With any serious injury, physical therapy offers critical support for recovery. After a bad break of foot bones and two months of complete confinement, simple actions we take for granted were an ordeal. I requested to start PT before I lost all muscle tone and balance, which would make the next step in my recovery more difficult.
I was assigned to Melanie--a total jewel--but observed others in the facility who demonstrated equal patience and professionalism with their patients. Melanie assessed my capabilities (within the range of allowable activity designated by my orthopedist) and listened to my goals. She crafted a challenging set of routines to work on strength and engage in non-weight-bearing cardio that would not jeopardize my recovery.
As we partnered together, I stayed on the edge of finding and pushing boundaries and Melanie simultaneously upped the challenge and kept me within safe bounds. I regained strength. I expanded my repertoire of ability. After release to weight-bearing no- to low-impact activity, Melanie eased me onto the elliptical. This week I went for three real walks--hitting 1.65 miles on my most recent.
If you need PT, I highly recommend ATI. There are people who come, in pain, with limited range of motion. If this is you, you need to "do the work." If you want to heal, you need to do the work. If you do the work consistently, you WILL make progress. read more