Rehab

Back On Your Feet Again

"It's all about getting people back on their feet again," said Stephen Guthrie, Director of Rehab at Bone & Joint Rehabilitation, a division of North Alabama Bone & Joint Clinic, PC. "Orthopaedic surgery is only part of the process. Much of your ability to bounce back to complete mobility has to do with the rehabilitation process."

In fact, the doctors at North Alabama Bone and Joint believe it's at least a 50-50 proposition. "Rehab is such an important part of the whole process that the doctors at North Alabama Bone and Joint Clinic created their own rehab division, adjacent to the doctors' offices at their Helton Drive location in Florence," said Stephen. "Our clinic is equipped with state-of-the-art rehab equipment to give each patient an individual course of action that's tailored to his or her needs. Our staff has over 50 years of combined experience to insure that every patient gets the best care possible here in the Shoals area. We base our care on the latest evidence-based techniques and methods to achieve optimal results. We want to help patients return to their prior level of function, if not to help them achieve greater function than before by restoring their normal range of motion, strength and functional mobility."

Above: Bone & Joint Rehab Director Stephen Guthrie with staff members Bonnie Dollar, Julie Kiel and Heath Gist. Not pictured: Dana Covington and Christi Silva.

Looking into Bone and Joint Rehab shows a flurry of activity, with patients working out at a variety of work stations. Some lie on tables while physical therapists or PT assistants help them regain the lost range of motion in their legs or arms; others slowly lift weights or pull ropes to regain strength in their arms. "Every patient is different," said Stephen, "and so is every therapy program. We're going to push our patients to do everything they can do, but we're very aware that our patients may and do incur pain during the rehab process, so we try to take every precaution to minimize their pain and discomfort."

Immediately after surgery, the therapists may use ice to reduce the effects of swelling. Exercises are used to help control pain and help with movement of the affected joint, and will vary according to the type of surgery or injury incurred. "We use a combination of active and passive exercises to keep the muscles flexible and 'pump' the muscles to help with circulation," said Stephen. Some activities are pretty simple — gentle sliding of the heel toward the buttocks and then straightening it back out, for example, are simple movements that help restore motion to the legs after knee or hip injury/replacement.

"After a patient undergoes joint replacement or ACL reconstructive surgery, it's important to be realistic about what types of activity can be resumed right away," said Stephen. "For example, activities such as driving may be delayed, depending upon which side of the body was affected. Even walking can be tricky, and the patient will start with a walker and progress to a cane and then to walking slowly up and down stairs. We'll even work with the patient to determine what types of recreational activities can be resumed. Generally, the more strenuous the activity, the longer it takes to get back to it — but again, each patient is different."

As soon as the patient is ready, the Bone & Joint Rehab team works with them to get them back to the activities they enjoyed doing prior to surgery or injury. Initially, the patient may begin with activities that are a little less strenuous, including golf, hiking, walking, biking, stationery skiing (e.g. Nordic Trak®), and swimming. There are others that can be considered, after the patient has regained normal strength and range of motion equal to the unaffected limb, such as jogging, tennis, basketball, football, climbing, etc.

At the Bone and Joint Rehab Center, Guthrie is supported by dedicated professionals who are also interested in restoring the patient to full mobility. The staff is experienced and includes two licensed Physical Therapists, four Physical Therapist Assistants, and one Physical Therapy Technician. Their combined experience totals over 50 years, and includes Bonnie Dollar, who started with Drs. Clement and Melson when they founded North Alabama Sports Medicine over 25 years ago. "This is not just a job," said Bonnie, "it's a form of caring, and we form relationships with our patients and really spend time with them, working to help them progress."

It must be working. "What's surprising to me, even after all of these years, is that patients keep coming back, after they've been discharged, to say hello and show us how well they are doing," said Bonnie. "We're delighted to see them, because the relationships become that strong. I think that's why we all do what we do."