Physiotherapy solutions with Sabra Pegler 2023: Telehealth: Not Just a Pandemic Stopgap! Elsewhere on the blog, we’ve discussed the expansion of telehealth services in the rehabilitation sphere during 2020 and 2021. Under the pressure of pandemic lockdowns, PTs, OTs, and other rehab providers were forced to overcome their skepticism and embrace the value of telehealth. Telerehabilitation services can expand the reach of providers, allowing patients in rural and underserved locations to receive more regular care and contact with a therapist. Telehealth also improves access for patients with mobility deficits that can make travel to in-person visits onerous. By reducing travel time and expenses, telehealth can decrease the cost of care for patients.
Video games integrate with physical therapy more than some might realize, with some of the largest game-makers in the world creating specific games for enhanced mobility and exercise. These games are reaching across every medium discussed in this article, including consoles, VR machines, phone apps, and wearable tech. The power of video games and physical therapy is the fun factor involved. Nearly one in five physical therapy appointments is missed in the United States every year. These missed appointments lead to poor patient recovery, loss of revenue and wasted time. Video games make physical therapy palatable for those who struggle with recovery. And as technology is improving, so are the graphics and performance of these video games. For instance, in the past five years, mobile gaming has taken off, seeing exponential growth in every country with powerful chips that boast beautiful graphics and high-speed performance. These advancements in technology ensure every patient has the hardware needed for PTs to prescribe highly-engaging treatment plans. See additional info at Sabra Pegler from Brainerd Minnesota.
Zero gravity chairs have become increasingly popular in recent years and can now be found in nearly every recreational, furniture, and specialty store on the market. It is possible to purchase various zero gravity chairs, ranging from outdoor or lawn chairs to indoor, living room recliners made of leather and other luxurious fabrics. Relax The Back sells zero gravity chair recliners online, and you can also visit a Relax The Back store in person to try out a variety of different chairs. If your zero gravity chair allows it, you may be able to manually achieve a reclined position by pushing your weight back in it. This will depend on the model. As you lean back in your zero gravity chair, the footrest will extend at the same time, elevating your legs into alignment with your heart and allowing you to feel more relaxed.
Physiotherapy advices from Sabra Pegler 2023: It shouldn’t be surprising then that physical therapists are overworked and tired. If that burnout causes a PT to quit, then you need to spend time, energy, and resources to replace them. Therefore, as part of your regular employee evaluation, consider using a checklist or self-test such as this one from MindTools for your staff to assess their mental health and level of burnout. Based on the results, you can take steps to reduce burnout, such as committing to ethical scheduling practices.
Lumbarest therapy is a technique that allows you to eliminate pain in the back or lower back, is useful for curvature of the spinal column, causes relaxation of the muscles running along the back, decompression of the intervertebral discs, which leads to a decrease in hernias, removal of pinched nerve endings. Increase in intervertebral spaces, release pinched nerves, and straighten the spinal column. Reducing muscle and ligament tension, decreasing pressure on nerve endings due to an increase in intervertebral spaces.
Together, this suite of telehealth technologies allows physical therapists and their patients to conveniently work together to reach their treatment goals. However, since physical contact is impossible with virtual physical therapy, PTs will need to establish trust and convey empathy. Showing empathy can help counteract some of the unique stresses and disconnects created by telehealth. Expressing empathy during video appointments requires physical therapists to pay attention and know how to respond to verbal and nonverbal cues. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement recommends using the mnemonic SAVE to help express empathy via Telemedicine.