Six months after the devastating earthquake hit Haiti, the need for physical therapy remains. After the earthquake, patients were initially treated in the hospital and had no physical therapy clinic available for follow-up treatment and rehabilitation. A couple of physical therapists saw the need and started the Global Therapy Group to provide occupational and physical therapy to the people of Haiti. Today’s podcast features Donna Hutchinson, PT and one of the founders of the Global Therapy Group.
Global Therapy Group is looking for experienced therapists who can volunteer for a two week period or longer. A typical therapist treats up to 25 patients of all ages a day with cases ranging from amputees to crush injuries. The group is committed to running the clinic with volunteer occupational and physical therapists for the next two years. The Global Therapy Group is part of the Haitian government’s Injury and Rehab Disability Working Group and has started the process to establish a Rehabilitation Technician Training Program for Haitians. The hope is to turn the clinic over within five years to a PT director with therapy services provided by trained Haitian Rehabilitation Technicians.
Tune in now to learn how you can make a difference by donating your time, skills or money to assist in Haiti. Additional information can also be found on their website (globaltherapygroup.org), Facebook page or their volunteer’s blog “Therapy Adventures in Haiti.”
Is there evidence to support the practices done each day in your clinic? As physical therapy moves towards a more evidence-based practice, research to support the effectiveness of treatments is critical. Today’s podcast features Kurt Hegmann, M.D., MPH, Director of the Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health at the University of Utah and the Editor in Chief of the Practice Guidelines for the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM). The ACOEM recently released new medical treatment guidelines for treating hip and groin injuries and disorders.
The findings are a bit surprising. The research found insufficient evidence for efficacy for many of the practices used currently. More randomized and controlled trials are required to provide evidence for efficacy for hot and cold therapy and other common practices. However, the evidence of efficacy was found to support aerobic and strength exercises as well as programs provided to patients prior to hip replacement surgery. Tune in now to discover some new evidence-based practices the research revealed.
In the second of a two-part podcast, Clinical Advisor for the Graston Technique, Jackie Shakar, MSPT, CMT provides details on ways clinicians can incorporate the Graston Technique into their practice. The Graston Technique is used in any situation that calls for soft tissue mobilization. The instruments and technique can be used to restart healing, break up adhesions, improve joint movement, facilitate muscle contraction and address other soft muscle injuries
Shakar has found the technique to provide better patient outcomes. She feels the stainless steel instruments have helped her become a more effective manual therapist and finds the uniform treatment edge of the instruments help her apply pressure more evenly. Using fingers and hands alone often can’t disperse pressure as evenly which can make treatment using the instruments actually more comfortable to a patient.
Listen now to find out more about Graston Technique training opportunities and techniques to improve patient comfort and outcomes.
What if a small instrument could actually help you feel more than working with your hands alone? The Graston Technique® is a form of instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization used by more than 7,500 clinicians worldwide. The technique can be used to break down scar tissue, reduce swelling and inflammation. In the first of a two-part podcast , Clinical Advisor for the Graston Technique, Jackie Shakar, MSPT, CMT shares information about tool assisted soft tissue mobilization. She’s also a practicing physical therapist at Central Mass Physical Therapy and Wellness Clinic and full-time professor at Mount Wachusett Community College, Gardner, MA.
The Graston Technique uses six patented stainless steel instruments to assist in soft tissue mobilization. Shakar believes the tools allow her to feel things she would have missed when using her hands alone. Tune in now to learn the benefits Graston Technique can provide you and your patients.
