Physical therapy a boon for injured elders

It has often been said that “you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone.” Such is true for physical movement. We may take mobility for granted, but an injury, surgery or even a touch of arthritis-induced stiffness in the morning may take the wind out of the sails of a formerly active lifestyle.

But you don’t have to take this lying down, so to speak. Physical therapy can often put the spring back in your step. While some people may not emerge from therapy as good as new, they will most certainly benefit from the experience.

While October is physical therapy month, staff at HealthSouth Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center, with offices in Bangor, Winterport, and Ellsworth, celebrate their profession year round.

“I wanted to know that I was helping people. It makes me feel good,” said Donna Sargent, physical therapist at HealthSouth, of her career change. “I used to be a lab tech but I really like working with people, which I didn’t get to do in a lab setting.”

And work with them she does, on a variety of levels.

“Physical therapy isn’t just about healing, it’s about prevention as well,” said Sargent. “For example, if someone tweaks their back, and doesn’t have therapy, the risk of re-injury is higher than if he or she did have physical therapy. We also provide education on the proper way to lift, and the mechanics of bending, as well as ways to help strengthen the back.”

For seniors, physical therapy can bring about life-altering changes.

“Weakness is a diagnosis that we have seen, especially in older people,” she said Sargent. “A person may be ill and bedridden for awhile or at least not very mobile, but then when feeling better they want to get up and move around. They soon discover it’s not so easy. Physical therapy can get them going again.”

For Doris Leighton, 71, physical therapy is just what the doctor ordered.

“I had sulfur poisoning from some medication and ended up in the hospital,” said Leighton, a client at HealthSouth. “My legs were collapsing out from under me. The therapy has helped me immensely. I am really getting my strength back. And I do my exercises every day at home,” she added, eliciting a smile from Sargent, her therapist.

But if you think physical therapy is just about exercise, think again. The therapists’ bag of tricks with which to make you feel better is deep.

There is electrical stimulation, in which an electrical current is painlessly passed through the affected area. Aquatic therapy also is used, because exercising in water is easier on joints. A biofeedback device, once hooked up to your muscle, can monitor that particular muscle’s contractions. Ultrasound utilizes sound waves which stimulate the deep tissues and increase blood flow. Ice and heat therapy, massage and stretching are also popular treatments.

A common complaint from seniors is poor balance, which can lead to falls. The resulting fear of falling may curtail favorite activities, which in turn may lead to depression and muscle weakness.

Sargent is familiar with the scenario.

“A lot of it is confidence, especially if they have taken a bad spill,” she said. “We address their fear. We stay by their side, take baby steps until their confidence is restored. Before they know it, they are walking across the room alone.”

And as they walk out the door and into more active lives, Sargent knows she has done her job well.

“I think [HealthSouth] is a wonderful place,” said Leighton. “My quality of life has improved, they have really helped me a lot, and you feel good just coming in. I think it must be the people here.”

Due to the flu vaccine shortage, officials at Bangor Area Visiting Nurses regret that they will be unable to hold clinics this year. Please refer to www.bavn.org for more information.

Carol Higgins is director of communications at Eastern Agency on Aging. For information on EAA, call 941-2865, or log on www.eaaa.org.