Research
MY QUESTION
EQ: What are the different methods of treatment used in physical therapy?
MY ABSTRACT
Throughout the course of this school year, it has been a desire of mine to delve into a career that I am interested in, pediatric physical therapy. It has always been a goal of mine to help encourage and motivate others even at times when they don’t see themselves as being worthy of encouragement. Through my experience with this career thus far, I have been able to witness the power that encouragement can have on one’s mind and body. I have learned that the human body is truly an amazing creation- one that compares to no other. I wanted to learn more about the human body and its capabilities this year, and aside from witnessing the effects of exercise therapy on one’s body, I sought to understand the other methods of treatment that are used in physical therapy as well. While I have been able to apply the principles used in dry needling, electrical stimulation therapy, traction therapy, etc. to what I see on a weekly basis at my mentorship currently, I will also be able to apply what I am learning now to my future career endeavors. Through my mentorship this year, I have become one step closer to achieving my dream of becoming a pediatric physical therapist, celebrating the healing and strengthening of others.
THE WRITTEN RESEARCH PORTION
A patient with a double knee replacement has just walked into my clinic. They are depending on me to treat them and to relieve their intense amount of pain. It is up to me to ensure that they are walking again. How should I go about treating them? Do I apply heat to the affected areas? Do I incorporate manual and massage therapy into my plan of care? Would this be a situation in which dry needling or traction therapy would be effective? These are all questions that I must know the answers to. It is imperative that I administer the correct type of treatment when I am working with a patient in order to restore their health and wellness.
I already know that manual therapy (which is anything that the therapist does directly with the patient such as stretching, exercise therapy, and massage therapy) would be effective in this situation; however, I am unfamiliar with some of the other techniques that are used. I have seen dry needling being used before as well as the use of kinesiology tape, but there are still a few types of treatment that I have never seen being used before. I am assuming that all types of treatment are effective based on the circumstances involved in a patient’s individual situation.
For my research, I have read several articles, read an excerpt from a reliable book released by the American Physical Therapy Association, and I have interviewed a physical therapist who has his Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree. In the articles that I have read, I have learned about the technique of electric stimulation and its impact on the body. Through an excerpt from a book that I have read, I have discovered the astounding effects that dry needling can have in terms of pain management. Through the interview that I conducted with a physical therapist, I have learned about heat/cold therapy, kinesiology tape, ultrasound therapy, traction therapy, and more. The information that I have discovered is not biased; each source that I have pulled information from has come from either a reliable book or article or from a person with years of experience in this career field.
Through this research, I have truly learned that there are numerous ways to go about treating a patient. I have learned that physical therapy involves a very individualized plan of care. There is not a set way to treat one specific patient. A treatment plan should be as unique as the person that is receiving it. Everyone is made differently, and everyone’s body reacts to different things in different ways. I am excited to apply the information that I have learned from this project to my career in the future. Having a general knowledge about the uses and effectiveness of the different methods of treatment used in physical therapy will help me as I treat patients of my own one day. While there is still so much more for me to learn, I am grateful for the knowledge that I have already obtained through this research project.
Works Cited
Author Unknown. "Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) For Phantom Pain And Stump Pain Following Amputation In Adults: An Extended Analysis Of Excluded Studies From A Cochrane Systematic Review." Physical Therapy Reviews 19.4 (2014): 234-244. Consumer Health Complete - EBSCOhost. Web. 28 Jan. 2017.
Ries, Erick. "Dry Needling: Getting to the Point." PT in Motion, vol. 7, no. 4, May 2015, pp. 12-22.
MY INTERVIEW
EQ: What are the different types of treatment used in physical therapy?
Answer: Typically manual therapy is used (all of the things listed below fall under the category of manual therapy)
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHIES
#1: The Importance of a Smooth Transition from Pediatric Therapy to Adult Therapy in Order to Make Treatment Effective
Orlin, Margo N., et al. "The Continuum Of Care For Individuals With Lifelong Disabilities: Role Of The Physical Therapist." Physical Therapy 94.7 (2014): 1043-1053. Consumer Health Complete - EBSCOhost. Web. 26 Nov. 2016.
The article, “The Continuum of Care for Individuals With Lifelong Disabilities: Role of the Physical Therapist” discusses the importance of an effective transition of a patient with a life-long disability (LLD) from pediatric physical therapy to adult physical therapy. It highlights the issues that adults with LLD’s are facing, such as the lack of equipped physical therapists, a lack of preparedness to function in society, as well as a lack of expenses to pay for therapy, and it discusses some ways in which a smoother transition can be ensued, such as through the creation of more community fitness centers and through an increase in caregiver assistance. This article fits in very well into my potential research. As mentioned in the article, “Childhood onset conditions are numerous, with each possessing unique features demanding distinctive attention.” The characteristics of each individual type of lifelong disability, such as Down Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy, have interested me in my own mentorship journey, and I want to include research of those types of disabilities in my final research project. This article, while touching on those types of disabilities, also discussed another important topic that I wish to include in my research project- the importance of a smooth transition from pediatric physical therapy to adult physical therapy. This article was helpful to me, because I myself am switching from studying pediatric physical therapy to adult physical therapy in order to get an insight as to what both career fields are like. “Individuals with LLDs are entering adult healthcare systems, living communities, and workplaces often ill prepared or unprepared for appropriate and meaningful participation” in today’s society, and I would love to be able to help solve these issues. I feel that having experience in both pediatric and adult physical therapy would allow me to do that.
#2: The Impact of Electrical Stimulation Therapy
"Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) For Phantom Pain And Stump Pain Following Amputation In Adults: An Extended Analysis Of Excluded Studies From A Cochrane Systematic Review." Physical Therapy Reviews 19.4 (2014): 234-244. Consumer Health Complete - EBSCOhost. Web. 28 Jan. 2017.
This article talks about TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) & its impact on amputee patients. The author of this article defines Electrical Stimulation (also known as E-Stim) Therapy by saying that it “is an inexpensive, non-invasive, and self-administered analgesic technique.” It is a “battery powered, portable device” that “generates currents that are passed across the skin via electrodes to activate underlying nerves.” There are two types of TENS: ones that use high frequency currents and ones that use low frequency currents. Depending on the level of pain and the intensity of the treatment, high or low frequency currents will be used. E-Stim therapy has been proven to increase blood flow and reduce muscle spasms, which is why it is a great pain-relieving method for amputees. This type of therapy can also be used on its own, or it can be used alongside other treatments.The author of this article mentions a study that was conducted that shows the benefits of E-Stim on amputees. The results of this study suggested “that TENS is safe for post amputation pain and acceptable to patients.” This article was created by the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences as well as several other accredited universities, which makes this article credible. I also found this article on a website that was recommended to me by my teacher, so I know that the information in this article is reliable. I am researching the types of treatment used in physical therapy, and E-Stim Therapy is one that I see being used every time I come to my mentorship. This article had a lot information about E-Stim Therapy, which will be very helpful to me as I answer my essential question.
#3: The Power of Dry Needling
Ries, Erick. "Dry Needling: Getting to the Point." PT in Motion, vol. 7, no. 4, May 2015, pp. 12-22.
This article is focused on a woman named Karen Kitchener and her experience with dry needling. Dry needling is the use of a needle to relieve tension and tightness within a muscle. This technique “is very simple, and it’s very safe in the hands of PT’s.” The use of this technique is becoming more widespread, and “the number of PT’s who see value in it and are adopting it clearly are growing.” Kitchener struggles with myofascial pain, and dry needling has changed her life not only in a physical sense but in a “social & psychological” sense as well. Because of dry needling, her health has improved and she feels “more hopeful and less depressed.” Before dry needling, Kitchener was on pain medications “that made her feel drugged”, and she was misdiagnosed as having fibromyalgia. Practitioner Tim Flynn came to Kitchener’s rescue. Having undergone dry needling certification, he was able to treat Kitchener. Because of this dry needling, Kitchener now has a substantial increase in the movement of her joints and limbs. Dry needling paired with exercise therapy allowed Kitchener relief from her pain. Her case prompted Flynn to use dry needling more often, as the effects of its use in her case were astounding. Now, he administers trigger point dry needling therapy and continues to help improve more patients’ quality of life through the use of this treatment method. This source is credible, because I discovered this article on a website that was recommended to me by my teacher. This article was also written by PT in Motion, a reliable company. I will use the information that I obtained from this article in order to answer my essential question. Dry needling is a technique that I see being used quite often, and I am aware of its benefits. I am glad that I found an article that supports my previous assumptions about this technique.
EQ: What are the different methods of treatment used in physical therapy?
MY ABSTRACT
Throughout the course of this school year, it has been a desire of mine to delve into a career that I am interested in, pediatric physical therapy. It has always been a goal of mine to help encourage and motivate others even at times when they don’t see themselves as being worthy of encouragement. Through my experience with this career thus far, I have been able to witness the power that encouragement can have on one’s mind and body. I have learned that the human body is truly an amazing creation- one that compares to no other. I wanted to learn more about the human body and its capabilities this year, and aside from witnessing the effects of exercise therapy on one’s body, I sought to understand the other methods of treatment that are used in physical therapy as well. While I have been able to apply the principles used in dry needling, electrical stimulation therapy, traction therapy, etc. to what I see on a weekly basis at my mentorship currently, I will also be able to apply what I am learning now to my future career endeavors. Through my mentorship this year, I have become one step closer to achieving my dream of becoming a pediatric physical therapist, celebrating the healing and strengthening of others.
THE WRITTEN RESEARCH PORTION
A patient with a double knee replacement has just walked into my clinic. They are depending on me to treat them and to relieve their intense amount of pain. It is up to me to ensure that they are walking again. How should I go about treating them? Do I apply heat to the affected areas? Do I incorporate manual and massage therapy into my plan of care? Would this be a situation in which dry needling or traction therapy would be effective? These are all questions that I must know the answers to. It is imperative that I administer the correct type of treatment when I am working with a patient in order to restore their health and wellness.
I already know that manual therapy (which is anything that the therapist does directly with the patient such as stretching, exercise therapy, and massage therapy) would be effective in this situation; however, I am unfamiliar with some of the other techniques that are used. I have seen dry needling being used before as well as the use of kinesiology tape, but there are still a few types of treatment that I have never seen being used before. I am assuming that all types of treatment are effective based on the circumstances involved in a patient’s individual situation.
For my research, I have read several articles, read an excerpt from a reliable book released by the American Physical Therapy Association, and I have interviewed a physical therapist who has his Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree. In the articles that I have read, I have learned about the technique of electric stimulation and its impact on the body. Through an excerpt from a book that I have read, I have discovered the astounding effects that dry needling can have in terms of pain management. Through the interview that I conducted with a physical therapist, I have learned about heat/cold therapy, kinesiology tape, ultrasound therapy, traction therapy, and more. The information that I have discovered is not biased; each source that I have pulled information from has come from either a reliable book or article or from a person with years of experience in this career field.
Through this research, I have truly learned that there are numerous ways to go about treating a patient. I have learned that physical therapy involves a very individualized plan of care. There is not a set way to treat one specific patient. A treatment plan should be as unique as the person that is receiving it. Everyone is made differently, and everyone’s body reacts to different things in different ways. I am excited to apply the information that I have learned from this project to my career in the future. Having a general knowledge about the uses and effectiveness of the different methods of treatment used in physical therapy will help me as I treat patients of my own one day. While there is still so much more for me to learn, I am grateful for the knowledge that I have already obtained through this research project.
Works Cited
Author Unknown. "Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) For Phantom Pain And Stump Pain Following Amputation In Adults: An Extended Analysis Of Excluded Studies From A Cochrane Systematic Review." Physical Therapy Reviews 19.4 (2014): 234-244. Consumer Health Complete - EBSCOhost. Web. 28 Jan. 2017.
Ries, Erick. "Dry Needling: Getting to the Point." PT in Motion, vol. 7, no. 4, May 2015, pp. 12-22.
MY INTERVIEW
EQ: What are the different types of treatment used in physical therapy?
Answer: Typically manual therapy is used (all of the things listed below fall under the category of manual therapy)
- What are the benefits of using heat therapy/ cold therapy?
- Warming the muscles is a good way to start a session. You wouldn’t start driving your car at one hundred miles per hour, you’d gradually build up to that point. The same goes for physical therapy. Heat therapy also prevents injury and overexertion of the muscles. Cold packs help to decrease any swelling and/or pain.
- This was the answer that I expected. As I have been interning, I have realized just how necessary the use of hot packs and cold packs are in the treatment process.
- It is Electrical Stimulation Therapy/ the use of electricity to treat pain. There is a broad usage for it. It can be used for pain control, muscle re-education, to decrease swelling, and to fatigue out a muscle.
- I had a general knowledge of what E-Stim therapy was, but I did not know that it had so many uses. This was interesting to me!
- Ultrasound therapy sends an ultrasound wave into the tissue. It is a deep penetrating heat. It can increase the extensibility in tissues, & it can increase blood flow to the area to improve healing in the affected area.
- I did not know that ultrasound therapy was a deep heat. I enjoyed learning about what it is and what it can do.
- It is the use of a needle without medication that goes directly into the muscle to help release trigger points.
- I knew what dry needling was, because I have seen the PT administer it on multiple occasions.
- It is the pulling of your body to help stretch out vertebra. It helps to decompress compressed discs.
- I had no idea what traction therapy was, so I loved learning about it.
- It causes soft tissue mobilization and helps tight tissue to loosen; does pretty much the same thing that dry needling does.
- I knew what massage therapy was, but I did not know it had similar effects of dry needling.
- It builds strength & endurance and benefits overall health.
- I knew the answer to this question, as it is something that I see being used every day.
- It helps to make a muscle work/ inhibit a muscle; helps to correct the alignment of the muscles.
- I have only seen kinesiology tape used on a couple occasions, so this answer was an interesting one for me to hear.
- Manual therapy (mobilization, needling, stretching the patients, etc.). I see the most benefit with this kind of skilled intervention.
- I am not surprised that this is the PT’s favorite type of treatment to administer. He is a very hands on person and loves to help the patients directly and do the exercises with them.
- Also manual therapy; it causes you to have tired hands, because it puts a strain on your arms & hands.
- I was surprised by this answer, because it was also the PT’s favorite type of treatment to administer; however, I can understand why it was his answer. Manual therapy can often be exhausting to administer.
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHIES
#1: The Importance of a Smooth Transition from Pediatric Therapy to Adult Therapy in Order to Make Treatment Effective
Orlin, Margo N., et al. "The Continuum Of Care For Individuals With Lifelong Disabilities: Role Of The Physical Therapist." Physical Therapy 94.7 (2014): 1043-1053. Consumer Health Complete - EBSCOhost. Web. 26 Nov. 2016.
The article, “The Continuum of Care for Individuals With Lifelong Disabilities: Role of the Physical Therapist” discusses the importance of an effective transition of a patient with a life-long disability (LLD) from pediatric physical therapy to adult physical therapy. It highlights the issues that adults with LLD’s are facing, such as the lack of equipped physical therapists, a lack of preparedness to function in society, as well as a lack of expenses to pay for therapy, and it discusses some ways in which a smoother transition can be ensued, such as through the creation of more community fitness centers and through an increase in caregiver assistance. This article fits in very well into my potential research. As mentioned in the article, “Childhood onset conditions are numerous, with each possessing unique features demanding distinctive attention.” The characteristics of each individual type of lifelong disability, such as Down Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy, have interested me in my own mentorship journey, and I want to include research of those types of disabilities in my final research project. This article, while touching on those types of disabilities, also discussed another important topic that I wish to include in my research project- the importance of a smooth transition from pediatric physical therapy to adult physical therapy. This article was helpful to me, because I myself am switching from studying pediatric physical therapy to adult physical therapy in order to get an insight as to what both career fields are like. “Individuals with LLDs are entering adult healthcare systems, living communities, and workplaces often ill prepared or unprepared for appropriate and meaningful participation” in today’s society, and I would love to be able to help solve these issues. I feel that having experience in both pediatric and adult physical therapy would allow me to do that.
#2: The Impact of Electrical Stimulation Therapy
"Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) For Phantom Pain And Stump Pain Following Amputation In Adults: An Extended Analysis Of Excluded Studies From A Cochrane Systematic Review." Physical Therapy Reviews 19.4 (2014): 234-244. Consumer Health Complete - EBSCOhost. Web. 28 Jan. 2017.
This article talks about TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) & its impact on amputee patients. The author of this article defines Electrical Stimulation (also known as E-Stim) Therapy by saying that it “is an inexpensive, non-invasive, and self-administered analgesic technique.” It is a “battery powered, portable device” that “generates currents that are passed across the skin via electrodes to activate underlying nerves.” There are two types of TENS: ones that use high frequency currents and ones that use low frequency currents. Depending on the level of pain and the intensity of the treatment, high or low frequency currents will be used. E-Stim therapy has been proven to increase blood flow and reduce muscle spasms, which is why it is a great pain-relieving method for amputees. This type of therapy can also be used on its own, or it can be used alongside other treatments.The author of this article mentions a study that was conducted that shows the benefits of E-Stim on amputees. The results of this study suggested “that TENS is safe for post amputation pain and acceptable to patients.” This article was created by the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences as well as several other accredited universities, which makes this article credible. I also found this article on a website that was recommended to me by my teacher, so I know that the information in this article is reliable. I am researching the types of treatment used in physical therapy, and E-Stim Therapy is one that I see being used every time I come to my mentorship. This article had a lot information about E-Stim Therapy, which will be very helpful to me as I answer my essential question.
#3: The Power of Dry Needling
Ries, Erick. "Dry Needling: Getting to the Point." PT in Motion, vol. 7, no. 4, May 2015, pp. 12-22.
This article is focused on a woman named Karen Kitchener and her experience with dry needling. Dry needling is the use of a needle to relieve tension and tightness within a muscle. This technique “is very simple, and it’s very safe in the hands of PT’s.” The use of this technique is becoming more widespread, and “the number of PT’s who see value in it and are adopting it clearly are growing.” Kitchener struggles with myofascial pain, and dry needling has changed her life not only in a physical sense but in a “social & psychological” sense as well. Because of dry needling, her health has improved and she feels “more hopeful and less depressed.” Before dry needling, Kitchener was on pain medications “that made her feel drugged”, and she was misdiagnosed as having fibromyalgia. Practitioner Tim Flynn came to Kitchener’s rescue. Having undergone dry needling certification, he was able to treat Kitchener. Because of this dry needling, Kitchener now has a substantial increase in the movement of her joints and limbs. Dry needling paired with exercise therapy allowed Kitchener relief from her pain. Her case prompted Flynn to use dry needling more often, as the effects of its use in her case were astounding. Now, he administers trigger point dry needling therapy and continues to help improve more patients’ quality of life through the use of this treatment method. This source is credible, because I discovered this article on a website that was recommended to me by my teacher. This article was also written by PT in Motion, a reliable company. I will use the information that I obtained from this article in order to answer my essential question. Dry needling is a technique that I see being used quite often, and I am aware of its benefits. I am glad that I found an article that supports my previous assumptions about this technique.