Eric Fjeldheim

Physical Therapist

401 9th AVE NW Watertown South Dakota, 57201 Show map

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About

Eric Fjeldheim is a physical therapist practicing in Watertown, South Dakota. Eric Fjeldheim specializes in treatment to reduce pain, restore mobility, recover from surgery, improve strength, rehabilitate an injury, or increase movement and overall function. As a physical therapist, Eric Fjeldheim can treat multiple conditions with exercises, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, joint mobilization, heat, ice, or soft tissue work. Eric Fjeldheim will create a treatment plan based on the patients specific injury or condition, and might target a specific body part or body system based on the individual.

Education and Training

University of Saint Mary DPT 2016

Provider Details

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Eric Fjeldheim

Eric Fjeldheim's Expert Contributions

My Answers

What are the main factors causing sciatica in people?
Sciatica tends to be a term used for pain believed to be originating from some sort of irritation to the sciatic nerve. There can be many reasons that tissues in our body become sensitive and that our brain interprets that stimulus as pain. However, it is important to keep moving!!! PT’s are great at helping people that are suffering from back pain as they have unique training in assessing and successfully treating symptoms of “sciatica”. Doctor’s of Physical Therapy specializing in spinal or orthopedic conditions would be a great place to start your mother’s recovery. Hope that helps! READ MORE
Can physiotherapy help my husband recover from a one-sided paralysis?
Physical therapy is going to be a vital part of your spouse’s recovery. It is hard to know just how much recovery can be made as I don’t know the severity of the stroke, but PT’s will help him return as good as possible. READ MORE
After a slip disc when can my mom start physiotherapy?
“Slip disc” is really a misnomer. Our discs don’t slip and our bodies are robust, strong, and resilient. You are correct that it is important to keep moving. Schedule and visit with a trusted doctor of PT in your area ASAP to help get her moving again. READ MORE
What is scoliosis?
Scoliosis is a term used to identify some curvatures of the spine. It is not always pathological or a source of pain. Sometimes there can be imbalances in our body and muscles that predispose us to these changes. Scheduling a visit with a doctor of physical therapy would be a wonderful place to start. READ MORE
Will my first physical therapy appointment hurt? (right hip)
Usually PT doesn’t have to hurt. That being said, there are times where minimal pain may need to be tolerated to improve motion or strength. All conditions and every patient is different. In general, your PT experience shouldn’t be filled with excruciating pain. READ MORE
Can PT help with motion sickness?
The type of PT you are looking for would be one that specializes in vestibular rehabilitation. Sometimes dizziness can be caused by problems with the inner ear, cervical spine, or eyes just to name a few. A good vestibular PT should be able to take care of you. READ MORE
My back hurts when I sit down. Why?
There could be many reasons that back pain occurs when we assume different positions. Pain is a multifactorial experience and many thing contribute to our perception of pain. What type of chair do you sit in? How much do you sit? Is there a time of day that makes the pain worse? Does the pain ever travel down your leg? Do you have any bowel and bladder changes since noticing the pain? These are all important things to ask when you decide to seek out care from a licensed medical practitioner. READ MORE
What is causing my chronic back pain?
Have you been evaluated by a skilled physical therapist specializing in orthopedics or spinal conditions? Many things could be causing your back pain. With regards to information on medicines, I legally cannot provide that advice. That would be a great question for your primary care physician. Generally, long term NSAID use is not recommended per what most of my patient’s physicians state. READ MORE
My knees are cracking all the time - Do I need PT?
Like a lot of things in the healthcare field, it depends. Is the cracking painful? Do you feel like you have weakness in your hips and knees when walking? There are a lot of times when we have cracking in our bodies and it doesn't mean much. Other times, it can be accompanied by pain or locking of a joint or body part. No online advice will ever be as good as a thorough, in person evaluation. If this is something that truly worries you, I recommend finding a skilled physical therapist that specializes in the treatment of orthopedic conditions as they will be able to evaluate you and find the source of your issues. I find clinically that often times there are weak muscles that can lead to faulty mechanics, but again, if you are worried a good PT will be able to help you get some piece of mind. Hope this helps, Dr. Eric READ MORE
Help with neck muscle stiffness
Neck pain is another area that physical therapists specializing in orthopedic rehabilitation see frequently. A good PT will be able to identify the cause of your stiffness and tailor a plan to meet your needs to get you moving pain free! READ MORE
Rotator cuff tear
Many times, rotator cuff tears can be managed and treated without needing surgery. Strengthening the remaining rotator cuff muscles and the other surrounding musculature can often help individuals function normally. READ MORE
Regaining strength after a stroke
That is too hard to say without a good physical exam. In general, find what muscles are weak, and work to strengthen those areas. Weakness is common following a stroke and it will be important to work at regaining her strength to limit any physical limitations with her daily life. PT's are great at helping out with this! READ MORE
I have chronic knee pain
Have you tried PT? Have you discussed this with your surgeon? How active are you? How does this knee pain limit your daily life? All great questions to reflect on when making a decision about whether to have surgery or whether to try and manage conservatively. READ MORE
Post joint replacement
I can only comment on the practice of a physical therapist. As of now, the standard of care is to see a physical therapist after a total knee replacement. The rehab process will consist of helping you regain motion, improve your strength, and get you walking normally again. Physical therapists are experts in stengthening and recovering after a total knee replacement and this is something we work with commonly in the clinic. READ MORE
Weak from a stroke
Usually most improvement with a stroke happens within 1 year. However it is possible to continue improving strength with time and hard work. READ MORE
I'm only 23 and experiencing knee pain during exercise. Why?
Knee pain with exercise can have many different causes. What exercises are you doing? What exercises are painful? Is there a certain point during these exercises that are more painful than others? You could potentially have limitations in ROM at different joints placing more strain at the knee joint. Additionally you could have weakness in one area of the body causing your knee joint to undergo altered movement and different stress. It would be beneficial to have a PT check your form with these exercises and perform a screen on multiple joints and muscles to see where your deficiencies my be. I'm a perfect world, this PT would have experience with a strength/conditioning and fitness population. Hope this helps, Dr. Eric READ MORE
My shoulder hurts when I raise my arm. What should I do?
I think your best bet would be to go and see a respected/skilled physical therapist in your surrounding area. PT's commonly treat shoulder pain with movement and hep get people back to doing the things they love. READ MORE
I was diagnosed with torticollis and need to go to physical therapy. What kind of treatment will I receive?
Treatment for torticollis will usually involve some sort of stretching for the muscles that are tight around your neck, chest, and head. READ MORE
Pain in my hip - What kind of Doc do I see?
Hip and thigh pain can have many different causes. Often, pain from the low back and sacroiliac joint can refer to the hip area. It would be interesting to know what types of exercise you do primarily at the gym. In a perfect world, I would be able to watch you perform these lifts or basic movements to help get a better idea of what potential mechanics could be leading to your discomfort. I would strongly recommend a doctor of physical therapy with an interest in weight training or sports medicine as they are experts in conservative management of muscoloskeletal pain, or pain with movements. Hope this helps! READ MORE