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Physical Therapy works with multiple conditions and numerous resourcesTucked away in the lower level of the New Ulm Medical Center Clinic is a department that many patients may never see unless they are referred there. It is a department of vast resources and multiple modalities. Staff in this department can help restore you to strength after an injury or surgery. They can help you maintain health if you have been newly diagnosed with a condition such as osteoporosis or fibromyalgia. They can even leave the boundaries of the medical center behind and come into your home and assess it for safety following a surgery or injury that may have left you with limited mobility. You may see them at your son or daughter’s baseball game to be on hand just in case an injury occurs. Give up? It is the Physical Medicine Department. “Physical therapists, put simply, are health care providers who are educated in understanding the interaction of all the body parts with our environment and activities,” said Physical Therapy Department Manager Deb Beatty. “Our goal is to show people how to take care of themselves following a new diagnosis, an injury or a surgery. Most often this involves teaching our patients exercises to gain strength and mobility and how to use their body to prevent injury.” There are a multitude of conditions with which this department works. Some examples include: pain, weakness, stroke, edema, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, fibromyalgia, arthritis, vertigo, developmental delays, sprains, strains, and fractures. The small therapeutic pool in the PT department is the “best kept secret in town,” Beatty said. “We use it for exercise for patients with arthritis, stroke, back surgery – there really are very few limitations for aquatic therapy.” Beatty said she often deals with patients who can’t walk on their own, but with the buoyancy of the water, they are able to exercise. Patient Valene Silcox is a good example of a person who has benefited greatly from the therapeutic pool. Silcox suffered a stroke which affected the right side of her body in November last year. She now walks with the assistance of a cane and said when she started aquatic therapy she immediately noticed improvement in her right ankle. “I’d come to the pool even if I hadn’t had a stroke – I’ve always loved the water,” Silcox said. “But, for therapy, it’s the perfect combination of buoyancy and resistance that makes it so effective.” Beatty said the goal of aquatic therapy, as with many of the therapies in the Physical Therapy department, is to teach people a program that they can continue on their own. There is independent pool time on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 4 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday at 9 a.m. Those interested in the independent pool time may call 233-1173 for more information. Osteoporosis and fibromyalgia are conditions that are also seen in the PT department. Many patients who receive these diagnoses are prescribed medication to help manage their condition. “In addition to the physician medication management role, we can provide patients with exercises to help maintain strength and function,” Beatty explained. “We work with body mechanics, especially with osteoporosis and arthritis, which can help delay the progression of deformities. We teach patients how to increase their quality of life, even though they have this newly diagnosed, chronic condition.” Physical therapy can offer evaluation and treatment for balance disorders and conditions such as vertigo. Most cases of vertigo – which is the false sensation that the environment around you is spinning – are not serious but some can be debilitating. “Sometimes balance problems are associated with falls, nausea and vomiting,” Beatty said. Physical therapy can evaluate the cause and help to treat the symptoms. “What we’re finding is that people can sometimes live with this for years and then finally have treatment which eliminates or reduces the symptoms.” People can have edema – or swelling – for many different reasons: surgeries, injuries, insufficiencies in their veins, trauma, infections or unknown causes. While some might think edema is just a nuisance, it can put you at higher risk for infection and can cause significant pain, balance problems, affect activities of daily living and make it difficult to find good fitting clothes. Treatment for edema in the PT department involves massage, bandaging with compression wraps, special gentle exercises and patient education. Outside the walls of NUMC, athletic trainers make connections with area schools and have the expertise to work with athletes to prevent injuries and treat injuries when they happen. Physical therapists (PT) and occupational therapists (OT) can go into a patient’s home when they are transitioning back home after a recuperative stay at a nursing home to make sure the home is equipped properly for their needs. PT and OT also make connections with area businesses to provide ergonomic advice to employees. “The Physical Therapy Department is a great compliment to all the work that goes on upstairs in the clinic and the hospital,” Beatty said. “Even though we may not be as visible as those departments, we share a common goal to help people get back on their feet.” |
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New Ulm Medical Center
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