Archive for October, 2009:
Oct 31 2009
Essential Bariatric Products for the Physical Therapy Clinic With Obese Patients
Patients who are obese have special needs when it comes to completing physical therapy. This is often the case when an obese person decides to obtain bariatric surgery or other surgical means to reduce their weight. This can cause a challenge for physical therapy clinics as they must have available special equipment in order to provide the same level of care to obese patients as their average sized patients. Knowing what types of quality equipment are available to accommodate the needs of obese patients is half the battle. Here are the recommended essential bariatric products for the physical therapy clinic treating obese patients.
Mobility Products
When it comes to providing physical therapy to patients of any size, certain essential products are required to help patients retain mobility throughout this process. These items may include, but are not limited to canes, walkers, crutches, wheel chairs or braces. Normally, it would not be a problem to fit a patient with these items if they are of an average size and weight, but if you have an obese patient it’s difficult to safely fit them with any mobility devices that will not cause them pain or fail to provide adequate support. Another factor to consider is that the equipment must withstand additional weight so the products must be built to last. It’s recommended that in order to accommodate patients of a larger size and weight, that physical therapy clinics choose products that are adjustable, manufactured out of sturdy materials (steel vs. wood or plastic) and be able to take the pressure off of already strained joints. Wheelchairs should have wider seats and allow a full range of motion to encourage obese patients to use them as needed.
Beds and Support Surfaces
When treating the obese patient in the clinic or providing in-home care, there is a great need for a bed, tables or support surfaces that can support their size and weight. Treatment may occur at home and the patient should have enough support so that their back and neck are not having extra strain put on them as the result of leg and arm exercises. In the clinic, it’s essential to have at least one larger treatment table that can be utilized by all patients including obese people. One excellent type of table is the Powerline Treatment, made by Oakworks. This remarkable treatment table features a sturdy padded surface, solid hardwood frame and an adjustable bed that can handle patients up to 500 lbs.
Patient Lifts
When it comes to ensuring safe treatment of obese patients, nothing comes in more handy than the hospital style weight bearing patient lift. These lifts give the caregivers and physical therapists another set of hands when lifting the patient or helping them learn to sit up and stand again. A lift can make sure the patient isn’t falling out of bed or causing injury to anyone, most of all themselves, during treatment.
Respiratory Aids
Obese patients often have trouble breathing properly when participating in physical therapy. Therefore it’s essential to have some type of respiratory aid, such as oxygen and masks, on hand just in case. This will ensure that the patient gets the right amount of fresh air to breath and doesn’t pass out due to lack of oxygen, which would be a very injurious experience for them and for staff.
Floor Scale
When an obese patient presents for treatment, it can be difficult for them to be weighed to see how they are progressive with their weight loss following bariatric surgery. Standard hospital scales only go up to 400 lbs so it’s necessary to obtain a floor scale that can weight up to 1,000 lbs. A floor scale also makes it easier for the patient to get up and down off the scale, especially if mobility is an issue.
By: Amy Nutt
About the Author:
Mobility Products
When it comes to providing physical therapy to patients of any size, certain essential products are required to help patients retain mobility throughout this process. These items may include, but are not limited to canes, walkers, crutches, wheel chairs or braces. Normally, it would not be a problem to fit a patient with these items if they are of an average size and weight, but if you have an obese patient it’s difficult to safely fit them with any mobility devices that will not cause them pain or fail to provide adequate support. Another factor to consider is that the equipment must withstand additional weight so the products must be built to last. It’s recommended that in order to accommodate patients of a larger size and weight, that physical therapy clinics choose products that are adjustable, manufactured out of sturdy materials (steel vs. wood or plastic) and be able to take the pressure off of already strained joints. Wheelchairs should have wider seats and allow a full range of motion to encourage obese patients to use them as needed.
Beds and Support Surfaces
When treating the obese patient in the clinic or providing in-home care, there is a great need for a bed, tables or support surfaces that can support their size and weight. Treatment may occur at home and the patient should have enough support so that their back and neck are not having extra strain put on them as the result of leg and arm exercises. In the clinic, it’s essential to have at least one larger treatment table that can be utilized by all patients including obese people. One excellent type of table is the Powerline Treatment, made by Oakworks. This remarkable treatment table features a sturdy padded surface, solid hardwood frame and an adjustable bed that can handle patients up to 500 lbs.
Patient Lifts
When it comes to ensuring safe treatment of obese patients, nothing comes in more handy than the hospital style weight bearing patient lift. These lifts give the caregivers and physical therapists another set of hands when lifting the patient or helping them learn to sit up and stand again. A lift can make sure the patient isn’t falling out of bed or causing injury to anyone, most of all themselves, during treatment.
Respiratory Aids
Obese patients often have trouble breathing properly when participating in physical therapy. Therefore it’s essential to have some type of respiratory aid, such as oxygen and masks, on hand just in case. This will ensure that the patient gets the right amount of fresh air to breath and doesn’t pass out due to lack of oxygen, which would be a very injurious experience for them and for staff.
Floor Scale
When an obese patient presents for treatment, it can be difficult for them to be weighed to see how they are progressive with their weight loss following bariatric surgery. Standard hospital scales only go up to 400 lbs so it’s necessary to obtain a floor scale that can weight up to 1,000 lbs. A floor scale also makes it easier for the patient to get up and down off the scale, especially if mobility is an issue.
By: Amy Nutt
About the Author:
Source1 Medical provides home health care products, massage therapy chairs and table. Buy physical therapy equipment, bariatric equipment and information for consumers and healthcare professionals.
Oct 17 2009
Using a Physical Therapy Newsletter as a Marketing Tool
As a physical therapist, your patients need to have complete faith in your healing abilities in order to establish trust. To achieve this, a physical therapy newsletter may prove to be quite helpful. In addition to providing information about your services and background, a physical therapy newsletter can be customized to reflect the particulars of your practice.
By sending a physical therapy newsletter to clients, you can market your practice in a way that is less obvious than most. This is the simplest, most cost-effective way to keep in touch with your patients, grab their attention and, in turn, attract their referrals. A physical therapy newsletter will support your credibility within your current client base, and attract newcomers. The best part of a physical therapy newsletter is that it can be sent as an e-mail, which may be forwarded to others. Before you know it, your physical therapy newsletter has circulated through a long list of inboxes.
When creating your physical therapy newsletter, a few pointers might come handy. Some of them include:
Keep it filled with rich visuals and compelling content. Check the articles for typos and grammatical errors. It is crucial that your newsletter be timely and relevant to what’s happening around you. For example, a physical therapy newsletter developed in November may include a piece about aches and pains that are typically aggravated by the winter months.
Keep the tone of your newsletter positive and action-oriented. Your physical therapy newsletter should come across as friendly but authoritative, to keep you positioned as an expert and one of the most professional in your field.
For your physical therapy newsletter to have a lasting impact, send it out every fortnight. This schedule will remind your patients of your service without appearing overbearing or pushy.
Design your physical therapy newsletter to be released on a Monday. Studies show that Monday is day when most people check their e-mails. Since it marks the beginning of the week, it will stay fresh in their minds. Your physical therapy newsletter can either be faxed to your clients or sent through e-mail.
If creating a physical therapy newsletter sounds too complicated and time-consuming for you, outsource it to a professional physical therapy newsletter company such as therapynewsletter.com. A professional company will handle the branding aspects of a great physical therapy newsletter, provide articles, customize the look and feel, and handle the subscription part as well. By hiring a professional, you can use the time otherwise spent creating your physical therapy to work on other projects.
A well-designed physical therapy newsletter can mean hundreds of referrals every month. Do not let the opportunity pass you by, especially since it’s one of the easier marketing methods to tackle. Be sure to include your contact information on your physical therapy newsletter so that clients can contact you whenever necessary. Include a note at the end to remind them to forward the physical therapy newsletter onto family and friends to help increase your customer base.
By: Nitin Chhoda
About the Author:
By sending a physical therapy newsletter to clients, you can market your practice in a way that is less obvious than most. This is the simplest, most cost-effective way to keep in touch with your patients, grab their attention and, in turn, attract their referrals. A physical therapy newsletter will support your credibility within your current client base, and attract newcomers. The best part of a physical therapy newsletter is that it can be sent as an e-mail, which may be forwarded to others. Before you know it, your physical therapy newsletter has circulated through a long list of inboxes.
When creating your physical therapy newsletter, a few pointers might come handy. Some of them include:
Keep it filled with rich visuals and compelling content. Check the articles for typos and grammatical errors. It is crucial that your newsletter be timely and relevant to what’s happening around you. For example, a physical therapy newsletter developed in November may include a piece about aches and pains that are typically aggravated by the winter months.
Keep the tone of your newsletter positive and action-oriented. Your physical therapy newsletter should come across as friendly but authoritative, to keep you positioned as an expert and one of the most professional in your field.
For your physical therapy newsletter to have a lasting impact, send it out every fortnight. This schedule will remind your patients of your service without appearing overbearing or pushy.
Design your physical therapy newsletter to be released on a Monday. Studies show that Monday is day when most people check their e-mails. Since it marks the beginning of the week, it will stay fresh in their minds. Your physical therapy newsletter can either be faxed to your clients or sent through e-mail.
If creating a physical therapy newsletter sounds too complicated and time-consuming for you, outsource it to a professional physical therapy newsletter company such as therapynewsletter.com. A professional company will handle the branding aspects of a great physical therapy newsletter, provide articles, customize the look and feel, and handle the subscription part as well. By hiring a professional, you can use the time otherwise spent creating your physical therapy to work on other projects.
A well-designed physical therapy newsletter can mean hundreds of referrals every month. Do not let the opportunity pass you by, especially since it’s one of the easier marketing methods to tackle. Be sure to include your contact information on your physical therapy newsletter so that clients can contact you whenever necessary. Include a note at the end to remind them to forward the physical therapy newsletter onto family and friends to help increase your customer base.
By: Nitin Chhoda
About the Author:
Nitin Chhoda has a blog on personal trainer marketing . His physical therapy newsletter is available with a money-back guarantee.
