“Probably, if ever I get out of prison!” “True,” replied Faria, “we are prisoners; but I forget this sometimes, and there are even moments when my mental vision transports me beyond these walls, and I fancy myself at liberty.” -Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas Recently I dug back to a book I should have read in high …
Shouldering the Load of Recovery
The shoulder is a joint of high acclaim. Isaac Newton “stood on the shoulders of giants.” We cry on our friends’ shoulders when disaster befalls us. They are the joints that allow us to perform complex manipulations of objects. Without a mobile shoulder joint what good is an opposable thumb? We could still play video games and conduct a text …
Texas Legislature Update: Easier Access to Physical Therapy?
Did you know that Texas is one of only 4 states in the entire United States that requires a referral for physical therapy treatment? Doesn’t it seem odd that you – as a health care consumer – can choose to see a wide variety of other medical specialists without special permission, but NOT be independently able to decide to see …
New Insight Regarding Exercise Recommendations for Osteoporosis Management
Osteoporosis and Low Bone Mass are highly prevalent conditions for American adults. In June of 2014, the National Osteoporosis Foundation published an excerpt from an article in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research that estimates that over 54 million citizens are currently affected. The incidence of fracture in the US population aged 50 or greater is thought to be …
FAQ: The Logistics of Initiating Physical Therapy
Symmetry often gets asked how a patient can go about initiating Physical Therapy. Here is a brief rundown of the way things currently work in Texas… In Texas as of this writing, seeing a Physical Therapist for an Evaluation or Initial Consultation can be done WITHOUT a prescription. All that needs to be done is to call to schedule an …
The Case for a Regular Physical Therapy Check-Up
Early in the year, it’s often a period of review, recap, reflection, and resolution. We take inventory, and then plan for the future. This process can apply to multiple facets of life – certainly to include our physical beings. Functioning well physically enables us to productively participate in all aspects of our vocational, social, and recreational lives. So we schedule …
Resolve to Move Well in 2015
We are already 1 month into 2015. Commercial gyms are humming with activity. On a recent weekend in Austin, with temperatures in the 70’s, the neighborhood sidewalks and parks teemed with people out walking, jogging, skating, etc. Whether we formally ink goals for the year or simply acknowledge a general desire to just feel better, we all traditionally resolve to …
A Physical Therapist’s Reflections on Knee Surgery
Having been an orthopedic PT for 15 years and treating many, many patients with knee injuries, I knew exactly what had happened when my leg buckled during a soccer game last November. Indeed, an MRI confirmed that I had torn my ACL. Not only that, but I’d also torn my MCL, my LCL, and my lateral meniscus, and chipped some …
What is an Orthopedic Physical Therapist?
Physical Therapists are trained to examine, differentially identify dysfunction, and to provide treatment and/or prevention methods for conditions that limit the body’s ability to move and function in daily life. For many medical conditions, physical therapy provides an effective and inexpensive alternative to pain medication, surgery, or other more extensive medical interventions. An orthopedic physical therapist specializes in the care …