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. As we were positioning ourselves to lift him the nurse stepped away. She said she didn't lift ...

Recently I took on another challenge, writing a CEU module. When I agreed to do it, I thought no problem. This is what I teach. I already have an outline and references. I can just fill in the words. After I started writing, I realized something. When I teach, I have lots of material to cover so spend little time on any one thing. The CEU module ...

My current job comes with a perk I've never experienced before -- working from home. No, the patients don't come to me. Our documentation is Internet-based so I have the luxury of being able to write notes from home. Some people might say that is a curse, not a benefit. Physical therapy is one of the few fields I never would have thought could ...

A few weeks ago, I wrote about using the Nintendo Wii and wondering how much help I should give my patients. Since that time, I've settled into helping them to either prevent frustration or teach a new motor program. That creates higher scores while enabling motor learning. The only exception is the red fish. One of the games we play involves ...

I've been using the Nintendo Wii with more of my patients. This has created a dilemma for me. I don't know how much help to give my patients. At first I didn't help them at all but that wasn't successful. Since then I have alternated between verbal cues for strategy, tactile cues to follow the strategy and manually assisting them with playing the ...

A new piece of equipment has found its way into our department, a Nintendo Wii. Up until last weekend I'd never even seen one, much less played with one. The literature is full of articles describing how to use the Wii therapeutically, particularly with the geriatric population. The evidence says it is effective. Nowhere did I read how much fun it ...

We all have things that annoy us. I have a new one at work, the assisted ergometer. It can be used for the UEs or LEs and programmed to provide either resistance or assistance to whoever is working the pedals. To me it is a glorified restorator. What annoys me so much isn't the machine but the individuals who put every patient on it every day ...

It's been a while since I've had more than a few geriatric patients on my caseload. Now that my caseload is all geriatric, I've had to readjust. It's a good thing I didn't forget the first rule of geriatric care. Elderly patients are people, too. They should be treated that way. It's been a nice change. They complain. They tell me they can't do ...

Last weekend, the Houston newspaper ran a story about how local health care providers are struggling to cope with heavier patients. It praised them for investing in plus-size furniture, heavy-duty stretchers and toilets that can support extra weight. There was just one problem with the story. It covered everything but the increased stress the ...

I like to start work early; the earlier the better. Usually this means I start my day alone. I grab the first patient I find out of bed and get started. Not anymore. A few days ago, I was having trouble convincing a patient to come to therapy. In frustration, I offered her a cup of fresh coffee to sip while we were working. Little did I know it ...