Physical Therapy

Physical Therapy

• "My"Responsibilities: Stretch patients and assign them exercises
• New Knowledge: I learned about scar tissue and how it prevents electrical impulses from going where they need to go
• Best Thing: The best thing was having a conversation with the woman I was following about multiple sclerosis
• Worst Thing: One of the patients nearly cried because the stretches were so painful
• Overall: Okay, because although I am not interested in PT, the woman I shadowed was kind and told me some interesting information about MS

• Finding the physical and occupational therapy unit was somewhat difficult because it's in a corner of the hospital and there are a lot of turns and long hallways.  However, once I got there, I was immediately let into the unit. The room was very open and there were quite a few people there. Eventually, I was assigned to a physical therapist who was working with a woman who had developed a lot of scar tissue after a knee replacement.
• The diagnostic procedures consisted of the physical therapist reading the patient's chart and examining them
• I saw a woman with scar tissue buildup, and the stretches and exercises that were used to break that scar tissue
• Abduction - A movement of a limb away from midline or the center of the body
• Ataxia - Muscular incoordination especially manifested when voluntary muscular movements are attempted
• Genu Valgum - Angling of the knees inward as in “knock kneed”

1. I wasn't particularly impressed with physical therapy because I am interested in working with critical patients. For what I am interested in, the physical and occupational therapists do not get to work with patients who are in dire enough situations. However, I do like that the physical and occupational therapists can see improvements in their patients immediately.  In addition to that, there wasn't a huge variety in the setting. The physical and occupational therapists stay in the same room day in and day out.
2. Everyone in the physical and occupational therapy unit was nice, and they worked well together. They weren't as close or talkative as some of the other units, but they got along together and joked around a little bit. The environment was nice because it was somewhat lively and set up in a very different way than the other areas in the hospital. The woman I shadowed was very patient, and willing to answer my questions; I talked to her about multiple sclerosis, and how I could help my dad with different exercises.  
3. I learned about how the stretches help different parts of the body and why they are useful for different types of patients. I also learned about how scar tissue forms and what surgeons have to do if the scar tissue won't go away with the typical PT treatment. The surgeons will put the patient under anesthesia and manipulate the area with scar tissue by twisting and hitting the area until the scar tissue breaks apart. If that doesn't work, then they open the patient up again and cut out the scar tissue.
4. Physical and Occupational Therapy was not for me. I knew that I wouldn't be interested in a career in it, but it was pleasantly surprised by how much better it was than GC physical and occupational therapy. I don't see myself going into physical or occupational therapy permanently, but it was an interesting rotation.