Physical therapy isn’t often associated with infertility, adhesions and bowel obstructions. This week’s PT Talker experts aim to change that. Creators of the Wurn Technique and founders of Clear Passage Physical Therapy, Belinda and Larry Wurn join PT Talker today to discuss their unique hands-on therapy.
The Wurn Technique is a manual, non-surgical treatment for decreasing adhesions and their negative effects on the body. The technique was initially created to help Belinda decrease pain and improve function after surgery and radiation therapy. Over the years, they’ve discovered this technique serves as a natural solution for a variety of issues including infertility, endometriosis, bowel obstruction, and chronic pain.
The Wurn Technique is evidence based and the Wurns are committed to building evidence to support the technique. To learn more about the Wurn Technique and how it can benefit your patients , listen to the full podcast now.
Originally founded by Oddvar Holten in Norway, Medical Exercise Therapy (MET) aims to provide patients with the most appropriate exercises throughout the entire treatment and healing cycle. To further discuss Medical Exercise Therapy, Nate Kloosterman PT, DPT and Frank Aerts, PT, CMPT of MET Seminars USA joins PT Talker in this week’s podcast.
Aerts started using MET 20 years ago and became familiar with it through training in Europe. The principles of medical exercise therapy are used in most European countries and are slowly gaining acceptance here. The MET system uses pulley systems and weight equipment that work with smaller increments than traditional equipment. The weights can be increased in increments as small as a ¼ pound or in grams. These super sensitive machines allows patients to increase weight in small increments to provide the right resistance to aid in the healing process
Kloosterman feels a true therapeutic exercise component is missing from the physical therapy programs offered in the United States. He believes MET addresses both exercise and function and works as the perfect adjunct to modalities and manual therapy. He would like to see MET as a part of the techniques embraced by physical therapists throughout the country. To learn more about Medical Exercise Therapy, listen to the full podcast now.
PLEASE NOTE: Jeff Worrell incorrectly refers to an award for research when it should be for work with the APTA Legislative Committee.
Obesity has dramatically increased in the United States over the past 20 years. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately one third of the adults in the United States are obese. Today’s expert sees obesity as one of the next great public health challenges and believes physical therapists can help reverse this disturbing trend. Ira Gorman, PT, MSPH was awarded the APTA 2010 Federal Legislative Award and is an Assistant Professor at Regis University School of Physical Therapy. His research was featured in a paper originally published in 2008 and highlighted in his 2010 APTA presentations entitled “How Physical Therapists Address Obesity in Clinical Practice.” He joins us today to discuss obesity and the role of physical therapists.
When dealing with obese patients, Gorman encourages physical therapists to take into consideration the environment in which patients live and to understand how their environment can impact their weight. An individual working a sedentary job and with a hectic schedule outside of work may have little time or energy left at the end of a busy day to exercise. Gorman stresses that physical therapists can help patients recognize that simple behavior changes like taking the stairs instead of the elevator or parking further away from the grocery store can make a difference. Discover the reasons why Gorman is working to get physical therapists out of the clinic and into the community to address obesity by listening to the full podcast now.
Physical therapy can be painful. But is it really a form of torture? To discuss this issue in greater detail, we have two special guests joining us in this week’s PT Talker podcast. Adam Mendenhall, PT, of Southern Utah Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation and his patient Jennifer Weaver, Bureau Chief for Spectrum and Daily News. Jennifer is undergoing physical therapy and recently wrote about the pain associated with recovery and therapy.
Her physical therapist, Adam Mendenhall believes many patients have a preconceived notion that physical therapy will be torture. To minimize a patient’s fears, Adam believes physical therapists need to be frank with patients about the recovery process to help them understand that some pain is common with post-op recovery and rehabilitation. Jennifer agrees that patients need to educate themselves about the healing and recovery process. She also strongly recommends following a physical therapist’s directions for exercises to do at home.
Find out if physical therapists are really torturers in disguise and gain a greater patient’s perspective on physical therapy by listening to the full podcast now.
Physical therapy isn’t often associated with infertility, adhesions and bowel obstructions. This week’s PT Talker experts aim to change that. Creators of the Wurn Technique and founders of Clear Passage Physical Therapy, Belinda and Larry Wurn join PT Talker today to discuss their unique hands-on therapy.
