• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Trinity Health

Close Search

How can we help you?

Popular Searches...
  • Find a Doctor
  • Find a Location
  • Find a Job
  • Pay My Bill
  • View Patient & Visitor Information
  • Access Patient Portal
  • Make a Donation
  • Contact Trinity Health
  • Find a Provider
  • Find a Location
  • Areas of Care
  • Patients & Visitors
  • My Patient Portal
  • Pay My Bill
  • Ways to Give
  • News & Events
  • Careers
    Home
  • Archives for physical therapy

physical therapy

Therapy Car Prepares Patients for Trip Home


January 30, 2023

Getting in and out of a car is something most of us do automatically, but if you’re someone with mobility issues, entering and exiting a vehicle can be tricky.

No problem, however, if you’re a therapy patient at Trinity Health’s inpatient rehabilitation center, RehabCare.

This past year, the center’s therapy team achieved a longtime goal to acquire a therapy car. The car, designed by therapy professionals, helps patients safely practice getting in and out of a vehicle.

“We use it with every patient in RehabCare. Unless you are someone with a power chair who uses a ramp or a lift to enter and exit a vehicle, everyone has to get into an automobile at some point,” said physical therapist Jennifer Nelson, PT.

Trinity’s RehabCare program is designed to help people restore their independence and return to a more productive lifestyle following illness, injury or surgery. A team of specialized professionals provides a comprehensive range of services to assist individuals in obtaining the highest level of functioning possible.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services requires rehabilitation units to observe and assess patients as they perform vehicle transfers as part of an initial and concluding patient assessment at the time of admission and discharge. The assessment process helps determine whether the patient has achieved functional improvement during their rehab stay.

“When the weather was nice we would take them outside to practice, assuming a family member could bring their vehicle around. But when the weather turned terrible, that wasn’t very feasible,” Nelson said.

The therapy team decided it was time to research acquisition of a dedicated therapy car. They looked at various prototypes and went with a basic model that can accommodate different features. The car looks like the front end of any generic vehicle with doors that open and close like a real car, and seats that are adjustable.

“The ability to adjust the height of the seats is really nice because folks have different types of vehicles that sit at different levels,” Nelson explained. “We can’t get the seats as high as some vehicles such as a full-sized pickup, but we can simulate most basic car levels and help them problem-solve for when they might have to get into a higher vehicle.”

According to Nelson, feedback from patients has been positive. “A lot of the people we serve really appreciate it because one of their big concerns about returning home is how do I get into my car? The therapy car gives them a chance to practice those movements so they can feel much more prepared when they get ready to leave the unit.”

Filed Under: HealthTalk Tagged With: Jennifer Nelson, physical therapy, RehabCare

Physical Therapy for Pain Management


October 20, 2022

Pain is one of the most common reasons people seek healthcare, and most reach to opioids for relief.

For many, the risks associated with opioids outweigh the benefits. Potential side effects of opioids include depression, overdose, addiction and withdrawal symptoms when stopping use.

Most alarming is the rate in which opioids contribute to overdose deaths. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 75% of the nearly 92,000 drug overdose deaths in 2020 involved an opioid.

In 2016, the CDC released opioid prescription guidelines in response to the opioid epidemic. The guidelines recognize that prescribed opioids are appropriate in certain cases, including cancer treatment, palliative care, end-of-life care and in certain acute care situations (such as after surgery), if properly dosed. For other pain management, the CDC recommends nonopioid approaches including physical therapy.

“Physical therapy is part of the first line in limiting pain and improving function,” said Wade McDowell, director of Therapy Services at Trinity Health. “We treat pain through movement.”

While opioids provide pain relief by disrupting pain signals to the brain, physical therapy addresses the source of the pain, providing long-term relief, increased mobility and an improved lifestyle.

“We work with patients to identify what is causing the difficulty and pain. By stretching the problem joints and tissues, and strengthening the muscles that support normal movement, patients will experience pain relief and increased flexibility and movement,” said McDowell.

The treatment of pain, whether acute or chronic, often requires an integrated, multidisciplinary approach due to the many variables that may contribute to a patient’s perception of pain and response to treatment. McDowell advises patients to work with their primary care provider or specialist to develop the best care plan for their unique situation.

Trinity Health Physical Therapy

With the large, experienced team of physical therapists and physical therapist assistants in the area, Trinity Health offers a broad range of interventions and specialized experience. Areas of expertise include: lymphedema, pelvic health, low back pain, pediatrics, total joint replacements, surgical recovery, and sports, running and work injuries.

They offer physical therapy services to people of all ages and abilities in hospital and outpatient settings including the NICU, RehabCare (inpatient rehab), Trinity Homes, Home Health, and area schools and early intervention programs.

The care philosophy for McDowell and the Trinity Health Physical Therapy team is simple: Teach patients what they need to do day-in and day-out to live their best life possible.

Most insurances require a referral from a primary care provider or specialist for physical therapy services. For more information about physical therapy at Trinity Health, call 701-857-5286.

Filed Under: HealthTalk Tagged With: opioids, pain, pain management, physical therapy, wade mcdowell

sidebar

Copyright © 2023 · Trinity Health on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in