Home Exercises

Patients that come to Sports Care for physical therapy are assigned home exercises to do themselves at home on days that they do not come to the clinic for therapy. These exercises are crucial to a patients recovery. If a patient does not complete their home exercises, there is a noticeable difference in their recovery time. For instance, a patient who had a knee replacement was using the usual first step at using a walker post operation. She had been using the walker for a longer period of time than normal patients would. The next step from a walker is using a cane to walk with, but the patient was not able to use it. This was because the patient failed to complete her own duty in her recovery, which was doing the home exercises. After the PT was able to realize that this was the issue, the patient began to complete her exercises, and soon after upgraded from walker to cane. The patient must work just as hard at home on their own just as they do at therapy in order to further their recovery process. It is definitely and extremely important aspect when attending physical therapy.

Observation

I have been able to observe different patients throughout my time at Sports Care. One patient in particular caught my interest, because I was not aware that such a patient would attend physical therapy. The patient came to physical therapy after overcoming cancer. The patient was weak from the therapy and the sickness itself, so he began physical therapy to try and regain his strength and energy. When the patient first came in, he was always tired and needed to take constant breaks in between exercises. After only about 2 months of therapy, a visible difference in his performance has been made. It is an incredible thing to watch and see people progress with their strength and ability. I have closely been able to watch him each week, and the change within his energy and strength has drastically improved. He takes less to no breaks, and is able to complete his exercises at a faster pace. It truly amazes me how physical therapy can affect a person's life in the best way possible. I was also able to learn that physical therapy is more than just helping people who have had injuries or surgeries. 

My Daily Tasks

On the days that I attend Sports Care, I perform the same few tasks. I mainly observe the Physical Therapists treat their patients, as well as assist the physical therapist aids. The aids conduct the exercises for the patients prior to treatment with the therapist. I wipe down treatment tables with disinfectant after patients leave, change the pillowcases, fold laundry, give out ice/heat to patients after treatment, set timers for ice/heat or certain exercises, hand out equipment to patients for exercises, and file away completed flow sheets.

Patient Variety

During my time at Sports Care, I have been able to observe the different kinds of patients and the many different causes for the need of physical therapy. Specifically, I learned that there are many varieties of reasons as to why a person may need it. I have been able to observe patients who have had hip replacements, double knee replacements, work-related injuries, motor vehicle accidents, geriatric patients who receive balance therapy, and also a former cancer patient who receives therapy to regain his strength. Physical therapy helps a vast amount of different people for many different reasons. This is why physical therapy is such an important medical field. The therapists help their patients regain their mobility and strength in ways that the patients never thought they could. 

What is Physical Therapy?

1. Physical Therapy is a form of therapy for the preservation, enhancement, or restoration of movement and physical function impaired or threatened by disability, injury, or disease that utilizes therapeutic exercise, physical modalities (as massage and electrotherapy), assistive devices, and patient education and training.