Community Health Network Rehab & Sports Medicine Centers

Nichole Wilson, director of rehab services, and Rena Reaves, physical therapist, were recently featured in the first quarter 2010 issue of Indiana Minority Business Magazine.  The article highlights various careers in health and fitness and the growing demand for these professionals.  Reaves describes her role as a physical therapist and how she helps her patients regain function, prevent future injuries, and gain independence after an injury or surgery.  Wilson describes the compassion and listening skills that therapists need to truly understand the goals of her patients.  She also discusses the demands that athletic trainers and other health care professionals must balance when working with athletes.  To read the full article, pick up a printed copy of Indiana Minority Business Magazine or subscribe online at www.IndianaMinorityBusinessMagazine.com.

Physical and occupational therapy at Community Rehab & Sports Medicine Centers may be more fun for patients in 2010.  Thanks to donations from grateful patients, most of Community’s Rehab & Sports Medicine Centers will have therapeutic exercise available with the Wii.  Therapists are excited to utilize this tool to enhance balance exercises, agility activities, patient coordination, and strength exercises.  Many therapy providers across the country have used the Wii for therapeutic exercise with patients of all ages.  Hook Rehabilitation Outpatient Services with Community Health Network has been using the Wii for neurological rehabilitation for some time and now all of our outpatient therapy clinics will have the opportunity to use this tool to improve therapeutic outcomes and make therapy more fun and feel a little less like work.

At this busy time of year, don’t neglect your health.  With extensive media coverage about the economy and stress around the holiday season you may be feeling a bit overwhelmed.  The trick to coping is to recognize the problems or things causing stress and address them.  But what happens when back pain or knee pain is thrown into the mix?  Physical pain can adversely affect your mood and your quality of life.  Studies have shown that people who “just live with” their pain are at a greater risk for depression and other mental illnesses.  If you are experiencing joint pain, back pain or neck pain, talk to your doctor about seeing a therapist to help resolve these issues.  By this time of year most people have met their insurance deductibles, and if you take care of a problem before it becomes chronic, it will cost you much less in the long run.   Enjoy this holiday season, even if you are on a tighter budget–take care of yourself and give yourself the gift of well-being!

Andy Smith, PT

Andy Smith, PT at Rehab & Sports Medicine-Saxony, was interviewed on Fox 59 Morning News.  The topic of discussion was  ’high school sports injuries’ for this segment.   Many high school athletes can benefit from physical therapy intervention.  Early in the school year many athletes encounter aches, pains and injuries that could be symptomatic of something potentially serious.  Talk to your physician to see if your student athlete could benefit from physical therapy.

Watch Andy’s video on Fox 59 >>

Has your child been injured at a sports camp or band camp this summer?  Many adolescents and teenagers get overuse injuries during camps like football camp or marching band camp during the late summer months.  Several weeks of relaxing followed by intense activity in the heat may leave your child prone to injury.  If your child is complaining of pain, over the counter medications and ice may help after activity.  But if this does not resolve the pain or it gets worse, see your physician.  School will be starting soon and with that comes the added stress of homework, afterschool activities and more.  Be sure to get those summer injuries taken care of to begin the school year right.

Hamilton Healthcare Campus

In October 2009, Community Rehab & Sports Medicine Centers will expand their locations by opening a clinic in the Hamilton Healthcare Campus at 146th and Cumberland Road in Noblesville.  More information about events surrounding the opening of this clinic will be posted soon!

As the title sponsor of the Indianapolis Marathon, Community Rehab & Sports Medicine Centers are committed to keep runners and walkers safe and healthy throughout their training.  Community Health Network will be hosting four free classes to educate participants on proper preparation for a race, injury prevention, stretching, strengthening, nutrition and much more.  The first class will be held on July 8, 2009.  For more information visit http://www.ecommunity.com/events/.

The new Director of Rehab, Nichole Wilson, DPT, ATC was mentioned in The Indianapolis Star on Monday June 22, 2009 in the People On the Move section. Read more >>  On Wednesday June 24, 2009, Nichole was also mentioned in the Indiana Business Journal in the Health Care and Life Sciences section.  Click here to read the IBJ article.

How many people do you know that suffer from knee pain?  About 35% of the patients that visit our Rehab & Sports Medicine Centers are treated for some sort of knee pain in one or both knees.  There are many routes of treatment for knee pain depending on your diagnosis.  The first step in getting proper treatment is seeking the opinion of a physician.  Your physician will work with you on the best course of action based on your symptoms.  Some of the common ways to treat knee pain include anti-inflammatory drugs or pain medicine, physical therapy, activity modification, rest or in some cases surgery.  If you are seeking the opinion of a surgeon, consider Community’s Center for Joint Health.  Our orthopedic team will guide you through your knee replacement or other knee procedure.  If you are curious about therapy after a knee replacement, click here to see a video and learn more about the therapy and precautions after your surgery.

In nearly every health care system, you hear about women’s health services. These services may encompass a wide variety of specialty services. At Community, you can learn about osteoporosis, mammography, breast cancer and much more by visiting  eCommunity.com/women.  Community also has a wide range of maternity and children’s services available.  But one thing people may not realize is that Rehab & Sports Medicine is also actively involved in the women’s and men’s health spectrum. 

One of the services that Community Rehab & Sports Medicine Centers can provide is treatment for bowel and bladder incontinence. This problem affects millions of Americans. Many of the people who suffer from bowel or bladder incontinence never seek treatment due to the sensitive nature of the problem. People are often embarassed to admit that they have a problem controlling their bladder or bowels. Therapy is usually not the first treatment option that comes to mind when a patient seeks treatment for incontinence, but it can be an effective and non-invasive option. The therapist might use any one or a combination of the following: exercise for the pelvic floor muscles, computerized biofeedback techniques to give feedback on how well the muscles are working, tips on diet and nutrition, education on bowel and bladder irritants, timing techniques and instruction on how to reduce your frequency and urge. 

It makes no difference if you are a man or a woman; if you suffer from bowel or bladder incontinence, speak to your physician about therapy as one of your treatment options.