Weekly Reflection March 16-20
It's amazing how quickly this internship went by. When I first started out I had a very vague idea but what physical therapy is. I understand that each therapist can specialize in a different area but also be able to work on the whole body. I have seen different machines used to help aid in the healing, including ultrasound, Estim, Russian stem, and dry needling.
March 20, 2015
It's hard to believe that today was my last day of the internship. I saw many of the same patients today as I have the last couple of weeks. It's strange knowing I won't see them them on a weekly basis again, that is, if I ever see them again. I saw improvements in most of the patients, whether it was just a small one or a major one. It's amazing how different exercises and stretches can improve many peoples' well-being.
March 19, 2015
Not everybody has the same amount of mobility. Some are able to touch their toes and others can barely bend over. This is not always a sign of weakness, their amount of flexibility may be due to surgery and/or increased pain. Some of the flexibility can be increased by exercises and stretches, but sometimes flexibility cannot be increased much, and they just learn how to adapt.
March 18, 2015
Many days seem a bit tedious, we see many of the same patients and treat them for the same ailments. However, not everyday is the same. We may change up the exercises for the patients or they may be complaining of different pains that we will decide to focus on that day. So even though it may seem like it, not everyday is the same.
March 17, 2015
Happy St. Patrick's Day! Now, that I have gotten that out of the way let's talk about my internship. In a way it is harder to find things to talk about because there is little variation in the day-to-day work. Many of the patients we see come in multiple times a week every week, with little variation in their treatment. Once in a while we will get a new patient and we have to conduct an evaluation on them. This evaluation starts with paperwork of course, but in the paperwork it asks the new patient which symptoms they are getting and where it is happening. Then the PT will sit down with the patient and talk about their pain. The PT will usually ask what causes the pain to increase, they will also ask about their range of mobility. All these questions help narrow down the list of what the ailment could be. Once the list is narrowed down the PT will usually assign some stretches or some exercises for the patient to do at home. They will run through the exercises with the patient to ensure they are doing them properly without too much pain.
March 16, 2015
Let´s talk about total knee replacements. A total knee replacement is exactly what it sounds like, they completely replace your knee. To do so they cut off the bottom part of your humorous and the top part of your tibia and replace it with a man-made joint (usually made of metal). This method can be quite effective however the healing process can take a long time.
During the surgery, a tourniquet is used to restrict blood flow down the leg being operated on. This alone can shock the quads which makes it harder for them to work properly. To help teach the quads to work properly after a total knee replacement, physical therapists can use Russian Stim to help the muscle contract as the patient tries to lift the lower part of their leg using only their muscles.
Another problem after a total knee replacement is that the knee no longer wants to bend by itself. A normal knee can bend to about 130 degrees, a typical knee replacement can only bend to about 90 degrees right after surgery. Physical Therapists help teach the knee to bend further typically by using brute force. They will push the knee as far as it is willing to go at that time (and as far as the patient can stand). Getting a total knee replacement to bend to 120 degrees can take about 5-6 weeks.
After hearing this, don't be scared to get a total knee replacement if you need one. They will be helpful in long run, being able to do activities with little to no pain is always rewarding.
During the surgery, a tourniquet is used to restrict blood flow down the leg being operated on. This alone can shock the quads which makes it harder for them to work properly. To help teach the quads to work properly after a total knee replacement, physical therapists can use Russian Stim to help the muscle contract as the patient tries to lift the lower part of their leg using only their muscles.
Another problem after a total knee replacement is that the knee no longer wants to bend by itself. A normal knee can bend to about 130 degrees, a typical knee replacement can only bend to about 90 degrees right after surgery. Physical Therapists help teach the knee to bend further typically by using brute force. They will push the knee as far as it is willing to go at that time (and as far as the patient can stand). Getting a total knee replacement to bend to 120 degrees can take about 5-6 weeks.
After hearing this, don't be scared to get a total knee replacement if you need one. They will be helpful in long run, being able to do activities with little to no pain is always rewarding.
Weekly Reflection March 9-13
Another week has past, one left to go. It's amazing, before I began my innternship 3 weeks felt like such a long time, but now I feel like it's going by so quickly. I do many of the same tasks every day (cleaning tables, grabbing handouts, and observing) but I have learned so much. I have learned about many different types of stretches that help different muscles. I have learned more about the importance of proper posture and the terrible consequences of bad posture.
I have seen many of the same patients, some are progressing quite well, others have hit a wall but they refuse to give up. I have also seen many new patients, some who don't know what's wrong with them, and other who know exactly why they are hurting. For the ones who don't know why they hurt I have seen the trial and error process to try and determine what is wrong. It can be a hit and miss. First, you have to determine which area of the body is the problem along with which movements cause the pain to intensify. Then you have to figure out what can be done to help.
I have seen many of the same patients, some are progressing quite well, others have hit a wall but they refuse to give up. I have also seen many new patients, some who don't know what's wrong with them, and other who know exactly why they are hurting. For the ones who don't know why they hurt I have seen the trial and error process to try and determine what is wrong. It can be a hit and miss. First, you have to determine which area of the body is the problem along with which movements cause the pain to intensify. Then you have to figure out what can be done to help.
March 13, 2015
Physical Therapy is not a one time deal. Meaning you will not be coming in for a single appointment, depending on your ailment you could be coming in multiple times a week. There is also the possibility of needing to come in months after your last needed appointment simply because your ailment came back and the PTs can help you. However, don't believe that PTs want you coming to them for the rest of your life. They want to help you get better so you don't have to come back.
March 12, 2015
Today I got to try one of the machines the PTs use to help patients with their muscles. The one I tried is called Russian Stim. What they do is hook up some pads onto the skin that conduct electricity. The electricity can be used for many things but with the Russian Stim it is used to help contract the muscles. They hooked the Russian Stim up to my arm so when the muscles contracted in my arm my finger began to curl themselves into a fist. It was a very weird sensation because I was no longer in control of my muscles but I could feel them contracting and I could see my fingers curling by themselves.
March 11, 2015
The muscles are everything. Even when working with a patient with bone injuries, such as a total knee replacement, the muscles really do matter. To help ensure that you are back up an running, PTs work on the muscles. By strengthening the muscles you are able to put more weight on that part of the body with less pain. As a PT you also need to know which surgeries affect which muscles. For example, a total knee replacement can damage the quad along with the hamstring, then your calf can also be affected because you cannot put your full weight on that leg.
March 10, 2015
Never give up. PT can be hard. It´s supposed to be hard. The whole point of PT is to get everything working properly again, which means you cannot take it easy. However, that doesn't mean you should work until you can't move anymore. A little soreness is expected but a sharp pain is not the goal. The moral of the story is to work as hard as you can without feeling intense pain. Don't give up.
March 9, 2015
Frequency is the key. Now that I have started my second week of my internship I have noticed something very important to note. Many of the patients I have seen have come by anywhere from once a week all the way up to three times a week. See, by coming in often the PTs are able to note any progress in a more specific detail. If the patient were only to come in once every couple of weeks then it would be harder to diagnose which exercises are actually helping and which activities are really hindering the patient. By coming in multiple times a week the PT can figure out what is actually helping the patients and what is not. Also, coming in multiple times a week means that exercises can be checked to ensure the patient knows how to do them properly before being sent off on their own again.
Weekly Reflection: March 2-6
My first week of LINK could be described as an information overload. This is a completely new environment that I am in. In other words it is not the same thing I am used to doing everyday for school. This doesn't mean it is a bad thing though, it pushes me out of my comfort zone but helps me learn in new and interesting ways.
There were many aspects of Physical Therapy that I had not known about. I have never had to go to Physical Therapy myself so all my assumptions were based on stories from other people or things I've read about or seen on TV. I assumed that PT was just small exercises meant to build up the muscles around the broken bone. I was wrong. PT is way more than that,PT is correcting posture through many different methods; helping increase flexibility by manipulating the person's body; it is find ways to alleviate pain in the body; it's strengthening muscles not just around the injury but all throughout the body to help ensure that the injury does not come back as easily.
The first week flew by so quickly. It is hard to believe I only have 2 weeks left, 10 days to be exact since I will not be working on weekends. I can't wait to see what is in store for me next week.
There were many aspects of Physical Therapy that I had not known about. I have never had to go to Physical Therapy myself so all my assumptions were based on stories from other people or things I've read about or seen on TV. I assumed that PT was just small exercises meant to build up the muscles around the broken bone. I was wrong. PT is way more than that,PT is correcting posture through many different methods; helping increase flexibility by manipulating the person's body; it is find ways to alleviate pain in the body; it's strengthening muscles not just around the injury but all throughout the body to help ensure that the injury does not come back as easily.
The first week flew by so quickly. It is hard to believe I only have 2 weeks left, 10 days to be exact since I will not be working on weekends. I can't wait to see what is in store for me next week.
March 6, 2015
There will be setbacks in Physical Therapy. It may be due to swelling in the area making it painful to move. It may also be because the exercises are not being done at home, or not being done properly. Another cause could be over exertion to the area. Whatever the cause, there will be set backs in Physical Therapy but it does not mean that you will not heal, it may just take longer.
March 4, 2015
Physical Therapists are sometimes called "Physical Torturers" by their patients. This is in a way true. Even though the PTs are there to help others feel better, they do have to cause pain first. The only way for patients to get better is to be pushed to their limits. This does not mean "push them so they won't be able to walk for the next week" it means "push them until they feel a bit sore but not too sore and be sure to help relieve the pain afterwards."
March 3, 2015
"There's 1001 different ways to skin a cat." This was a quote often used by the PT today. Since my main mentor only works three days a week I am spending the other two with a different PT. This is actually very beneficial, because each PT has a different method to accomplish the same thing. Whether the exercises vary or just the way the hands are positioned when manipulating the bones, each PT works in a different way but the end results are all the same.
March 2, 2015
The first day of my internship is now over, only fourteen actual word days left. So much went on today, I learned many new methods to treat different types of pains. It was interesting to viewed how the patients handled the physical therapy and I'm hoping I will be able to see their pain improve during my Internship.