. “They may need testing to reveal how the patient is functioning or where they’re still having trouble. It’s a standardized battery of tests that determines if the individual can return to work safely and resume their job, if they need to return with modifications, or if they’re not able to return to work in their previous capacity and need some form of adjustments to their work.”
There are currently five Benchmark locations across the area, with clinics that are purposefully smaller to create an environment that fosters relationships with patients that they may not experience at larger clinics. Benchmark patient care is tailored to the individual in order to achieve the best results possible.
“The Benchmark mission is compassionate, expert care.” Robbins said. “I know that, especially at the May River clinic where I am the director, we do this well. We care for and know our patients in a way that allows us to provide the highest quality of care in the area.”
Benchmark therapists and therapy assistants offer outpatient physical therapy for patients who’ve experienced injuries to their knees, ankles, or back, as well as patients with any neuromusculoskeletal conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis. But timeliness is key to recovery.
“When you begin to have musculoskeletal aches and pains or sustain and injury, don’t wait,” Robbins said. “Get an evaluation with a physical therapist early on before it becomes a chronic, lingering condition. Early treatment allows for faster recovery, and you can regain your health and get back to the things you enjoy more quickly. The longer you wait to treat an injury, the harder it is to fully recover.”
Many insurance companies will cover physical therapy treatment for 30 days with no medical referral required. Medicare patients and some insurance providers require a physician referral for covered visits, however urgent care clinics can write referrals without the delay a patient may experience while waiting for an appointment with their primary care doctor.
The staff at Benchmark Physical Therapy is always growing, and they are always looking to add both physical therapists and physical therapy assistants to their team. For more information about Benchmark or to apply for a job at a location near you, visit benchmarkpt.com.
