Physical Therapy Specialists Clinic is one of only 11 companies in Missouri that offers MedX equipment. You will find cervical and lumbar extension machines at all PTSC clinic locations: West Plains, and Mountain Grove. State-of-the-art computerized MedX lumbar and cervical testing and strengthening equipment is used to test and treat patients with neck and/or low back pain and limited range of motion resulting from acute or chronic injuries.
MedX as a Treatment Tool The ingenuity behind MedX’s success in helping patients become pain free and regain functionality is its ability to isolate the torso and deep muscles of the spine during strengthening exercises. Unlike other spine strengthening exercises that involve muscles in the arms, abdomen or legs, MedX targets only the muscles responsible for maintaining the alignment of the spine. Poor spinal alignment leads to pain. Patients hoping to avoid surgery as well as those who have undergone surgeries for back and neck pain to no avail have been receiving positive results after only a few sessions with MedX. Click here to read their testimonials.
How MedX Works Patients are seated comfortably in the MedX cervical or lumbar machine. In the cervical machine, the muscles in the torso are restrained so that only the muscles in the neck are targeted. Because the cervical muscles in the neck must continually support the weight of the head, weak muscles can lead to headache, neck pain and poor posture mechanics. In the lumbar machine, the muscles in the abdomen, hips and legs are restrained so that only the muscles in the low back are targeted. Weak lumbar muscles can be responsible for back pain, leg pain, stiffness and many other debilitating complaints. The exercises performed in the MedX cervical and lumbar machines are slow, gentle, take just a few minutes to complete and are computer monitored. Patients typically report mild soreness after using MedX, which can be relieved with massage or other modalities.
MedX as a Testing Tool MedX’s data recording and processing software allows therapists to safely and accurately determine a patient’s physical limitations and improvements in neck and back strength. The software calculates accurate range of motion and muscle strength at numerous joint positions by factoring out torso mass, stored energy, tissue compression and/or joint elasticity, and a lack of reasonable effort by the patient. Reports can be generated showing comparisons between age and or gender matched norms. MedX’s computerized reports offer physicians, therapists, caseworkers, and insurance companies accurate, quantifiable data to use in determining a patient’s level of disability at the beginning of treatment and their degree of improvement at the end of treatment. MedX testing is often used at PTSC as a component of a Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE).
ABSTRACT Eight hundred ninety-five consecutive chronic low back pain patients were evaluated. Six hundred twenty-seven completed the program. One hundred sixty-one began, but dropped out, and 107 were recommended for treatment but did not undergo treatment for various reasons. Average duration of symptoms prior to evaluation was 26 months. Forty-seven percent of patients were workers' compensation patients. The primary treatment was intensive, specific exercise using firm pelvic stabilization to isolate and rehabilitate the lumbar spine musculature. Patients were encouraged to work hard to achieve specific goals. Seventy-six percent of patients completing the program had excellent or good results. At 1-year follow up 94% of patients with good or excellent results reported maintaining their improvement. Results in the control group were significantly poorer in all areas surveyed except employment.
Originally published in Orthopedics, October 1995, Vol. 18, No. 10
Physical Therapy Specialists Clinic is one of only a few outpatient therapy clinics in Missouri and the only one in West Plains that offers a SwimEx aquatic therapy pool. The unique patented paddlewheel propulsion system can circulate up to 30,000 gallons of water per minute generating a water speed of up to 6.5 miles per hour. Unlike traditional swimming pools, the SwimEx pool simulates the current of a river and provides a controlled resistance environment for athletes desiring non-weight bearing performance improvement exercise and for therapy patients recovering from a wide variety of muscle, joint, neurological, circulatory, and cardiovascular conditions.
Benefits of Aquatic Therapy Aquatic therapy has long been recognized by physicians, therapists, patients and athletes as one of the safest, most effective forms of rehabilitation available. Four natural properties of water make aquatic therapy an excellent choice for even the most delicate conditions.
Water’s buoyancy property provides a safe environment for protection against falls, relieves stress on joints by reducing the effects of gravity by 70 percent in chest deep water, and helps make movements through a wider range of motion easier.
Water’s natural hydrostatic property (the pressure water exerts on the skin) helps reduce swelling by pushing fluids into the bloodstream, which are then carried to the kidneys and eventually eliminated. Patients with pre-surgical and post surgical swelling as well as patients with arthritis and lymphedema can benefit from water’s hydrostatic property.
Water offers 12 times the resistance of air making it an excellent choice for muscle strengthening without stressing joints like traditional weigh lifting. Plus, move for move, aquatic exercise burns more calories than land based exercise.
The natural cooling property of water helps protect against overheating and makes the perceived effort of therapeutic movements and athletic conditioning seem less strenuous.
Benefits of SwimEx The advantage of using a SwimEx pool over a traditional swimming pool in a therapeutic setting is the ability to provide controlled activities of increasing intensity measured objectively. Patients in initial stages of physical therapy or occupational therapy can start by performing non-weight bearing activities and then progress through the continuum of variable depths and increasing water resistance that SwimEx offers. The adjustable, no-slip floor of SwimEx allows the water depth to be set for individual patient needs thus providing a safer environment for adults and children. SwimEx utilizes a state-of-the-art cleaning and filtering system and is more hygienic than an ordinary swimming pool. The PTSC SwimEx features a hydraulic lift chair that moves patients in and out of the pool safely. Click below to view the hydraulic lift chair in action.
Who Can Benefit from SwimEx Aquatic Therapy? Many high school, college and professional athletes use SwimEx aquatic therapy as a standard part of their overall aerobic and strength conditioning. Athletes recovering from joint or muscle injuries or who wish to spare further wear and tear can run or swim in place inside the SwimEx pool while tethered to a special harness. The paddlewheel propulsion system generates varying speeds of water current against which the athlete can move. Click here to see underwater footage.
In addition to SwimEx’s numerous uses in the field of athletic training, many sports related injuries benefit from aquatic therapy as well. They include:
ACL injury
Arch/Ankle pain
Bursitis
Dislocations
Hamstring strain
Joint pain
Ligament sprains
Lower back Injury
Meniscus Injury
Plantar Fasciitis
Shin Splints
Spinal fusion
Stress fracture
Tendonitis
Patients getting ready to undergo or who are recovering from total hip, knee, or shoulder replacement surgery can benefit from SwimEx therapy. Ask your doctor about a referral for aquatic therapy if you are planning a joint replacement.
Many other common conditions can be treated with SwimEx therapy including:
Baltimore Therapeutic Equipment (BTE) is a computerized work simulator machine that duplicates hundreds of “real world” job functions in a clinical setting in order to measure a patient’s loss of function and progress toward rehabilitation. By simulating activities patients perform at work and at home, therapists can determine with precision accuracy a patient’s strength, endurance, power, and range of motion in performing specific tasks, and can devise a therapy program to improve their ability to perform those tasks.
BTE testing is a valuable component in the Functional Capacity Evaluation and its results can help determine a patient’s capacity to perform work tasks safely and efficiently. The trademarked BTE Quest software system produces standardized evaluation reports including four static/isometric tests and seven dynamic/isotonic tests, a daily treatment chart and treatment progress graphs. With its ability to simulate hundreds of “real world” work tasks, BTE can produce an accurate assessment of a patient’s ability to perform tasks in the workplace or at home. BTE is also helpful in diagnosing certain conditions by reproducing symptoms patients experience only when certain tasks are performed.
BTE test results help therapists determine a patient’s starting level of disability, help therapists plan a course of therapy, and measure a patient’s level of rehabilitation following therapy.
Here’s a sample of just a few of the tasks BTE can simulate:
Lifting a box
Turning a knob
Sawing wood
Climbing a ladder
Pushing a broom
Driving a car
Using a crowbar
Operating a drill press
Shoveling dirt
Operating a screwdriver
Turning a crank
Using a paint roller
BTE Therapy Once a patient’s physical limitations have been identified through proper evaluation and testing, a doctor or therapist may recommend a rehabilitation program that includes the use of BTE. By controlling the machine’s resistance, range of motion and number of revolutions or distance, therapists can gradually increase the difficulty of tasks as a patient progresses toward full rehabilitation. Patients recovering from surgery, illness or accidents can benefit from BTE therapy by improving strength, endurance and range of motion. When used as a component of work hardening. BTE simulates the same kinds of tasks workers perform on the job. By simulating actual tasks, BTE can help condition a worker to perform specific job activities while reducing the likelihood of an on-the-job injury due to lack of conditioning. In cases where a patient’s permanent disability prohibits them from performing specific tasks, BTE can help determine alternate movements that accomplish near the same task and can help condition a patient to perform those movements.
Quantifiable Results
In any therapy program it is important to track a patient’s progress from initial evaluation to discharge. BTE produces computerized color reports that therapists, physicians and patients can use to monitor progress. A few of the available reports include:
Physical Therapy Specialists Clinic offers patients a wide variety of cardiovascular and strength training equipment in the therapeutic gym. You’ll find universal weight machines for upper and lower body, treadmills, stair climbing machines, free weights, walking areas, medicine balls, mini trampolines and other devices in the gyms at all three clinic locations.
Uses Therapeutic gym equipment can be used to treat a variety of conditions. Many patients at PTSC receive therapy consisting of strengthening, stretching and cardiovascular exercises performed in the gym. Patients are closely supervised at all times. Patients are encouraged to wear loose, comfortable clothing and tennis shoes or walking shoes in the gym.
Therapeutic gym equipment is often used for: Sports Medicine/Athletic Training Physical Therapy Occupational Therapy Work Hardening Functional Capacity Evaluations
Open Gym Patients have the option of continuing to use PTSC’s therapeutic gym for a small monthly fee after they have been discharged from therapy. Contact PTSC or ask your therapist for more information. Maintaining strength, cardiovascular fitness and flexibility after therapy can have a significant positive impact on your health.
