Until recently, my only experience with physical therapy occurred in the late seventies after a nasty hand injury that required surgery. The therapy consisted of soaking my hand in warm water somewhere in a basement below a doctor’s office, then having my hand stretched and pulled until I screamed or the scar tissue loosened. Therapy has come a long way since then.
Now, let’s move ahead about forty years to 2016. I was riding my bicycle on a trail near the University of Tennessee and, as I began to cross a railroad track, my front wheel became trapped between the track and the pavement. I went down…hard! Fortunately, I wear a helmet because my head came within a millimeter of the road, but I had no other protective gear. I learned later that this site is a common one for bike accidents in our city, but this lesson came too late to avoid a broken elbow. My doctor explained that there is little treatment for elbow breaks except for patience and therapy.
Before my doctor wrote the referral for elbow therapy, he asked if I had a preference for a treatment facility. At the time Helen (adorable wife) and several friends were receiving treatment at Prompt Physical Therapy, a center near our home so I asked him to refer me there. I was given a referral for eight visits. It was the beginning of a beautiful relationship.
The building that serves as the home of Prompt Physical Therapy was once a small country store. The name of the store, Dalton Groceries, remains on the outside of the building. In my youth, my friends and I would ride our bicycles there to buy soft drinks or snacks. The location also served as the end of the line for the city bus, and we often rode from the store to downtown for Saturday movies. The former store name and the memories are all that remains of the old building.
Steve, the owner of Prompt, has modernized the old building and equipped it with everything necessary to treat a variety of physical conditions. I have friends receiving treatment for problems with necks, arms, shoulders, backs, knees, feet, and in my case elbows, and now a hip. In addition to the equipment, Steve has staffed the Center with some very capable, very caring, and extremely professional therapists. I have had the privilege of receiving successful treatment for my elbow from Catherine (Cat); from Mary Katherine for my hip before surgery, and now I am in the hands of Katie who is working diligently to restore me to my former busy and active self.
The therapy normally prescribed by my doctor for hip replacement is, simply put, walking. I knew, however, that more was necessary for me because walking bores me and, with no prescribed distance, I would probably baby this hip rather than push myself to a level necessary to strengthen it. Therefore, during the first office visit after surgery, I told the surgeon that I felt I would benefit greatly from a supervised program of exercise and therapeutic massage to get the kinks out. He agreed and sent me to Prompt at my request.
Once there, I met Kara, a therapy technician who started me on a series of exercises using weights as prescribed by a physical therapist. At once, I noted that the exercises were what I needed to stretch and strengthen some sore and stiff muscles. Moving through them was a bit uncomfortable at first, but, once underway, it felt good to stretch those muscles out. I did, however, have to remind myself that I asked for this. Altogether, I completed three sets of fifteen repetitions for seven different exercises.
Next, the physical therapist assigned to make me well introduced herself. Her name is Katie, and with her bright smile, I liked her immediately. Katie took a few minutes to ask me a few questions concerning my case and whether I was experiencing pain and how much. Once she completed the interview, the therapeutic massage portion of the program began. Katie very skillfully worked the area around my surgical incision to relieve the tightness in that area. It was at that point that I knew why I was there. The tightness began to melt away.
As of today, I have completed four sessions of therapy, and my new hip feels better after each session. Most of the soreness and stiffness has subsided and, for the first time, I feel that I am walking with a normal gait. The cane that has been my constant companion is thankfully retired.
It still amazes me that old joints are replaceable and that the pain they caused can disappear. Thankfully, there are people with the dedication, drive, and desire to make that happen. I extend a big thanks to the professionals at Prompt Physical Therapy. Helen and I will be Easin’ Along again soon. Your skills have helped to make that happen.
