Return to the "POINTER VIEW"February 8, 2002
Return to the "POINTER VIEW"
February 8, 2002
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| Spc. Benjamin Allen of the Military Police Company performs knee-stretching exercises |
As I laid on my stomach with my face squished pleasantly into the cushioned bench, a disembodied voice next to me calmly quipped, "Don’t worry, we’re not all about pain and torture."
Then the voice chuckled.
Had this been my first visit to the Physical Therapy Clinic at Keller Army Community Hospital -- and had I not known the voice to be that of the clinic’s Assistant Chief Maj. Shannon Lynch, I might have had serious second thoughts about the necessity of walking.
More than a year ago, I severely injured my back on an icy staircase, and the physical therapists at KACH were there to help. That help is appreciated all the more now that I’m recovering from spinal surgery.
But that is why they’re there, after all.
"We perform the evaluation and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal injuries and pre and post-operative rehabilitation for orthopeadic conditions," Lynch explained.
Uh-huh. In English?
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| Physical Therapy technician Spc. Daniel Cauhonte assists Yolda Herrera with cervical mobility. |
"We evaluate any injury to a muscle or joint and then help the patient get past the injury."
Oh.
Well, to further quench my curiosity and help out the community at large, Lynch joined KACH PT Chief Lt. Col. Joe Moore to unfurl the mysteries of physical therapy and how it’s done here at West Point.
Lynch started from the beginning.
"Your first appointment begins with a thorough evaluation of your complaint," he said. "Rehabilitation goals are then set and a program is developed to address your deficits or functional limitations."
"Depending on the extent of your pain and limitations of movement," Moore added, "You’ll either be treated by our staff in the clinic or given an exercise program you’ll be able to perform at home."
"To do this, we have six certified physical therapists who specialize in orthodeadics or sports medicine and another six PT technicians," Moore said.
That’s a dozen trained people here to help you get over an injury. But who exactly can go to see them? Well, besides those active-duty military members recovering from surgery like myself, any other active-duty members, retirees, family members and civilian employees injured on the job are all welcome.
Moore said you don’t even need an appointment.
"We offer direct access, meaning patients have the choice to come directly to the clinic here or at Arvin Gymnasium without having to see a physician first," he said. "We’re trying to make it easier for patients to gain quicker access to our services without having to go through multiple clinics."
"We have equipment to assist our patients with exercises that will increase their flexibility and muscle strength around the injury," explained Lynch. "We provide instructions for further exercises as well as modalities such as electrical stimulation, ultrasounds and heat or ice as needed."
The Arvin clinic is there to provide the cadets with care closer to home, said Moore.
"To accommodate the academic and training schedules of cadets, our own schedule goes beyond normal clinic hours," he explained. "We also provide the medical coverage and sick call for cadets during summer training."
Along with all the other services they provide, the West Point PT clinic staff is also prepared to offer spinal manipulation for patients with back or neck pain, and provide electromyography testing for those with suspected nerve or muscle disease.
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| Staff Sgt. Antonio Rivera travels to KACH three days a week from Fort Dix, N.J., to continue his therapy after knee surgery. |
"Our program has been recognized across the country as the leader in sports medicine and PT-related education and research," Moore said. "We’re also available on an appointment basis to teach classes anywhere on West Point on topics of fitness and injury prevention."
Now that you know what the clinics do and that you can simply walk in for treatment of your musculoskeletal injury -- if you can walk with said injury -- you’re probably wondering when they’re open.
The KACH PT Clinic is open from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and the phone number is 938-3324 to schedule an appointment.
The Cadet PT-Sports Medicine Clinic at Arvin Gym is open from 6:30 to 9:00 a.m. and 1 to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Their phone number is 938-3067. The Arvin Clinic is open to cadets, staff and faculty members who work in central area.
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| Cadet 4th Class Jonathan Sammon eyes his healing incision as Physical Therapy NCOIC Staff Sgt. Ivan Domenech changes the badage over his onece-torn shouder. |
In its continuing mission to help out the community, the PT clinic staff also intends to promote wellness and injury prevention through a biweekly column in this paper.
"We feel this is an excellent medium to reach a large number of people with relevant fitness tips and injury prevention ideas," said Moore.
Readers can expect to see the article in the paper in a few weeks, and for the time being they can expect to find me at the clinic.
I’ll be the one with the cane.
