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physical-therapist-and-client

Why Physical Therapy is Good for Women’s Health

/13 June 2022/ All MFN blog/

Women’s health concerns are much more complex than men’s and with the help of physical therapy (also called physiotherapy in many parts of the world), many of these issues can easily be remedied or addressed. There are main factors that greatly differentiate men from women. Of these, it is important to highlight three: menstruation, pregnancy and lactation. These bodily changes in a woman are mostly influenced by hormonal fluctuations and can also be a reason for mood swings and differences in behavior.

orthopedic-fitness-rehab-trainer-and-female-client

Bridging Rehab with Fitness: Become the Trusted Referral for Rehabilitation Therapists

/30 March 2022/ All MFN blog/

There are special and unique bonds that are made between clinician and patient in a rehabilitation setting. Many times, rehab patients are at a very difficult time in their lives and through months of daily expert guidance, hard work, education, and often even fun, alongside their rehab team, they make considerable gains back towards independence.

Because of this daily interaction, the rehab team develops a vested interest in the continued progress of their patient. Over the course of many months of the blood, sweat and tears of intensive therapy sessions, a friendship has been formed and considerable progress made together. It’s no wonder that rehab professionals are very selective with the fitness referrals they make once their patients are ready for the post-rehab world.

They are selective because they want the absolute best for their patient; they want someone with an understanding of their patient’s diagnosis; someone who understands medical precautions and contraindications; and someone who can safely continue to progress their patient without putting them at risk for a secondary issue. Though they may be selective with referrals, a trusted source for continuing their patients’ goals is needed.

Here are some ways to bridge the gap and gain the trust of your local rehabilitation professionals:

Require a medical or physical therapy release

Having medical releases before beginning ongoing sessions is an excellent way to open dialog with your client’s doctor or physical therapist and further, ensures that you are programming their fitness plan accordingly. Send your assessment with your client to share in their next appointment along with a simple inquiry form about restrictions or suggestions to use in your program design. This will go a long way in establishing a great level of trust and building a rapport with the clinic.

Volunteer at a rehab clinic

One of the best ways to build a rapport with local rehab professionals and patients is to spend time shadowing/observing or volunteering in a rehab inpatient and/or outpatient clinic. This can be a time-consuming start-up as many rehab clinics will have an orientation process and procedures to allow you to be present in a clinic, but it is definitely worth the time investment. Just being in this environment you can learn a lot about how therapists progress their rehab patients, guard their rehab patients during activity, interact with and educate their patients as they progress them to discharge (the point where you would continue their work). You may also get some valuable opportunities to learn from and build relationships with many therapists in one setting.

Lead warm-ups for local 5K races

There are 3.2-mile run-walk-and-wheels events that take place all over the country. Donating your time to your community Spina Bifida Walk ‘n Roll or Parkinson’s walk is a great way to become visible in your community and demonstrate what you have to offer for all abilities.

Speak at local support groups

Same as with the 5Ks, there are support groups that take place monthly or quarterly for stroke survivors, caregivers, individuals living with Multiple Sclerosis and more. Contacting the organizer of these groups and offering to donate time to speak about the benefits of continued exercise or even providing a no-cost group class during the scheduled talk time is a really good way to connect with both the organizers and their peers and those in attendance who would benefit from a continued exercise program.

Educate yourself on adaptive/medical exercise equipment

Understanding the different options there are for accessories and actual exercise equipment for stroke survivors or those living with spinal cord injury is another great way to demonstrate an understanding of working with a rehab population and continuing to bridge the gap between rehab and fitness. Not all equipment is accessible nor safe, so while thinking outside the box is great, ensuring safety is optimal. Take the time to learn about all the great adaptive equipment that can benefit the population you work with.

Host an open house at your gym

Host regular open house events at your facility and invite any and all rehab professionals, patients, and people from your community. Offer instructional sessions during the open house to demonstrate your adaptive programming/equipment. This is a great way give a sneak peek into what you’re doing to provide a safe environment for patients to continue their progress.

Offer to provide a lunch in-service to rehab staff

Meeting with a clinic full of therapists is an excellent way to educate those therapists that you have done your research, understand your population, and really want to bridge the gap between rehab and fitness. A presentation focused on the population you’re most comfortable working with (Parkinson’s, stroke survivors, etc.), the programs you offer, and pictures or videos of some of the work done in your gym. Bringing food is always a great incentive!

Bridging the gap between rehab and fitness is a process that is long overdue and much needed. By focusing on the points above you will be working towards and moving one step closer to improving the therapist-trainer model, adding a valuable resource to your community and providing a safe environment and safe programming to continue progressing your post-rehab clients.

This article was featured in MedFit Professional Magazine. 

Devon Palermo is a leading authority on Adaptive Fitness for those living with or recovering from a disability. He is the Founder and Principal director of DPI Adaptive Fitness, A company focused on safe and effective adaptive fitness for individuals living with disabilities. With over 15 years of experience in both fitness and rehab, He is the go-to resource for clients, therapists, and doctors in the DC, Maryland and Virginia area looking to maximize the benefits of adaptive exercise to improve strength, balance, function and abilities. dpiadaptivefitness.co

Gymnastics physiotherapy with dumbbells

Aquatic Exercise for Rehabilitation and Training

/3 August 2018/ All MFN blog/

Water can be used as a therapeutic and healing medium for rehabilitation, swim training as well as for fun and relaxation. Aquatics therapies have been used for physical and spiritual cleansing in religions around the world for centuries.

aqua fitnessThere has been extensive research to explore the various uses, aides, restrictions, and safety measures relating to the use of water and the individual who chooses aquatics as a form of therapy or training. Included in that work is a variety of patient diagnosis, current states of health and the necessary modifications for particular swim strokes, stability, and safety.

What has been discovered is the level in which the aquatic instruction and props (if needed) would vary from not just student to student, but level of injury or skill level of the participant. Though water is a natural place to engage in healing, exercise and rehabilitation, much care is needed for a safe and beneficial experience.  Exercising in water is quite different than exercising on land.

There are different reasons for choosing aquatics as an exercise medium. Aside from buoyancy and the feeling of weightlessness that comes with it, the hydrostatic pressure and velocity of the water gives one a feeling of support while in the water.

Five Important Factors

The type of aquatics therapy that is recommended would depend on the individual and the particular circumstances specifically relating to them. There are five important factors that must be considered when working with aquatics: 1) Gender,  2) Height,  3) Fitness Level, 4) Whether or not the person smokes and 5) If there is any known disease present. Any of these factors will have an effect on the air volume capacity of a given person.

Ideally there will be a team of licensed professionals working with the patient or student on their road to fitness and wellness. This is known as the Lyton Model (pictured below). It is imperative that the aquatics instructor understand the physiological responses to the body when immersed during any type of aquatic exercise or training. The heart, kidneys and adrenal glands are immediately impacted with immersion due to the shifts in blood flow (stroke volume) caused by the hydrostatic pressure. This change will shift depending on the level of the submersion. Example; waist, chest or chin height, the effects on the body will differ.

lytonmodel

Lyton Model

Because water is so versatile, it can be used to treat injuries involving the muscular skeletal and the neuromuscular systems as well. In addition to the above mentioned properties of water, the thermal influence, viscosity, drag and turbulence can all be used and adjusted to produce: relaxation, pain reduction, edema reduction, increase nutrients and increase inflammatory mediators. Muscle tone can be improved and spasms can be reduced. The bones of the body are also said to be strengthened when immersed in water.

As with any exercise, the way in which one breathes is extremely important and breath control should be mastered. The patient or client should not be afraid of the water or be afraid to submerge the face, ears or head under water. Though the reasons for attending aquatics therapy may be different from one person to another, certain skills are necessary as a safe practice measure.

Specific skill training; fall prevention, balance strategies, induced movement and core stabilization therapies are important activities that should be in practice when working in the water. There are different methods and props to aid in accomplishing these goals if someone is having difficulty. The treatment goal will ultimately depend on the individual in training or the prescribed rehabilitation.

man-swimmingThe modifications that have to be made for an individual with an upper body amputation will differ from the modifications that need to be made for someone with a lower body amputation. The location of the amputation of the limb is also relevant to the necessary adjustments. The adjustments and aides for someone who has suffered from cerebrovascular hemiparesis will be different from someone who suffers from arthritis pain or who is a paraplegic.

The trained aquatics therapists will recognize whether or not a patient or client is in need of a supportive aide (and which one in particular), if the patient needs to work longer on a specific exercise or if they are ready to progress. It is important for the therapist to be “hands on” in the water not just as a means of safety and to assist in recovery strokes but also as needed, physically change the dynamics of the water that is in close proximity to the client and his/herself as a therapeutic aide.

Talk to your healthcare provider to see if aquatic therapy or aquatic rehabilitation is the right option for you.

Michelle D. Talbot-Bey, BCTMB specializies in Personalized and Functional Medicine which includes Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment. She owns Pleasures II Wellness Natural Health Center in Woodbridge, VA, based on the ancient teachings and practices of Ayurveda. She offers therapeutic massage, mind/bodywork therapies, in depth consultations and natural pharmaceutical approaches and recommendations for Holistic healthcare, prevention, maintenance, and relief from chronic diseases.  She has also completed the AFPA Aquatics for Rehabilitation and Fitness course.

 

Instructor And Elderly Patient Undergoing Water Therapy

Kinesiotherapist: The Transitional Rehabilitation Specialist

/22 February 2016/ All MFN blog, Conditions/

Kinesiotherapy (KT) is a highly specialized and yet extremely adaptable therapeutic discipline. A Registered Kinesiotherapist (RKT) is equipped with knowledge and skills to bridge any gap between acute illness and physical wellness. The RKT uses two fundamental modalities, exercise and education, to help improve functional loss in their clients.

Post-Stroke Rehabilitation with Physical Therapy

/22 September 2014/ Conditions/

In the United States more than 700,000 people suffer a stroke each year. Approximately 2/3 of these individuals survive the cerebral vascular accident and require rehabilitation (relearn skills that are lost when part of the brain is damaged). The goals of rehabilitation are to help survivors become as independent as possible and to attain the best possible quality of life.

Physical therapists specialize in treating disabilities related to motor and sensoryInstructor And Elderly Patient Undergoing Water Therapy impairments. They are trained in all aspects of anatomy and physiology related to normal function, with an emphasis on movement.  They assess the patient’s strength, endurance, range of motion, gait abnormalities and sensory deficits to design individualized rehabilitation programs aimed at regaining control over motor functions.

Functions compromised when a specific region of the brain is damaged by stroke can sometimes be taken over by other parts of the brain. This ability to adapt and change is known as neuroplasticity. Physical therapists help the patient regain the use of stroke-impaired limbs, teach compensatory strategies to reduce the effect of remaining deficits and establish ongoing exercise programs to help people retain their newly learned skills. The repetitive use of impaired limbs encourages brain plasticity!

In general, physical therapy emphasizes practicing isolated movements, repeatedly changing from one kind of movement to another and rehearsing complex movements that require a great deal of coordination and balance. Balance retraining may consist of walking up or down stairs or moving safely between obstacles.  People too weak to bear their own weight can still practice repetitive movements during hydrotherapy (water providing a sensory stimulation and allowing for weight support) or while being partially supported by a harness.  A recent trend in physical therapy emphasizes the effectiveness of engaging in goal-directed activities, such as playing games, to promote coordination, balance and movement strategies.

If you or your loved one has had a stroke, be sure to be evaluated by a physical therapist as they can substantially help people achieve the best possible long-term outcome.