Irene Rademeyer Reflection

Ever since I was a kid, it has been my life goal to help as many people I can. I have moved around in many different areas of the medical field, but no career had caught my eye as much as physical therapy. As an athlete, I have been in and out of the physical therapist’s office for a majority of my life. Each time I have went I could not help but be beyond grateful for what these people have done for me; they have given me the ability to play the sport I love despite all the hiccups. Physical therapy is a dynamic field within the field of medicine because as a physical therapist one can make a difference in the lives of his or her patients, enjoy job security, and enjoy a rewarding and personally satisfying career.

My first experience observing a physical therapist, commenced in the summer of 2014. At the time, I was given the opportunity to observe a physical therapist named Jennifer Moreland. Throughout my time observing her, I began to recognize she was not just a physical therapist with her patients. Many times, she took on the role of a consoler, cheerleader, friend and supporter for her patients. Reflecting back on this, I am able to see that the primary reason she has succeeded as a physical therapist; is due to her amiable, encouraging and empathetic nature. These character traits have allowed her to do more than heal patients' musculoskeletal problems. She has also been able to heal hearts, souls and minds by cheering, supporting, listening

Life can change in a split second when an unanticipated injury or disease hinders someone’s normal daily life. Modern medicine, physicians and families can only do so much but physical therapy can help recoup the life many of us take for granted. It often isn’t until we lose something that we as humans realize what we had such as the value of our body’s ability to take us through each day. A physical therapist is the person who stays with a patient for the duration of the rehabilitation process. A physical therapist leads the patient through the process of regaining physical strength and helps the patient regain control of their future. Much like many careers that involve interaction with individuals, physical therapy reaches beyond

I believe that my personal and professional growth and behavior as a physical therapist is of utmost importance. I base this firstly on my strong connection to those in society who are disadvantaged when it comes to physical therapy, and also on the movement system, movement being “the key to optimal living and quality of life for all people that extends beyond health to every person’s ability to participate in and contribute to society” (American Physical Therapy Association, 2013). This perspective, I believe, is aligned perfectly with the vision statement for the physical therapy profession – to transform society through optimization of movement to improve the human experience (APTA, 2013). After reviewing the vision statement, I strongly believe it will act as my guide by strengthening compassion, reinforcing advocacy, improving quality of service, and strengthening cohesion.

As a PTA I have been given a breath of knowledge in regard to the profession of physical therapy. However, I am not satisfied with this breath of knowledge. I yearn for the opportunity to gain a further understanding in terms of “how and why” physical therapy is successful at restoring function to individuals seeking

“Hello, Can I help You?” is a touching story. It did not only motivate me more to become an Occupational Therapist but it made me look forward to the future where I can help people feel better, happier, and more fulfilled of their lives. I have always been fascinated by the works of Occupational Therapists. Seeing them in the milieu where I work helps me stay on track and have more sense of direction in life. Meeting patients at work just like Jacqueline Goldberg opens multiple opportunities for me to learn and get a better and deeper understanding of people with disability. In Jacquline’s story, I learned that the Occupational Therapy treatment process is not just a typical in-and-out treatment routine. The story opened my eyes to a different level of patient-healthcare provider relationship and how that relationship can completely change someone’s

In the words of Field (2007), "physical therapists develop therapies and exercise modalities to help patients ease pain, recover from injuries or illness, or regain use of body parts." The relevance of physical therapy as a health care profession cannot hence be overstated. This is more so the case given that due to injuries, accidents, old age or disabilities; individuals could at some point need intervention designed to alleviate pain, improve mobility or even restore function.

While observing at Amer-I-Can Work Rehab, I was able to see what it is like to work at a privately owned outpatient physical therapy clinic. Many of the patients at the clinic were over the age of 50, with none under age 16, and many suffered form back injuries. In order to treat all of the patients, a variety of methods were used including stretches with and without resistance bands, isometric strengthening, traction, massage, electric stimulation and ultrasound.

Our job as physical therapists is to engage the consumer to reestablish functional capabilities and to reduce avertable healthcare costs to ensure the existence of a successful society in the future. It is the APTA’s vision that we transform society by optimizing movement to improve the human experience. As a therapist I will embody this vision through the principles of: Identity, Quality, Collaboration, Innovation, and Value. Identity is shaped via the core of physical therapy practice, education and research known as the movement system. This is the foundation for health care as a therapist and from evaluation to discharge and at-home care the patient’s return to normal societal life is my goal.

On September 8th, 2015, I first began interning for Dr. Dawn Cox and her staff of experienced Physical Therapists at PRANA Functional Manual Therapy in Lancaster, PA as a Physical Therapy Aide. Intermittently, on the first day of my internship, I would ask the therapists “Why choose Physical Therapy as a profession?” One of the Physical Therapists conveyed that aside from the substantial benefits a job provides, it was the intangible materials that gave the profession a meaning. As a student exploring the field of Physical Therapy, I have infallibly witnessed professionalism at PRANA and other Physical Therapy facilities through the therapists’ altruism towards patients -without violating ethical practices as professionals; their apposite use of communication with each individual at the workplace; and their sense of accountability when things go unforeseen.

Thesis: In the future due to an aging population and sedentary lifestyle there will be an need for qualified physical therapist for rehabilitation.

In order to understand the current issue with unfair copayments for physical therapist patients, one must be able to question the, “what is a copayment”? Pagliarulo defines a copayment as a flat dollar amount a subscriber has to pay for a specific health service at the time of service (126). Copayments may vary depending on the type of service one is receiving (i.e. primary care visit, hospital stay, emergency room visit, specialist office visit). In many health insurance contracts, physical therapists currently fall under the category of “specialists” (“Fair Copays”). With this categorization come higher co-pays for patients receiving services from physical therapists. As a result, many patients are not seeking the treatment they truly need

(3)There have been vast amounts of research that has been conducted on the therapeutic partnership, and researchers have discovered a wide array of challenges in forming these relationships. These challenges are especially true among physical therapists and their patients. Patients in physical therapy experience their own challenges like temporary, chronic and permanent states of pain and disability (Sargeant & Newsham, 2012). Physical therapy patients are already in very vulnerable state and may be reluctant to form partnerships with their therapists. Many issues physical therapists run into when forming partnerships include: difficult patients, time constraints of the clinical environment and a negative culture or environment in the clinic (Bayliss & Strunk, 2015). These constraints put on the physical therapist prevent the formation of healthy partnerships by obstructing the physical therapist’s ability to demonstrate care. This inability to show care can greatly damage the relationship, and in turn be detrimental to treatment. Studies have found that the relationship between a clinician and a patient can account for up to half of the effects of therapy (Hall, Ferreira, Maher, Latimer & Ferreira, 2010) and that the patient-therapist relationship is more important to success than treatment techniques (Roberts, Whittle, Cleland & Wald, 2013). These studies demonstrate that the benefits of rehab rely not only on expert care, but also on the partnership between the clinician

Physical therapy has grown increasing more useful as the years’ progress and more is learned about the human body and its movements, interactions, and mechanisms. Someone may go to physical therapy for injury, recovery, in order to maintain function, or even due to a stroke and is trying to work on walking again. Patients of a physical therapist can include, but is not limited to, elderly, children, accident victims, athletes, those with conditions such as arthritis or fractures, etc. The possibilities are endless for potential physical therapy patients (Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences).

Over the summer, I had the opportunity to observe at two Physical Therapy clinics. The first experience was at an outpatient clinic located in the Medical Arts and Research Center (MARC) in San Antonio, Texas (clinic A). While at clinic A, I observed a total of 18 patients, under two therapists. Of these patients, 16 were treated for musculoskeletal diagnosis; such as, frozen shoulder, cervical stenosis, low back pain and ACL repair. Other diagnosis observed include: two neuromuscular patients with weakness and loss of balance, as well as, a post-surgical wound care. As for ages, 14 patients were older adults, while the remaining four patients were adults. As for my second observational setting, I shadowed one therapist at Claire Physical Therapy, an outpatient clinic located in Plano, Texas (clinic B). While at clinic B, I observed six patients with varying diagnosis of musculoskeletal dysfunctional ranging from patellar dysfunction, frozen shoulder to knee and hip OA. Of these patients, two were elderly; three were adults and one pediatric.