Physical Therapy through Kinect

"Bright minds at the West Health Institute in San Diego have developed a technology that allows patients in need of physical therapy to perform necessary exercises away from their expert guidance through the use of a Microsoft Kinect."(Stango, P1) The technology that allows all of this to happen is called Reflexion Rehabilitation(RMT). RMT is a measurement tool that uses a Windows 7 computer and the Microsoft Kinect camera to keep physical therapy patients engaged in physical therapy throughout their daily lives.

Why is this program so cool? "Once prescribed, it gives educational feedback and presents the patient with educational materials, that will aide the doctor in keeping his or her patient in consistent prescribed therapy."(Stango, P2) This program also has the potential of lowering health care costs without losing the quality of service.
"The biggest problem with physical therapy is patients not doing enough of it or not doing it properly. We are building a tool to help physical therapists measure progress in a fun way that could potentially help patients heal faster."-Spencer Hutchins,-co inventor. This program has untold heights of what it could possibly accomplish.



"Kinect Can Help Doctors Monitor Your Physical Rehab From Home." Gizmodo. Nick Stango, n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2012. <http://gizmodo.com/5946737/kinect-can-doctors-monitor-your-physical-rehab-from-home>.

Student Organization

These past couple of days I have been looking into the "MSU Pre-Physical Therapy Association". It is a student organization here on campus for undergrads who are interested in going into Physical Therapy. From what I understand the goal of this organization is to let students become more familiar with Physical Therapy and its field of study.
Through the organization you can have "exclusive volunteer opportunities at local clinics.", talk to recently admitted Physical Therapists, practice interview skills, help out the Spartan community, and become an overall better Physical Therapy Program applicant.
From what I have researched this organization seems to be very close within itself and with the community of East Lansing. The organization seems to pride itself on helping out in the community and wherever it can be utilized. They value hard work and dedication. I think that having sessions on working on personal interview skills, talking with professionals, and hosting personal statement seminars show that. I am yet to have the privilege of attending a meeting or speak to a member of the organization but I see both in my near future.
For all who want to check it out here is their link: http://msuppta.wordpress.com

Hydrotherapy

In my previous blog posts I have mentioned different types of Physical Therapy that have been used. Today I am going to go into detail on one in particular. HYDROTHERAPY. Hydrotherapy is a type of treatment that is used to decrease pain and increase comfort while doing a specific exercise. Like walking on a tread mill. The different types of exercises you can do are all done inside of a swimming pool that much colder than normal pools. The water will be up to the patient's chest, which helps reduce the weight and pressure on the injured body part and the patient as a whole. The temperature and pressure of the water also help to increase good blood circulation." Alternating the temperatures, either in a shower or complementary tanks, combines the use of hot and cold in the same session. Proponents claim improvement in circulatory system and lymphatic drainage." (Wiki, P18)

         "Hydrotherapy." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Sept. 2012. Web. 19 Sept. 2012.         <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrotherapy>.

Interview

In one of my up coming blogs I will be interviewing a professional in the field of Physical Therapy. The professional that I will be interviewing is a Physical Therapist by the name of Brenda Ross. Mrs. Ross is a friends mother whom I have talked to about Physical Therapy before.
My interview will be based around any forms of writing that she uses during her normal work week and how she writes it. Here are some of the questions that I plan on asking Mrs. Ross:

In what ways is writing involved in your workplace?

If any what types of writing strategies do you use and why?

What is your writing process? (Brainstorming, rough draft)

Who is your audience when you write?

What type of formatting is commonly used?

What is the common purpose of your writing?

What mode of delivery is used to present the text?

How do you organize your ideas?

Delivery and Style

http://search.proquest.com.proxy2.cl.msu.edu.proxy1.cl.msu.edu/docview/223117920/13922D8BB9A6AC884A0/7?accountid=12598

This scholarly article hast a lot to do with study's and using physical therapy. The fact that studies were in use makes the author very credible in my book. The author likes to get to the point and supports his point with strong supporting sentences. Big words came into play showing that the author is well educated and knows what they were talking about. The fact that this article is online makes it very accessible to the public and gets this article out there in the world.

http://search.proquest.com.proxy2.cl.msu.edu.proxy1.cl.msu.edu/docview/865703983/13922E3274A6AC884A0/2?accountid=12598

This trade journal talks about how to get your physical therapy practice out there into the public. The author comes off as very informational and obviously educated  in marketing. He grabs your attention through his words and he talks to you as the reader. For example "To succeed as a physical therapy practice, you must set yourself apart. Without the right marketing, most of your potential patients never will hear about you." This style of writing pules you in as a reader and makes you want to learn more. 

http://intouchpt.wordpress.com/

The Physical Therapy blog consists of the authors own methods and ways of doing things. He comes off as credible with his knowledge of the practice and relating to others within his own field. This makes me pay more attention to what he says and how he does things. It written in the first person showing this is how the author does "it". It is an informational blog allowing you to expand your knowledge of the field. 

PT?

So what is Physical Therapy? Why would one go to a Physical Therapist (PT)?
"Physical therapy is a type of treatment you may need when health problems make it hard to move around and do everyday tasks. It helps you move better and may relieve pain."(Web MD, P1) Physical Therapy involves doing doing different exercises to improve your physical function and fitness level.The over all goal/purpose of doing Physical Therapy is to help make your every day exercises easier for your body to handle.

A Physical Therapists' job is to help reduce pain and swelling for an individual and make a proper treatment plan for them. That means selecting the proper exercises for that person to do so that they can increase there flexibility, and strength. "Physical therapy almost always includes exercise. It can include stretching, care exercises, weight lifting, and walking." (Web MD, P6) People will end up going to physical therapy for many different reasons that range from huge sports injuries to minor arthritis pain. There are hundreds of different exercises designed to help a very wide variety of injures or pains.

 "What Is Physical Therapy?" WebMD. WebMD, 03 May 0000. Web. 09 Sept. 2012. <http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/tc/physical-therapy-topic-overview>.

Little Q & A

What are some different types of Physical Therapy?

^Some different types of Physical Therapy are Neurological Physical Therapy, Orthopedic Physical Therapy, Geriatric Physical Therapy, and Pediatric Physical Therapy.

What types of communication do you use as a Physical Therapist?

What types of treatment are utilized in Physical Therapy?

*Some types of treatments are therapeutic massages, hydrotherapy, and therapeutic exercises. 

Who was the first Physical Therapist?

*The first physical Therapist was Mary McMillan.

What are some different job sites that Physical Therapists' can work at?

Do Physical Therapists work alone, or do they have assistants?

*Physical Therapists have people who work under them called Physical Therapist Assistants (PTA)

What credentials do you need in order to become a Physical Therapist?

When was the first Physical Therapy professional association formed?

*The First professional Physical Therapy association formed in 1921.

What are some of the exercises you will use as a Physical Therapist?

What are some major injures Physical Therapists' work with?

^"Types of Physical Therapy." About.com Physical Therapy. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Sept. 2012. 

* Olson, Kenneth A. "Chapters 1-2." Manual Physical Therapy of the Spine. St. Louis, MO: Saunders/Elsevier, 2009. N. pag. Web.

About me

My name is Nickolas Burr, Nick for short. My career goal is to end up running my own Physical Therapy Practice in the near future. I am creating this blog to introduce you (my followers) into the field of Physical Therapy and what you need to do in order to become a Physical Therapist. I am currently a freshman at Michigan State University majoring in Kinesiology (The Scientific Study of Human Movement). I first got interested in Physical Therapy through a teammates mom from my high school baseball team. She is a Physical Therapist and has talked to me a lot about that field of study.

I am very interested in sports and have been playing sports my entire life. I feel that Physical Therapy is a way to keep me close to the sports I love like baseball and basketball. There are lots of sports injures that lead to people needing Physical Therapy. I would like to use my knowledge of both sports and Physical Therapy to be able to get me to the top of the profession. I have many hobbies like sailing, playing baseball with friends, and I love to play ping-pong. Whatever I can do to keep me active! That is why I believe that Physical Therapy is the right career for me!