Excel PT: Treating the Patient Not the Picture

Excel PT: Treating the Patient Not the Picture

THE NEWSLETTER ABOUT YOUR HEALTH AND CARING FOR YOUR BODY Health Tips Newsletter

TREATING THE PATIENT AND NOT JUST THE PICTURE

“I have my X-ray and MRI results; do you want to see them”? This is a common question therapists receive during a patient’s first visit at their initial evaluation. Many patients are fearful of the results in an MRI report, such as: tear, herniation, degenerative disc disease, bulging, effusion, and edema, to name a few. Should this make patients nervous? Does this tell the whole story? (continued inside)

By Scott Hoffman, PT, DPT, Jenkintown Clinic

INSIDE : • Treating The Patient And Not Just The Picture • Patient Success Spotlight

• We’re Hiring! • And More!

866-949-2726 www.excelphysicaltherapy.com [email protected]

HEALTH AND CARING FOR YOUR BODY Health Tips Newsletter

TREATING THE PATIENT AND NOT JUST THE PICTURE

INSIDE :

• Featured Physical Therapist • We’re Hiring!

• Patient Success Spotlight • And More!

(continued from outside)

SHOULDER A recent study showed that two out of every three patients over the age of 70 have rotator cuff tears and do not have any symptoms. 2 KNEE A study of the knee showed that there was only a 50% correlation

What role does an MRI or X-ray play in a patient’s symptoms and treatment? Imaging results are a slice of the pie in the grand picture of what a patient is feeling. It is a snapshot in time of what is going on in a very specific region, in a static position, but it does not tell the entire story.

between knee pain and arthritis. 3 What do these studies mean?

By Scott Hoffman, PT, DPT, Jenkintown Clinic

Findings in an MRI should not be considered a barrier to your full recovery. These studies show that findings don’t always equal pain, nor functional limitation. Think of these findings like grey hair on the inside of the body, just a natural part of aging! Furthermore, it is common to still have full function despite findings in an imaging scan. The most important question is to discover how a patient’s imaging results fit into the big picture on their road to recovery. If a patient comes to physical therapy with pain and findings in an MRI or X-ray, it should not be considered a limiting factor to achieving their goals. There are cases when the findings in an image need to be addressed by other medical professionals. At Excel Physical Therapy we highly value continuity of care and will work with you and your physician to determine the best treatment for you. What to Look for in a Physical Therapist? When the time is taken to examine all the components of our musculoskeletal and nervous system, good results are likely to follow. An in-depth, 60-minute, one-on-one evaluation will allow your skilled therapist to take a look at the big picture, examine how multiple body parts are functioning, and decipher what role imaging results play in a successful treatment strategy. Excel Physical Therapists are able to spend ample time with patients to uncover the foundational issues, and make adjustments as symptoms change and improve. When you take a step back and see the whole picture, you can find the best solution and relief from your pain. Discussing your imaging results with your physician and working with your physical therapist will help you see the big picture and pursue the best treatment for you.

Bodies were made to bend, twist, move, and reach, and the coordination of our nervous and musculoskeletal system changes with every movement. Our bodies are extremely complex and all the body systems are integrated within each other, making someone’s pain a combination of multiple systems. A skilled therapist working with the referring physician will be able to examine all the components affecting someone’s symptoms and put together a complete plan of care to address a patient’s pain and limitations. We treat patients every day with a variety of painful complaints that are intrusive to their quality of life, sports, and work demands. Patients may experience back pain, shoulder pain, or knee pain, and present an X-Ray, MRI or CT scan with abnormal findings. However, we all age, and aging involves tissue degeneration over the years. Tissue degeneration and the buildup of microscopic injuries are clearly shown on a scan or X-Ray and basically reflect the aging process. In fact, there have been numerous studies conducted to examine how often patients with no painful symptoms have significant MRI Scan findings. SPINE Common results from imaging of the lumbar spine include degenerative disc disease, arthritis, and bulging discs. A study in 2015 found that 52% of thirty- to forty-year-olds without low back pain have lumbar disc degeneration in their imaging results, and 80% of fifty-year-olds without low back pain have lumbar disc degeneration¹. The conclusion: “These findings suggest that many imaging-based degenerative features may be part of normal aging and unassociated with low back pain”. Similar results have been found in other joints as well including the knee and shoulder.

Contact your local physical therapist to learn more and always discuss an MRI or any test results with your physician.

References: Brinjikji W, Luetmer PH, Comstock B, et al. Systematic literature review of imaging features of spinal degeneration in asymptomatic populations. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2015;36(4):811-816. doi:10.3174/ajnr.A4173. Milgrom, Schaffler etal.1995. Reilly, Macleod etal.2006. Bedson J, Croft PR. The discordance between clinical and radiographic knee osteoarthritis: a systematic search and summary of the literature. BMC musculoskeletal disorders. 2008;9:116-116. Horga, L.M., Hirschmann, A.C., Henckel, J. et al. Prevalence of abnormal findings in 230 knees of asymptomatic adults using 3.0 T MRI. Skeletal Radiol 49, 1099–1107 (2020).

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Did You Know?

Timothy Brown, PT, DPT Tim is a therapist and Clinic Director at our Chalfont clinic location. FEATURED PT

1. Where did you grow up? I grew up in Al lentown, PA which is in the Lehigh Valley.

4. What does patient-centered treatment mean to you? It means focusing on all aspects of the patient experience in order to improve their overall state of well-being and health; from the physical, high-quality manual and specific exercise program to the mental perspective and confidence they experience in learning how to help and improve themselves going forward.

2. Where did you attend school for your DPT and when did you graduate? Arcadia University—Graduated in 2011.

3. Why did you decide to become a Physical Therapist? Because I truly value the ability to be part of an alternative holistic health option that empowers and educates patients, and truly gives them control back over their pain and their lives. 5. What is your favorite patient experience? The most gratifying and favorite patient experience of mine has always been when a patient finally has the “Ah-ha” moment: when they realize that what they’re doing is working, that they are in direct control of it, and that they are starting to see light at the end of what has possibly been a very long, dark, and painful tunnel. THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING EXCEL PHYSICAL THERAPY! SCHEDULE A FREE SCREENING WITH YOUR LOCAL PT TODAY! excelphysicaltherapy.com (866) 949-2726

Patient Success Spotlight

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“It has been 8 weeks since my last therapy session, and I am pleased and excited to report that I have been experiencing 0 pain in my back. I continue to exercise each and every day with the program set up for me. I thought that, well, this is the way you feel at 66, and you just have to live with it. I received an MRI, which revealed two herniated discs along with spinal stenosis. I started PT with Jacob Lawrence, PT, DPT, at Excel’s Royersford location. Jake listened patiently and showed great concern asking questions concerning my injury. I was skeptical as to what level therapy was going to help. I was experiencing pain daily, sometimes as high as a 9 on a scale of 0-10. It was difficult to drive, walk at a normal pace, and even get dressed in the morning. Jake explained to me in detail what we were going to be doing in the weeks to come. Jake was very hands-on every session. I was also greeted every session by Fern, who was pleasant, welcoming, and fun to talk to. As I continued every session, I was feeling great improvement. I was excited and was starting to feel like I hadn’t in quite some time. I began to look forward to my next visit and got to the point I was feeling very little to no pain at all. I feel great! Excel was a life changer for me! I will continue to praise Jake, Fern, and Excel for their dedication and professionalism wherever I go.” - Michael G. (Royerford Patient) “I feel great! Excel was a life changer for me!”

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