The field of physical therapy has been largely influenced by social civil occurrences. A large impact on this field is credited to the various wars throughout the United States history, allowing for the advancement maturation of this young field. Wartime conflicts placed a demand for healing of injured soldiers, the field of physical therapy providing the supply. This field has adapted throughout the years, a resiliency that has earned respect in the health care realm (Echternach, J. L. (2003). Foundational interventions of physical therapy such as therapeutic exercise, mobility training, range of motion, and more owe their roots to physical therapy in the military. The proven success of these therapies emerged during periods of war, and carried …show more content…
Canty. This facility rehabilitated over 2500 military amputation patients (Dillingham, T. R. (2002). A key concept learned during this time was that the sooner rehabilitation efforts began the better for the outcome of the patient. Physical therapists assisted the patients in bed mobility4. Group support meetings were held to help those affected deal with the psychological trauma that often accompanies their injury. With improvement came progressed interventions and prosthetic use for gait training (Dillingham, T. R. (2002). Advancement in modern military medical care prevented many deaths during the Vietnam War. From 1966 to 1970 at Da Nang Naval Hospital, 87% of the thousands of soldiers treated there recovered and returned to service (Dillingham, T. R. (2002). Statistics like this support the success a physical therapist and well-rounded medical team can have in even the most doubtful situations. At Fitzsimons General Hospital, over 500 amputees received care (some with more than one amputation) (Dillingham, T. R. (2002). . Documentation of these treated soldiers noted the difficulty of prosthetic training prior to rehabilitation interventions. This was another instance where early therapeutic efforts made patient progress more efficient and timely. Soldiers were treated in rehabilitation before being sent to the VA hospital and receiving a prosthetic device (Dillingham, T. R. …show more content…
Therapists gave much attention to functional outcomes for normal tasks. Activities of daily living (ADLs) were very important goals for amputee patients so that they could have as much control over their lives and independence as possible (Dillingham, T. R. (2002). . This had a profound effect on their mental healing as well as physical. The Fitzsimons General Hospital even had an unusual therapeutic intervention where the amputee patients would participate in skiing. Using special assistive equipment, over 100 amputee soldiers were able to ski (Dillingham, T. R. (2002) . This opened a door that not only grew the patients’ confidence but encouraged them to continue to push beyond their perceived boundaries and participate in aquatic and other leisure activities. This program dedicated treatment to more than just the physical healing, and focused on patient healing as a whole (Dillingham, T. R.
With advances in weaponry came an increase in deaths and major limb injuries. During WWI the primary action was to amputate the limb rather than try and salvage it. This was due to the little time nurses, surgeons and anaesthetists had with each patient in the field hospitals, because they were overrun by more than double their expected capacity. There-fore, surgeons had to choose which critical patients to treat first, resulting in 41,000 ampu-tees during the First World War, all in need of artificial limbs (Pensions, 1939).
I began to wonder where and how therapeutic riding originated. In my research I found that therapeutic riding was not taken seriously until Liz Hartel, a Danish rider who had paralysis from poliomyelitis, advanced to competitive riding. Despite the fact that Liz suffered from poliomyelitis, she “went on to win a silver medal in the Grand Prix Dressage competition at the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games” (Young). After she won this great achievement, an interest around the world in the therapeutic effects of riding emerged; as a result, therapeutic riding programs were established and studies were initiated (Young). I think it is ironic how a person with a disability is so influential in helping other people with disabilities.
Valent, Linda J.M. Et al. "Effects of Hand Cycle Training on Physical Capacity in Individuals With Tetraplegia: A Clinical Trial." Physical Therapy 89.10 (2009): 1051-060. Print.
People have created a hectic and busy world, that includes careers and daily activities that require physical activity. While attempting to attain the required physical conditioning, people often take chances with their personal health as they try to stretch their physical limits. Sometimes, people can surpass their current limits and form new boundaries; however, other times people are not so fortunate. These unfortunate times often lead to injury, including workplace accidents, sporting incidents, disease afflictions, as well as others; any or all of which could bring about the need of rehabilitation services. Many of these require physical therapy, which includes assisting injured or otherwise impaired patients as they recover to their pre-injury status or to recover as much as is physically possible. The field of physical therapy is a choice career for those who enjoy helping people recover from injury, and the following text will provide reason for choosing this profession.
Physical therapy is a fairly new practice of rehabilitation. The treatments were not widely practiced until after World War I when soldiers returned home with injuries that were able to be rehabilitated by this therapy. The profession immediately began to grow and has been popular in the U. S. since that time. The vocation is also expected to c...
Throwing back a few years ago when I first decided to be an observer in a rehabilitation setting, I thought that physical therapy was nothing but magical which could change a disabled person who was unable to walk normally to a healthy walking person after a period of therapy. I used to believe that physical therapy can cure mostly all type of injuries and ailments. However, later on, I realized that it does not work that way. Remembering in a particular case, there is a patient who suffered the hemorrhagic stroke; she had to use the wheelchair all the time, her right hand is completely numb and she is not able to talk normally. After several months of arduous exercises with assisting of 2 physical therapists, she showed just a little of improvement in mobility and functioning. That patient could move in longer range compared to the first month, yet she was not able to bear weight without assistance. That case was significantly influenced my vision in this field. As a physical therapy student, the realistic expectation is critical. That student must be knowledgeable about what they can and can’t do and the limitation of this practice. Furthermore, another aspect of reality is understanding the own strength and weakness in a context of being a PT student. Being so overestimated about own abilities is a major
One of the Army leader’s roles is to plan, assess, and prepare execution of daily training. The training that is carried out is based on tasks, conditions and standards. The Army training prepares Soldiers to always fight to the optimum level of operations. In fact, some of the crucial issues include versatile, lethal, agile, and survivable force. The mission is always challenging but Physical Readiness Training, or PRT, prepare the Soldiers to fulfil the mission regardless of the constraints of an operational environment. To achieve victory, Soldiers depend on their coordination, resiliency, strength, stamina, as well as agility to fight and win. The operation and fighting ground requires the best physical conditioning (Headquarters Department of the Army, 2012). In general perspective, Army Physical Readiness Training is accomplished in various chapters, which include approach, system, leadership, types of program, planning considerations, execution of training, preparation and recovery, strength and mobility activities, as well as endurance and mobility activities.
As an occupation in the medical field, physical therapists have a very long strenuous list of duties. That list includes working with patients with limited use of their bodies due to injury or disability and improving mobility while reducing pain. Physical therapists provide care to people of all ages who have functional problems such as sprains, strains, fractures, arthritis, amputations, stroke, cerebral palsy, other injuries relating to sports, other injuries relating to work, other neurological disorders, and various other conditions. Some ways that physical therapist go about reducing pain levels of their patients is by using exercises, stretching, hands on therapy, and special equipment that is designed to help increase their mobility, prevent further injury, and smooth out the...
Imagine the inability to physically walk or do so pain free, or to sit, or do any type of daily routine without any sort of constant complications. Whether a person has been injured, born with a disability condition, or a disability occurred due to aging, there is a way to help treat many complications. Participating in a physical therapy rehabilitation program can help to heal an injury by proper, safe exercises to strengthen and prevent further injury or by teaching one to change their mechanics, which in turn will create a better way to manage daily routines safely and pro actively. Physical therapy can also help to prevent or decrease impairments such as the developmental affect of many genetic diseases, congenial disabilities or disabilities due to aging. Physical therapy is a rehabilitation program with the goal to assist in the recovery of surgeries and injuries, and to promote proper mechanics and motor functions; relieving pain and restoring and maintaining physical mobility, strength and a quality of life.
“You treat a disease: you win, you lose. You treat a person, I guarantee you win-no matter what the outcome.”-Patch Adams, OTR, EdD.(COT 3). A occupational/physical therapists should always be willing to perform any tasks that may come their way. Without these occupational therapists constantly working to better their patients that can range anywhere from unable to move ones’ hand because of a fracture or incident to a veteran having their legs or arms blown off by I.E.Ds or mines. It the job of an occupational therapist to get these people back on their feet. These people wake up every morning with a smile on their face and a warm feeling in their heart knowing that they have helped these people
With the help of physical therapists, people are able to get their body back. They construct elasticity, muscle, and life back into their patients. Their goals are to terminate people’s pain, help with range of motion, and give them their sense of confidence back. The meaning of physical therapy is a profession in the medical field that deals with helping individuals preserve, repair, and improve movement. However, physical therapy is not only limited to one type of personnel. There are many different specialties of physical therapy one can study. For example, physical therapy can range from: orthopedic, geriatrics, neurological, cardiopulmonary, pediatrics, athletics, and general physical therapy. The question that comes to mind when thinking about physical therapy is, “How does one chose the path of physical therapy?” Physical therapy is emotionally and physically demanding and the progress of a patient, depending on their situation, typically moves slowly. Nonetheless, people who find it rewarding are very happy with their choice of career. The thought of making an improvement in peoples’ lives is an important quality to have for those who would like to enter into the field.
Today there is a great need in advances in the field of prosthetics. This demand is being generated in large measure by wounded veterans needing prosthetics. While new advances in body armor is saving lives, it is also leading to many limb injuries in soldiers who would not have usually survived. In the first two years of the Iraq war, over 200 soldiers lost limbs.
physical efforts. Another important point is that out of shape people has higher probability to get hurt on regular daily activity Physical Readiness Training (PRT). That is because of the lack of training for even the most basic of activities. Therefore, if people do not want to get disappointed when they try to join in the military is important to concern about overweight. The best advice is to know the enlist requirements in advance to adopt healthy eating habits and to keep workout as much as possible This way the candidate will not have problems about weight to join in the U.S. Armed Forces. Unfortunately, height and weight measurements are just one of the requirements. Another problem that has been impeding the youth of today to
Physiotherapy is the study of the movement and function of the human anatomy and the relationship between the persons’ health and wellbeing (Dhrs.uct.ac.za, 2015). A physiotherapist’s speciality is treating “individuals across the life-span who have illness, injury or disability affecting the neuro-musculoskeletal, cardiopulmonary, vascular, and neurological systems” (Ontario Physiotherapy Association, 2015:3). A physiotherapist’s main goal is for their patient to receive the highest level of independence by educating patients how to “prevent reoccurring injuries” that disrupt their daily routine (Ontario Physiotherapy Association, 2015:3). Physiotherapists would deal with “long term ailments” (Zweigenthal et al., 2009:235) that cannot simply be treated with the dosage of medication but with the dedication from both the physiotherapist and patient in the appointed interactive physical sessions, a treatment plan can be formulated to guarantee the most efficient road to
Physical training is a very essential part of the army culture. Physical fitness has a direct influence on their combat readiness which also ties into needing to be mentally and physically tough. Being physically fit allows you to be productive and also gives you the opportunity to enjoy even the little things in life. It also allows you to be able to adapt and survive through tough living conditions. Having the proper diet and exercise can improve a person’s quality of life. Maintaining a high level of fitness helps you perform at higher levels throughout your life. Healthy muscles are less susceptible to to injury, less likely to tear and give in to stress. Which is why it’s important to take care of your body. Soldiers who don’t meet military fitness standards risk being discharged or maybe disciplinary actions.