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Toni Talks about PT Today

Return to Manual Therapy... Not
by Toni Patt
This week a patient was referred to therapy because of neck pain. I quickly determined she had a mechanical derangement of her cervical spine. Something was locked in the upper cervical region that prevented her from rotating. Her complaints were inability Read More...
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‘I Can't Help, My Back Hurts'
by Toni Patt
This morning there was a patient on the floor so the request went out for lifting help. Four people responded, including me, a PTA, a male CNA and the patient's nurse. The patient was a big man, weak and in a narrow space so it wasn't going to be easy. Read More...
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Being Put on the Spot
by Toni Patt
I believe I've mentioned being a certified McKenzie therapist in my former (pre-neuro) life. I still use those skills, particularly when one of my horses needs some work. However, I generally don't talk about it. I like to avoid those "why aren't you Read More...
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Putting Up With Bad Behavior
by Toni Patt
Today was one of those days. There is a full moon. Healthcare workers often joke about the effects of the full moon on their patients. I believe there is something to that, which means my patients gets more of a workout than usual. I am used to brain-injured Read More...
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A Hostile Environment
by Toni Patt
I don't like my job very much right now. It was never my dream job, just a means to an end. The biggest attraction to me was the ability to leave work in time to ride my horses and do it whenever I want. The patients and other therapists I work with are Read More...
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A Dangerous Patient
by Toni Patt
Sooner or later, everyone comes in contact with a patient who swings at her, attempts to bite or scratch or spits. It goes with the territory, especially if you work with patients who have brain injury or Alzheimer's disease. We console ourselves with Read More...
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Very Acute Therapy
by Toni Patt
This week I found myself at an outpatient orthopedic clinic treating work-related injuries. The clinic was one of several in the area. They have agreements with many local industries to provide medical and therapy services to injured employees. The injured Read More...
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Respect for Clinical Judgment
by Toni Patt
Once in a while I work with patients who have a diagnosis other than stroke. Two or three weeks ago, I evaluated a young man who'd had a TBI and was in the ICU. I later re-evaluated him following transfer to the rehab unit. Last week his rehab doctor Read More...
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The Problem with Scooters
by Toni Patt
I'm not a fan of electric scooters. In my mind, they've gone from a mobility option to a passive enabler. That doesn't mean there aren't people who benefit from them. They're a Godsend for elders residing in assisted-living facilities where the dining Read More...
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Working While Injured
by Toni Patt
This morning, one of the OTs I work with came in on crutches. She'd hurt her foot over the weekend and wasn't able to bear weight through it. She said she thought she would be OK because she could do most of her work sitting down. Occupational Health Read More...
4 comments »     
Another Viewpoint on the Uninsured
by Toni Patt
Last week, ADVANCE blogger Janey Goude talked about health care and the uninsured . What she had to say was very interesting, as were the comments that followed. Rather than adding to that discussion I decided to post my comments in my blog because I Read More...
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Return Demonstration
by Toni Patt
Physical therapists spend a lot of time teaching patients how to do things. We teach home programs. We teach precautions. We teach safety. We teach how to use devices. The list of things we teach is almost endless. And right after we teach it, we document Read More...
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The Dangers of Stopping Warfarin
by Toni Patt
Over the last few weeks, the stroke service has had a run of patients who have had strokes after stopping warfarin therapy. The reason was usually to have an outpatient surgical procedure. Because warfarin thins the blood the surgeons have the patient Read More...
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Early Mobilization
by Toni Patt
In last week's issue of ADVANCE for Physical Therapy& Rehab Medicine , the cover story described a three-month clinical trial of early mobilization in the ICU. I wanted to cut it out and post it prominently at work. I think all medically stable ICU Read More...
2 comments »     

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