Author: samuelc331

After 8 days, I can really say that I learned a lot and had a good time. The employees at Raleigh Orthopaedics were kind, knowledgeable, and would make sure I was in a relaxed environment. They made me feel very welcomed and through this, I was comfortable asking as many questions as I wanted. They bought me some pastries from La Farm which I thought was extremely generous, and saying good-bye to them was a little sad. I’ll probably end up seeing them again in the future because I am bound to have a severe injury through my athletic activities.

Not only did I learn about the physical therapy field, but I also learned about professional interactions. Throughout this blog, I constantly wrote that I enjoyed meeting and talking to people. It was a lot easier than I expected, being that there were so many different people of a variety of age groups. Simply being in a professional environment also proved valuable, probably even more than the information I learned.

Today, I saw a lot of familiar faces from last week. It was nice seeing progress and new updates in regards to both injuries and personal life. The 100 mile runner came back again this week for more excruciating dry needling. Once again, through all his pain, he was able to have a positive outlook on the necessary procedure and stay happy.

It was a slower day than most, but it meant that I could get to know certain people better. I met a guy who was Gatorade State Player of the Year in soccer  a few years ago, which I thought was incredible. It’s amazing to see that Raleigh Orthopaedics has even elite athletes going there for treatment and not just regular people. There was also a girl who is going to play lacrosse for Arizona State University next year, so I am constantly surprised every day.

I mainly helped individual patients perform certain stretches and exercises. Everyday, I am still learning more about common injuries, and I see people with new ones. I met a lady today who played flag football and has some sort of ITB strain, but the diagnostic is not certain because an MRI is still needed. She could barely bend her knee and told us she couldn’t fall asleep. I had an ITB incident from track this past season and it made me realize how lucky I was that my injury was not as severe as hers.

I also saw Jackie Riley recovering from her ACL tear. It was once again very fun to see someone I knew and have some casual conversation. She did pretty much the same exercises as I have seen numerous do over the past few days, yet I never really get bored by watching.

I saw around 6 ACL tears today, everyone in different stages. I was surprised about how common the brutal injury was, with one girl there being one day out of surgery. I helped many patients with their exercises and kept them company. I actually saw my uncle there, recovering from his ACL tear from 5 months ago. I did not expect him to be there, but once again, it shows the wide range of people physical therapy touches and how critical it is to society.

I find myself doing many of the same things each day, but it never gets boring because I see new people daily. I get to have casual but genuine conversation which I really enjoy. I also have seen a few who have returned within the 4 days I have been there, and it is nice to see familiar faces.

 

Pictured below is an ultrasound unit which helps the circulation of blood

Today at the office was a little slower than the previous two days. There were less patients the therapists had to see, but I still talked to a good amount of them. Once again, they were all very friendly and were interested in getting to know me. Many of them asked me why I was there, and I explained the whole concept of Work Experience. Everyone had the same reaction: I wish I had that opportunity in high school. I think based off of my limited yet enriching experience and other people’s reactions, this should definitely be continued for many years in the future.

During the times I wasn’t helping or talking to a patient, I would use the equipment they had just to try it out. Some of it is similar to the equipment in Boston’s office, but there were things such as a power plate which vibrates at the feet to loosen the body, or an ultrasound unit to improve blood circulation. I am getting a really good feel for the flow and work ethic/environment at the office, so I am enjoying each day there.

Today, I noticed that a lot of the injuries people had were similar to the ones yesterday. The most common occurrences were bad knees, hamstrings, and hips, all of which I have personally experienced.

I saw more dry needling which was still as fascinating as yesterday. The patient today who received it, however, reacted quite differently. Instead of being static and calm, pain was clearly evident when the needle entered his legs. I talked to the man, and he said he ran 100 mile races, so I definitely think that had something to do with his reaction and tightness of muscles. He was incredibly friendly, and even while he was in agonizing pain, he was giving me a list of movies I must watch. I thought that him talking to me through discomfort demonstrated the positive, caring community in physical therapy. It was fun talking to new people and getting to know them while staying productive in the work.

Another unique interaction I had was with a man who just opened an American Ninja Warrior training facility in Morrisville. He had his grand opening on Memorial Day and he showed me pictures of famous figures such as Jessie Graff and Jamie Rhan who attended his big event. Getting to meet such a wide range of people through physical therapy is something I expected, but not to the extent which I experienced today.

Dry needling pictures of the man who runs 100 miles races