Keith Swaltek’s journey back to a pain-free life began several months before his first appointment at Phoenix PT-Richland Township. We begin his story with the incident that nearly changed his life forever.

“I was in the bay washing my ambulance. And while washing it, I was pulling the hose backwards because it started to get kinked up. I was trying to pull it backwards and I tripped on some boxes that were on the ground. I hit my head on a trailer and lacerated my scalp. It hurt.” That moment was the beginning of a traumatic, painful time in Keith’s life. Keith is an Emergency Medical Technician. It is a job he puts his heart and soul into every day. “I lost my dad when I was 14 years old. He was 51 and had a massive heart attack. I made it my dream back then, if I could help one family by saving a loved one, giving them a little bit more time, I would be happy.” Unfortunately, that day in the bay, nearly put an end to his dream.

Keith’s head was stitched up at the hospital. He left with instructions to see his primary care physician if there were any other issues. Keith describes what happened when he woke up the next day. “I went to get out of bed, and not only did I have serious pain in my head, but I also had serious pain all through my lower back and hip area. I tried to nurse myself through the weekend using heat, and I attempted to return to work.” Keith knew something was not right. He spoke with his boss who agreed he needed to be seen by his employer’s workers’ compensation doctors.

Keith met with Stephanie Kamzik, from the Corporate Care office. He explained what happened and described his pain. “She sent me for an X-ray of my hips to make sure they weren’t fractured. And then she said she was going to get me scheduled to get into the concussion clinic. I was able to get in that week and they tried to do a baseline concussion study. I became very nauseated and couldn’t see straight. My back was still hurting.” The concussion team stopped the tests. Keith was prescribed a steroid to help with his back pain. He recalls the next steps. “(The steroid) did ease the pain, but I could still feel it. I was able to go back and get the concussion testing done. The tests showed I had suffered a severe concussion.” Keith was sent to physical therapy for the concussion, but he knew his back and hip pain needed to be addressed. He requested a separate prescription for that as well.

Keith was sent to a physical therapist recommended by Corporate Care. He spent about six weeks there, working to recover from his concussion and hip pain. “I was finally cleared with the concussion, but I still could barely walk. I could not get up steps and knew there was something serious going on within my hip.” Keith endured tests and therapy for the next several months, but the doctors and therapists could not find the cause of his pain or resolve it. Keith met again with Stephanie desperately searching for help. The pain was devastating. “The only thing that I could think was I’ve been working in the EMS field since I was 12 years old. I started off as an explorer for a local ambulance service and through the years I was a volunteer fireman and I spent 23 years in law enforcement. I just thought that my time doing what I love, saving people, was going to come to an end.” Keith felt comforted by Stephanie, who never stopped trying to help. “She never gave up on me. She said, ‘Listen, I know you’re telling the truth, and I’m trying to find the answer.”

Stephanie found Keith a sports medicine doctor. That doctor did a few manual tests and looked at his MRI. Keith recalls when the doctor finally gave him an answer. “He said I tore the labrum in my hip. He said he could clearly see it on the MRI.” Relieved after hearing an actual diagnosis, Keith was eager to learn about a treatment. He was given two options: surgery or a steroid injection. Keith decided to try the injection, which would take effect in about two weeks. “He was absolutely a savior. I went to meet with him after those two weeks and I walked into his office. I had no pain in my hip whatsoever. It was a great feeling.”

Keith was still going to physical therapy for his hip during that time, but the orders from his doctor were extremely specific for a work hardening program. Keith recognized the therapy sessions he was completing did not match his goals. He went back to Stephanie and explained why he did not want to continue therapy at the clinic he had been going to. Stephanie agreed. Keith explains how she found his new Physical Therapist. “It was just mere coincidence. Anthony Damiano, PT, DPT, CSCS, (from Phoenix Physical Therapy – Richland Township), happened to be there that day talking to Stephanie about his clinic’s Work Hardening Program.” Stephanie felt confident Anthony would be able to help Keith, and she set up an evaluation at the clinic in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

The following week, Keith entered the Phoenix clinic for the first time. “Anthony, came over. He introduced himself and said, ‘we’re not going to do anything other than see where your baseline is and what you are able to do.’ And for the next hour and a half, he and I sat in a room while I lifted different amounts of weight, tried to walk with weights, and rotated my legs back and forth. I had more weakness in my hip than anything, and my leg was so shaky. I explained it was like my left buttocks had a stroke. I could not feel any muscle left in that area.” After Anthony knew what Keith could do, he shifted gears to his goals, the most important of them, getting back to work. Anthony then created an individualized recovery plan, based on his work skills and what he needed to do each workday. Then, the challenging work started.

The sessions started slowly, with Keith pedaling an exercise bike and walking up and down stairs. Keith immediately felt like he was in the right place. “Shannon, Missy, Tina, and Anthony: that is one awesome team.” Shannon is Shannon May, PTA, Missy is Melissa Ribblett, PT, and Tina is Tina Homyak, Patient Care Coordinator. Keith remembers what made him feel comfortable at Phoenix. “When I got to physical therapy at Phoenix, it was a totally different experience. Every patient in there had a will to not only recover from what they went through, but to recover and be better than what they were prior to their injury. It was awesome. Everybody talks about their stories, but everybody works hard, and everybody encourages each other.”

Keith was completing therapy sessions three times a week. But slowly, his strength increased, and he was able to go four and then five times a week. “It was a workout. It was physically straining by the time I was done working out. I really couldn’t do anything the rest of the day. But Anthony, the entire time, just kept motivating more and more.” Keith’s job requires him to lift and carry people up and down steps. Anthony started him with exercises to work toward being able to do that again. “We started working with adding weight to a box that I carried up and down a set of steps. The first time I tried it, we used a box that weighs 12 pounds with two 10-pound weights in it. So, I have a total of 32 pounds, and I could barely lift that up the steps. It was hard, especially when I started getting into 50, 60 pounds. It was very hard to get my legs to move right because the box was there.” As Keith progressed, he and Anthony knew they would need to adjust their exercises to simulate the lifting and carrying action more appropriately. “I was able to bring in a stretcher from work. I showed it to Anthony and explained to him how it works and everything. And from that point on we began using the stretcher as my tool at physical therapy.”

Keith and Anthony also used other tools to help with Keith’s recovery. “They not only wanted my hip to get stronger, but they also wanted my entire body to get stronger. It wasn’t just about working my left leg. It was working both legs. It was working my arms. It was pushing and pulling. We used a sled. I called it the dreaded sled because it was so hard to do. I think the sled weighs 75 pounds, so with 20 pounds of weights on it, I was pushing and pulling 95 pounds.” Keith completed everything he was asked to do. He knew the exercises were making him stronger. “When I say it was a total body workout it was not only physically my body, but my mind. The positive information (Anthony) gave me, the knowledge to help in my own recovery, was just amazing.”

Anthony’s positivity came into play when Keith had a tough day, or was in pain from the day before. “We called them modified days. I physically could not lift weight because I gave everything my body physically had the day before. (Anthony) understood.” Anthony treated the muscle pain with myofascial decompression or cup therapy. He used massage and deep heat to help resolve the acute pain. “He was doing these things for me, explaining to me why it’s important, and how I could make myself better at home. The following day when I came in there, we were right back to working hard and I felt great.”

It came time for Keith to decide what he needed to be able to do to get back to work. “I explained to Anthony, it’s kind of hard to say how much weight we have to lift. But I said if you think the average. person is about 200 pounds, I have to be able to lift a minimum 200 pounds and go up and down steps, forward and backward.”

After several more weeks of demanding work, Keith’s 200-pound testing day arrived. “I will tell you this. I was scared. I was very nervous, and I did not want to let Anthony down and I did not want to let my friends down. Everybody there stopped what they were doing to come watch. My wife was there with me. Psychologically and emotionally, it was one of the hardest things that I was going to subject myself to in a long time.” Keith’s therapy team loaded the stretcher. Keith grabbed one side and Shannon grabbed the other. “When I went to put my left foot, which was my injured leg, up on a step and push up, I used so much strength in pulling backwards that I just kind of sat down. At that point, all I could hear were gasps in the room and I thought, I can’t. It’s just way too heavy. As I sat there looking at Anthony, and looking around the room, and seeing everybody starting to tear up, I stood up. I don’t know where the power came from, but I got up and did it. It was wonderful.”

Keith will remember that day forever. It was the day he knew he could return to the job he loves. “As I stood there that day, the cheers finally erupted. Everybody there came over and gave me a hug, and congratulated me. I then asked Anthony, ‘Did I pass, and can I return to work?’ Anthony looked at me and said, ‘let me ask you a question. Are you able to go back to work and do your job and do it better than you did before?’ And I said, ‘absolutely!’ He said, ‘Well, there you go!’”  Keith reflects on Anthony’s response. “When I finally thought about what he had just said, and I never did this during this long journey, but the answer was never within Stephanie at Corporate Care, the answer was never within my doctor, the answer was never within Anthony, whether I was going to get back to work. The answer was always in myself.” Anthony always knew Keith would reach his goal. “When Keith started his work hardening program at Phoenix, you could tell he was determined to get back to work and would do whatever it took to get there. Each week he would work harder and harder with greater intensity and motivation as he saw the gains in his strength and ability. Even when he had setbacks, Keith was an inspiration to everyone in the clinic. His attitude was contagious to us all.”

Keith is grateful Stephanie found the Phoenix PT – Richland Township team. He knows his recovery would have been vastly different without them. “(They) were like a family. It was a family atmosphere there. It was not only about completing therapy and getting back to work, but it was so nice to walk into that place every day and for three hours knowing that I was going to be near people that cared about me. And I cared about them.”

Keith is back to doing the things he needs to do and loves to do. “I love to ride bikes in the summertime. We are a big biking family. And I could finally return to being normal again, where I’m getting up at six o’clock every morning to read the newspaper online and drink a tea and, just get ready to start my workday. The normal routine that had disappeared for seven months is back. I can’t thank Anthony, Shannon, Missy, and Tina enough for their professionalism. I give them all the kudos in the world because I don’t know of anywhere around here that can offer a true Work Hardening Program like they do.”

The post A Long Journey Back to Work: Keith’s Success Story appeared first on Phoenix Physical Therapy.

“I would spend many of my days laying on the couch or in bed. Just doing everyday tasks was difficult for me. Eventually, I had to stop working.” Elizabeth Eppenbach was experiencing debilitating headaches and terrible dizzy spells. She sought help from doctors and specialists, but no one could find the cause of her headaches or offer relief. She learned physical therapy may be an option for her. “I went in open minded, and really hoped to get some relief. After many visits to various doctors with no real relief, I was skeptical that it would work.”

Elizabeth needed to find a Physical Therapist with expertise in relieving headaches and one who was caring and compassionate. After going through months of pain, she was struggling physically and emotionally. “A few of my family members had been going to Phoenix Physical Therapy in Watsontown, (Pennsylvania) for different reasons and have enjoyed it.  When my daughter had to go for her shoulder, they were very patient and understanding with her.” Elizabeth felt comfortable knowing her friends and family saw real results with Clinic Director, Castan Kiersch, PT, MSPT and the Watsontown team.

Each Phoenix patient spends their first appointment with a Physical Therapist discussing the reasons they are including physical therapy on their road to better health. It is a time to talk about pain levels, mobility issues, and goals, and ends with a unique therapy plan created specifically for them. Elizabeth recalls that session. “When I had gotten there, Castan and I sat and talked a little while so he could understand the nature of my headaches and dizziness. We talked about putting a plan in motion to try to relieve some of my pain.”

With a plan in place, the therapy could begin right away. “It started with me working on some neck stretches and some c-spine massages. I had ice packs placed under the back of my head to help with headaches. Then, they wrapped heat packs around my neck to help relieve the pain.” Each session progressed with new exercises and techniques building on the earlier ones. Physical Therapist Assistant, Kathleen (Kate) Carey, PTA, teamed up with Castan to complete many of Elizabeth’s sessions. “Later, we added some isometrics, which are other types of neck stretches. Kate did some muscle massages, and several body stretches. I also used the arm bike to help with my shoulder muscles that needed to be loosened from holding my head a certain way to help with my headaches.”

It did not take long for Elizabeth to start seeing progress. “My very first appointment was amazing. I went in with a horrible headache. I went home and took a four-hour nap. I hadn’t been getting good sleep because I couldn’t get comfortable enough. After a few visits I was sleeping so much better. My headaches started to become more manageable, and my dizziness started to get better.”

Elizabeth attended therapy three days a week for several months. She got to know the whole Watsontown team, including Physical Therapist, Hope Becker, DPT, and Patient Care Coordinators, Kylie Wagner, and Joni Weaver. “Every person there was so understanding and patient with me. I came with a lot, and they helped me more than just physically. My mental state and emotional state needed some help too. They went above and beyond to help me in every way that they could. Kate is such a good listener and supporter. I feel she helped me in more ways than she had to being my Physical Therapist. I am very thankful for that. If I was having a bad day the team would help me work through whatever the situation with no pressure and no judgement. If I couldn’t do a certain exercise for any reason, they would just give me something a little easier that I could do.”

Elizabeth has reached many of her goals and is grateful she is once again able to do many of the things she loves to do and needs to do. “Because of physical therapy I can spend time with my family, and I can leave my house a little more. I can drive again and as silly as it sounds, I can do the dishes and the laundry. I’m able to do some of those everyday tasks I was not able to do before.” She has this to say to people who may unsure physical therapy will help them. “I have often expressed to many people how physical therapy has helped me. I tell them they should give Phoenix in Watsontown a try. The team there will help you in any way that they can. You can’t lose by going. You will be so pleased that you did.”

Choosing Phoenix PT-Watsontown was easy for Elizabeth. But she did not expect to find a group of people she can trust with her mind and body. “My injury story is not something you hear about very often. After hearing it they helped me work through some heavy things weighing on me. They understand that I have issues with putting trust in others. They were very understanding and patient, and for that I am very grateful. To Castan, Kate, and Hope I want to say thank you for everything you did and continue to do to help me heal mentally, physically, and emotionally though this journey!”

The post Healing Physically, Mentally and Emotionally: Elizabeth’s Success Story appeared first on Phoenix Physical Therapy.

For fifteen years, Pat Smouse has been battling severe back problems. In 2009, she had a tumor on her spinal cord, which required complete reconstruction of her spine. Since then, she has gone through four more surgeries. Pat describes the latest one. “I am on my fifth back surgery from it breaking. The first time it took me two years to walk again. In fact, they told me I might never walk, but I laughed at them. This time, they fixed the rods and the next day I was up and walking.” Pat was a college basketball coach and certainly understands the principle of never giving up. She has always been active, but needed help strengthening her core. Physical therapy was her road to that goal.

Pat chose Phoenix Physical Therapy in Lewes, Delaware. “I was going to the grocery store, and I saw the sign. I had been to a couple of other places around here and they didn’t have the same kind of attitude. I’ve been through enough through the years, so I know if I have a good therapist, which brings us to Sarah. I am honestly telling you; she is superb. I’ve never had a therapist that is a thorough as her, or that is as caring as her.” Pat is referring to Clinic Director, Sarah Leister, PT, DPT.

Pat met with Sarah for an initial evaluation. Each Phoenix patient will go through this process, so the therapist can understand the patient’s history, needs, and goals. Pat was grateful for the time Sarah spent with her. “She spends the first appointment with you and analyzes everything you can and can’t do as a starting point. You don’t do a lot physically. I told her I’m just really weak. They cut all my back muscles, plus they cut all my abdominal muscles to put this basket in.” Sarah took everything Pat said, along with her doctor’s notes, into consideration and created a rehabilitation plan just for her.

Once the plan was in place, Pat began the challenging task of rebuilding her core under the direction of the Phoenix PT-Lewes team. “There is a weight machine that has a back on it and I can do leg presses. No gym has a leg press like that. But because of the back on it I can do as many exercises as they want me to do. I’m using the treadmill and working on heel to toe walking. They do a whole circuit with me, upper body, and lower body. I get a complete body workout there. It is something I could never get at home.” That does not mean Pat does not continue the hard work at home. “When I’m not there, I do some low weights at home and some little things. I have to do my part at home too. That’s the problem with rehabilitation. Most people aren’t willing to put in that home part and that changes it. It’s not going to get done for you if you aren’t willing.”

Pat and Sarah’s relationship developed into a friendship that included trust. “She encourages me. All of them do. Steve, Tim, and Sarah. They are all the same. They all care about the people. I could not be happier. It feels like I am home. It’s family. I really mean that.” Steve is Steve Castro, Physical Therapist Assistant, and Tim is Patient Care Coordinator, Tim Ware. Pat remembers a time when she needed to cancel an appointment. “My dog got sick and had to be put down. I had an appointment, and I called Tim and said I can’t come. They sent me flowers! It has been an honor of my life to meet these people. They are pretty special. Tim does all the scheduling but if he has to pitch in, he does. They just do the job. Steve does the same thing. It is a great place.”

As Pat progressed, her leg needed special attention. Sarah became creative and Pat was grateful. “I knew she went to get certified in dry needling. The tumor was on my right side, so my left leg is affected. My left leg doesn’t move like I wish it would, and I have had extensive pain in my left leg for years and years. Sarah said to me, ‘I don’t know if your insurance is going to cover this, but do you want to try this?’ I said, let’s go! She dry needled me and I haven’t had pain there in over a week.” Sarah enjoys having a patient who is open to new things. “She has been such a fun patient to work with because she is always willing to try anything I can throw at her. We have been able to significantly decrease her pain and her strength and mobility have drastically improved as well.”

Pat’s main goal was to be more like she used to be. “At this point, I still mow my lawn, I am able to walk and I’m able to walk my dog. I know I’m not going to go back to when I was twenty, but I still need to take care of things during the day. It’s not a value to sit around and do nothing. I am up and walking now and I can take my little guy to the beach. They truly have improved my life so much; I can’t even tell you.” She is thankful she noticed the sign that day and found a rehabilitation team she can count on. “When you walk in, they have the right blend, of laughter, humor, and seriousness. That’s important. It keeps you coming back. I honestly couldn’t say enough good things about them. I am on my feet again because of them.”

The post Building Strength, Relieving Pain after Five Back Surgeries: Pat’s Success Story appeared first on Phoenix Physical Therapy.

“I received a phone call from France, where my mother was living. They said my mother wasn’t good.” J went to France right away. “I agreed, something wasn’t right. I told her, she should come with me to the states and maybe we could get her back to normal. She had nobody over there. We originated in Germany, but when my dad retired, they went to France. My dad has since passed, so she was alone.”

J brought her 89-year-old mother, M, home to Pennsylvania where she had been living for some time. J wanted to take her to the doctor right away, but M was worried about the potential unwelcome news she might receive. Instead, she wanted to visit with friends and family and take some time to meet her grandchildren. M had a wonderful time seeing everyone over several weeks, and once all the visits were over, M agreed to go to the hospital. J remembers that day well. “She was ready. It was her choice. I packed her up, and we made it to the hospital. The Emergency Room doctor came in to see her and said, ‘I don’t have good news.’ He said she had perforated ulcerative diverticulitis, and it was very bad.” The doctor gave M three weeks to live if she did not have surgery. M agreed to the surgery, saying “What do I have to lose!”

M had a bowel resection and colostomy bag put in. The surgery saved her life and while the recovery included some difficulties, eventually, M’s health significantly improved. Then, the focus turned to her hip. M was in pain every day and she endured that pain for about twenty years. She knew the only fix would be for her to have hip replacement surgery. J explains why she did not get the procedure in France. “She hadn’t wanted to do anything in France because her friends had horrible results there. She was scared to do anything there. Back in the US, I watched her, and she was almost walking pigeon toed. She was in pain twenty-four, seven. So, I said, let’s have you evaluated. She had such a good experience with her first doctor in the United States, it pushed her to see another one.” The new doctor evaluated M and agreed a hip replacement would help. M trusted her new doctor and decided to have the surgery.

M went home and began in-home physical therapy. She completed several weeks of sessions and then graduated to outpatient physical therapy. Because J is also a nurse, she knew about the quality of care her mother would receive at Phoenix Physical Therapy – Rural Valley – in Kittanning, Pennsylvania. She scheduled an appointment with Clinic Director, Bryan Brooks, PT, DPT. “She was walking on the walker when we first arrived. It took everything out of her, but she was so determined. She wanted to do so much more than she was physically able to do. She was very unsteady, and I was afraid she was going to fall. If she didn’t have her walker or something to hold on to, she was like a Weeble wobble. We went two times a week, just gaining strength and endurance.”

M’s sessions began slowly with exercises involving elastic bands. She started with ten repetitions and worked her way up to fifty repetitions. M did not speak English, so J was with her for every session. “They tied the bands on her legs and she had to open her knees. After a couple of weeks, she added weights to her feet. She started at two pounds and worked her way up to four pounds. Then she had to do steps. She started out very simple, standing up using her walker to march. Then she would kick back and sideways. It was exhausting.”

J saw progress after just two weeks of sessions with the Rural Valley crew. “When she advanced to the weights, that was already progress. I wasn’t surprised because I knew my mother’s determination. You can’t deter her. She doesn’t want to be a burden to me. She knows she can’t go back to France, but she wants to be independent. She wants to be good enough to go to Texas and travel to see her other daughter.” Bryan feels M’s attitude and grit helped her through this tough time. “M was one of the most determined patients I have ever worked with! She came through a lot of adversity and was full of high energy and spunk with each physical therapy session.”

Despite the language barrier, M came to trust her therapy team. “She loved it. She loved the people; she loved the interaction. They’re like another family. She looked forward to it and would ask about her next appointment. When we went on a Monday, and didn’t go back until Thursday, she couldn’t understand why we didn’t go on Tuesday. When the doctor told her she didn’t have to go anymore, she was actually disappointed.”

The progress M made during her time at Phoenix, allows her to do more with her daughter. “She graduated from wheelchair to rollator to walker and now she has a cane. But most of the time, she walks around without it! We went shopping the other day and she didn’t take the wheelchair; she took the rollator. It gave her a place to rest if she needed it. That’s what we’ve been doing. She made it all the way through one store!”

J knows the therapy plan Bryan created exclusively for her mother made the difference. “It was absolutely worth it. She has gained weight. I think the physical therapy made her more active. She looks good now! Her appetite is back. They were determined to get my mother to the point where she was stronger. She is way better than she was.”

J and M are both grateful for the time they spent at Phoenix. “Thank you and we love you! Keep up the good work!”

The post Finding Strength, Endurance and Health with Phoenix PT: M’s Success Story appeared first on Phoenix Physical Therapy.

“They did not let her give up. They helped her build confidence and learn to trust her knee again.” – Brooke, Carli’s Mom

Carli was thirteen when an injury stopped her from doing one of the things she loved most. “I tore my ACL playing basketball. I got taken out of the game and I wasn’t able to play the rest of the year. I was definitely sad. It was very disappointing not being able to finish the rest of the season.” Carli would need surgery to repair a complete tear in her ACL but not before she went to physical therapy to build the strength in her leg for a smoother recovery, post-surgery.

Carli and her mother, Brooke, chose Phoenix Physical Therapy in Salem, Ohio for her prehabilitation. Simply put, prehabilitation is rehabilitation before surgery to make you the strongest and healthiest you can be when you head into the operating room. Studies show prehab helps patients feel better while improving function, prepares them for the physical challenges faced following treatment, and improves their psychological outcomes by setting their minds at ease by providing knowledge of what to expect. Carli remembers going to see Clinic Director, Michael Chaffee, PT, MDT, COMT shortly after she was injured. “They did a lot of measuring and a couple small stretches because you need strength in your leg for a better recovery after surgery. They worked on building the muscles in my legs.”

After her prehabilitation sessions, Carli had the surgery. “They had to do a total reconstruction. I had a complete tear. They took part of my quad to fill it in. I definitely was still in a lot of pain, and it lasted for a very long time.” Carli was back with the Phoenix PT-Salem team less than two days after her surgery. “When I went in I was in a lot of pain, so they had to take their time. They did a little bit of bending and some exercises, but it was really hard because it was so soon after. I was very stressed out.” Carli was worried she would not be able to play basketball again, but things began to look up when she was able to do more the following week. “The next week we were bending my leg further back than the first week. I had to learn how to walk again. I would walk in the parallel bars in a brace. I would ride the bike and I’d have to go back and forth until I could go all the way around. I would pull my leg to my chest. I did straight leg lifts to try and keep my quad straight and keep my leg straight.”

Carli was making progress, and began to trust Michael and her other therapist, Danny Sawman, PTA. “They were really good to work with they definitely put in a lot of time to help me recover. Every time I walked in the door they asked my pain level, one to ten. If it was higher, we wouldn’t do as much stuff as if it was a lower number.” Carli felt comfortable talking to her team about her pain levels, and soon, it became clear, something was not right. Carli’s mother was concerned. “I had taken her to the doctor two times because she was having pain and swelling and they kind of brushed us off. And Michael is actually the one that reached out to the doctor and said, ‘look there is something is wrong.’ Then they got us in and had an MRI and that’s when we found the scar tissue.” Carli had scar tissue build up under her patella. It is not uncommon and usually requires another surgery to remove it. Brooke is grateful for Michael’s determination to find the reason behind Carli’s pain. “She only had the second surgery because of him.”

After the surgery to remove the scar tissue, Carli returned to her physical therapy team to continue her rehabilitation. She did not skip a beat. “We were able to do most of the stuff that I did (before surgery). It was just a little setback.” The progress continued and Carli’s goal to play basketball again began to come into focus. She was more determined than ever to recover, and her therapists were there to encourage her during every therapy session. “They would tell me that I could do it, and if I was giving up and not able to do the exercise they would come over and help me. They would always tell me, ‘You want to get back to basketball and if you don’t do this, then you won’t be able to reach your goal.’ So, they would help me make sure I was always determined to finish what I started.” Brooke was impressed with how Michael and Danny helped her physically and mentally. “It was nice because “Mom” pushing is a little bit different than someone else pushing. And they did not let her give up. They helped her build confidence and learn to trust her knee again. They pushed her through that little mental block she had.”

Carli reached her goals and was able to return to basketball. “I started playing basketball at the end of summer. I was also doing band at the time. We’ve been playing lots of games. We had our first win too. I’m also playing soccer again. So, I’ve definitely come a long way from where I started.” Brooke is happy to see her once again, compete in the sport she loves. “As basketball continues, she is trusting her knee more and more and her confidence is going up even more. They taught her how she is supposed to land when she’s running and how she is supposed to land when she’s jumping; things to prevent further injury. They’ve taught her proper mechanics of doing pretty much everything she is doing in sports.”

Brooke is grateful for the Phoenix PT-Salem team. “They became our family after almost a year of therapy three days a week. And (Patient Care Coordinator, Samantha Sekola) was able to schedule two months in advance. We kept the same schedule for the most part. She just knew what we needed and make it work for us.” Michael is impressed with everything Carli was able to accomplish during her recovery. “Carli is a mature, kindhearted young lady. She carries a busy academic schedule, is involved with various sports, and is a great help pitching in to help her family.”

Carli is looking to the future now and is thankful for the physical therapy team that helped her get back to doing what she loves to do, even earning her varsity letter. “I appreciate them and I’m very glad they pushed me. If they didn’t I wouldn’t be where I am today. They will do the same for others.”

The post From a Season-Ending Injury to Earning her Varsity Letter: Carli’s Success Story appeared first on Phoenix Physical Therapy.

Gerald Krepps is an active 66-year-old. He loves to ride his Harley and travel. But one day, Gerald faced a terrifying health issue and found himself in the hospital. His symptoms indicated a stroke, but doctors were not able to find the blockage. Gerald spent a week in the hospital before a specialist finally found it. Gerald remembers those frightening days. “I was scared the first couple days in the hospital. I said, ‘God don’t let me end like this.’” Once Gerald was out of immediate danger, it became clear, his left side was heavily impacted by the stroke. He began physical therapy in the hospital and then transferred to an inpatient rehabilitation center at another hospital for a month. “They got me moving around and I was able to walk with a cane. Then the head therapist did some research and found Phoenix (Physical Therapy in Pottstown, Pennsylvania) and said, ‘this is the outpatient therapy program I want you to continue with.’ It was close to home.”

The process to setup therapy sessions at Phoenix went smoothly for Gerald. “I called Phoenix, and I told them my issues and problems, and I had my first appointment set up before I was even discharged from the hospital. I was discharged on a Saturday morning and started my therapy the next week.” Gerald met Ashley Mace, DPT, LVST on the first day. “Ashley and I had already talked. She knew my whole background and knew what was wrong. She asked me what my goals were, and I said, ‘my goal is to be like I was before. I ride a Harley and I want to ride my Harley again.’” Ashley created a unique rehabilitation plan, just for Gerald. It started with exercises on the stationary bicycle and leg press along with resistance band work. Gerald looks back on those first few weeks of therapy. “I started with getting movement in so Ashley could see what I needed to do to improve. I was getting my baseline.”

Gerald began to see improvement quickly. “I saw a little bit of progress within the first week, week and half. (Ashley) would ask me to do something, and I would say, ‘I don’t think I can do that.’ She said, ‘give it a try.’ I was so surprised, but I could do it! She called me an overachiever.” Ashley saw Gerald’s dedication to get better immediately, and agrees, the “overachiever” label remained appropriate as time went on. Ashley recalls, “The first day I met him I knew he was extremely motivated. When I would tell him to do three sets of ten repetitions of an exercise, he would do three sets of twelve repetitions or three sets of fifteen repetitions. He has always pushed himself with each therapy session and he was always willing to try new things in order to help him reach his goals.”

The time came for Gerald to focus on building strength in the muscles he uses to ride his Harley. “Ashley came up with exercises that helped my balance and movement in my left arm and left leg so I could get back on again.” Gerald began using different machines in the clinic, but also continued his hard work outside the clinic and joined a gym. “The first time I was there, I saw a guy using half a ball and he was standing on it, using kettle bells and lifting them up. I told Ashley about it, and she said, ‘you are going to be able to do that.’ I didn’t believe her, but she pulled out the clinic Bosu ball. At first it was getting my balance for 30 seconds. Then it turned into closing my eyes (and keeping my balance) for 30 seconds. Then, it turned into doing squats. She couldn’t believe I was able to do it. I couldn’t believe it either. Then we tried the kettle bell. We started out with five pounds and went up to fifteen pounds. It worked!” Gerald trusted Ashley, knowing that working those leg muscles would help him hold up his motorcycle. Ashley continued to tailor exercises just for Gerald so he could reach his goals.

Gerald completed sixty sessions with Ashley and Clinic Director, Jenna Senholzi, PT, DPT. “I can’t say enough about them. They are just great. We worked together well. They would suggest something, and I never doubted what they came up with. We had a game plan. It was like working with friends. If it wouldn’t have been for them I wouldn’t be where I am today. I will stop back there as soon as I’m on my Harley and to show them that I’m back on. I can’t thank them enough.”Gerald knows some people have doubts about physical therapy, but has this advice, “Ashley and Jenna are trained. They know what muscles need to be worked. They incorporated exercises into my therapy that would help me feel what it was like to ride my motorcycle. It helped me get my confidence back. That’s the biggest thing. If I didn’t have somebody to push me or give me that confidence, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

The post Getting His Confidence Back: Gerald’s Success Story appeared first on Phoenix Physical Therapy.

“I had absolutely no doubt that he was in the best hands possible. This could have been a very different outcome, or a much longer road had we gone somewhere else.” – Ashley, Phoenix Patient, Ben Aaron’s Mom

It was a typical January day for 16-year-old Benjamin Aaron. He attended classes and went to wrestling practice. Then, something went terribly wrong. “We were doing a drill and I felt snapping and popping and I fell. It hurt really bad. We went to the doctor right away. I couldn’t move my knee at all.” After an MRI, the doctor told Ben he had some bad bone bruising, but everything within his knee seemed to be intact. He suggested Ben wait for it to heal and try physical therapy to facilitate the process.

Ashley, Ben’s Mom, knew right where to go for PT. Her friend Karen Guth, PT, DPT worked at Phoenix Physical Therapy in Clarion. Ashley remembers Ben’s first few weeks of therapy. “He saw Karen for the first bit, but he wasn’t improving the way we wanted. Then, Karen and John said something isn’t right; there was too much play in his knee.” John Curreri, Jr., PT, DPT is the Clinic Director at the Clarion clinic. He and Karen suggested Ben get a second opinion after he was not able to progress to higher level tasks during his therapy sessions. They suspected considerable damage had been done to Ben’s knee.

Ashley took Ben for a second opinion, but that doctor did not see anything on the first MRI either. After carefully evaluating Ben’s mobility and pain levels once again, John and Karen still suspected something else was wrong. They pushed Ashley to get a second MRI. Ashley trusted John and Karen and was desperate for answers. After a second MRI and consultation with Dr. Matthew Varacallo, Ben learned he had a torn PCL. Nearly five months after the initial injury, Dr. Varacallo performed surgery on Ben. John explains the procedure done on Ben’s knee. “Dr. Varacallo is part of a small group of surgeons pioneering a groundbreaking procedure called the “Fertilized ACL” which expedites recovery and return to sports times. He opted to use this procedure with Ben’s PCL. Time was running down for Ben to recover with a standard procedure before the coming school year.”

Ben was back at the Phoenix PT-Clarion clinic the day after his PCL repair surgery. Ben looks back on that day. “(John) took the brace off and the wraps. He looked at my knee and moved my knee around a little bit. That was it. I had a nerve block still, so I couldn’t really feel anything yet.” Soon, the sessions became tougher. “We did leg raises and stuff like that. We moved my knee around, bending and extending it. We were trying to get my mobility and my strength back. After the first week or two, I was standing and doing other stuff. The pain wasn’t too bad. Bending my knee and extending it was the only really painful part. The doctor told me they wanted (John) to be aggressive with me. That was the best way to do it with the Fertilized PCL (procedure).”

It did not take long before Ben noticed the progress he was making. “It only took a few weeks before I saw some improvement. The first few weeks, it was new to me to be on crutches. But it didn’t take long, and I was off them.” Ashley was pleased with Ben’s progress and how the Clarion team helped make things easier on her. “They did an excellent job building a relationship with him and me. There are three other kids (in our family) beside Ben. If I was quickly picking him up and didn’t come in, John would come out to the car and fill me in. They took so much time and effort and care with his rehab.”

Ben worked with John three days a week for four months. He became comfortable walking into the clinic and considers John a friend who he trusts. “I like him a lot. He was very careful working with me. It was rough at the start, but it gets a lot easier. You just have to keep going and putting in the work. One of the goals we had was to get my knee to bend 90 degrees, and that happened in like three to four weeks. That was the first goal. Then after that, I worked on getting my range back. Then after that it was building strength.”

After his time with the Clarion team, Ben was cleared to play sports again. “I felt really good about it. I am happy now because I can go back to doing what I was doing before. I can run again. For the most part, I can do everything without pain. I feel good.” John was impressed with Ben’s determination to get better. “Ben is a great kid and very motivated athlete! He worked extremely hard throughout his course of physical therapy, starting prior to his surgery and again afterwards until his discharge. It was super fun working with him and watching him push every week to be better and return to his normal capacity as quickly and safely as possible. Ben brought a fun and determined energy into the clinic each session.”

Ashley is grateful for Karen, John, and the whole Clarion team. “They really went above and beyond. I guess because a lot of times, no matter what area of life you are dealing with, people don’t actually care or take that time like they did. They really know what they’re doing. They said, ‘hey, something’s not right,’ and pushed us. I had absolutely no doubt that he was in the best hands possible. This could have been a very different outcome, or a much longer road had we gone somewhere else.”

The post Finding a Therapy Team That Went Above and Beyond: Ben’s Success Story appeared first on Phoenix Physical Therapy.

Kim Tennant is an active woman in her 50s. She enjoys life to the fullest. “My friends and I play cornhole on Thursday nights. In the winter, I’m in a dart league. I like to bake. These are things that are important to me.” But a terrible fall at work left Kim with four tears in her rotator cuff and two tears in her bicep. “I went to catch myself with my right arm and did quite a bit of damage. By the time I went through all the workman’s compensation (process) they scheduled me for surgery in June. I went from March to June hardly being able to use my arm.” And that was just the beginning. The surgery to repair Kim’s heavily damaged shoulder was rough. “They had to cut and shorten my bicep tendon to reattach it, and they had to shave the inside of my bones from inflammation to get everything to go back together.”

After the surgery, Kim spent seven weeks in a soft cast and sling with her arm being held still at a ninety-degree angle. She slept in a chair and could only take the cast off to shower, her arm hanging at her side. The recovery process was painful. Kim describes a complication she faced. “My hand and arm had been swollen after the fall, and it only got worse. Because I couldn’t move my arm or hand for so long, my hand became swollen to four times its original size. The fluid went all the way up into my shoulder and down my side.” Kim desperately needed help to release the fluid.

Kim was directed to physical therapy for both the swelling and the rehabilitation of her shoulder. Her doctor recommended two clinics. “A few years back, my husband had two strokes, and we were really pleased with what (Phoenix) had done for him. I called and they got me right in.” Kim chose Phoenix Physical Therapy in St. Mary’s, Pennsylvania. Clinic Director, Bradley Meholic, PT, DPT, evaluated Kim and knew the swelling had to be addressed first. Kim was grateful to learn relief was on the way. “They taped my fingers. I wore compression sleeves. And for the first two weeks they did passive therapy where they moved everything for me, just to get things moving and the fluid out of there. I started seeing progress after about a week and a half. By about two weeks, I could start doing some of the therapy by myself.”

After months of struggling, Kim knew she had found the best place to recover. “I was so discouraged by the time I got to physical therapy. Usually, you think when you have surgery, things are going to get better. But I came out and I was worse! (My therapists) were absolutely wonderful. They were so uplifting and encouraging. They said it was just a bump in the road. And they would get everything moving in the right direction. I felt like I was special when I went in there.”

Kim was pleased with the appointment scheduling process as well. “I went every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I kept the same consistent schedule the whole way through. They even kept the same times for me. It was great to have a consistent schedule, and I only had to miss one appointment. I was at work; I hated to call to cancel. But they were great about it and said, ‘No problem, we will see you on Friday then.’”

After about four weeks, the fluid and swelling in Kim’s arm was gone. Now, her physical therapy team, that included Adriana Azzato, PTA, and Jolene Cortina, PT, DPT, could switch gears and begin rehabilitating her shoulder. Kim was ready. “I sat on the exercise bike that had the moving arms. I would put my hands on the handles, and not use my feet. They had me push and pull my right arm, using the muscles of my left arm. They also had a pulley system there that would work the same way. I would hold on with my right arm, but I’d use my left arm to pull my right arm up and down.”

Kim began to see real results, and soon, the passive work turned into active work for her right arm. “The pain was going away. The more they stretched it and they had me doing the left arm to move my right, the less pain there was. And they built on from there, adding bands to pull and weights. Around six weeks I started using my right arm more.”

The hard work continued, and Kim kept her goals in sight. “They did not baby me, but they did encourage me. It was such a good support system there. All the therapists worked together so well. I never felt like I was wasting my time, or I was just a patient. You get to know them personally and they worked to help me achieve those things that were important to me. When I got back to throwing cornhole, I was so excited. When I went in and told them I was able to do it, they were so excited too.” Kim is beginning to get back to doing the things she loves. “I still have weakness, but that’s just building my strength back over time. I have all the motion back.” Kim plans to keep doing the exercises she learned at Phoenix PT-St. Mary’s. “They printed out every exercise I did, step-by-step for me to do at home. I have them all in a binder where I can reference it.” Bradley is confident Kim will achieve everything she sets her mind to. “Besides being a pleasure to work with, Kim showed outstanding perseverance and dedication to performing her rehabilitation both in the clinic and at home. This perseverance was key to helping her overcome some of the difficult obstacles involved in her recovery – especially in the early stages. From an outside perspective – that had to be a hard thing to do sometimes! However, it was a rewarding experience to watch her stick with it – all with a smile on her face – and return back to her prior level of function. She deserves a lot of the credit and the team here was happy to be a part of her journey!”

Kim leaves this advice for people who may not be sure that physical therapy is necessary after surgery. “You need that expert guidance. You need someone who knows the anatomy of your body and how it should work. I’ve learned a lot about my shoulder and my arm. And I’m so glad I chose Phoenix. At bigger facilities you might get lost in the cracks. This is smaller and it was like I had a second family there. They made me feel comfortable and they’re genuinely concerned or excited.”

Kim gets emotional thinking about the time she spent with her therapy team. “If they told me back in August I’d be where I was today, I wouldn’t believe it. They did so much for me. Not only the physical part but the mental part. I don’t think I could put enough thank yous into words for what they’ve done.”

The post Enjoying Life Again: Kim’s Success Story appeared first on Phoenix Physical Therapy.