Newsletter | September 1, 2020
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Therapy Customized to YOU |
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Whether you’re recovering from surgery, injury or trying to manage pain – therapy can help you get back to enjoying life. Yet not all therapy is created equal, and not all therapy options are right for everyone. That’s where Hands-On Physical Therapy at Altenheim stands apart, with a menu of therapeutic services unique to Northeast Ohio and specialists trained to get the most out of every treatment plan.
The therapists at Hands-On offer out-patient services that are as varied as the patients we serve. From young adults to seniors, Hands-On looks at each individual, and chooses treatment programs customized to the patient – including some of the most innovative, emerging and proven options in Northeast Ohio.
Take a step inside Hands-On and meet two of the therapists ready to help you and your loved ones: Occupational Therapist Jackie Frabell and Doctor of Physical Therapy Andrea Praschan.
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Aquatic Therapy on Your Terms: HydroWorx®
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When physical therapist Andrea Praschan needs to help a patient regain mobility while minimizing stress on the body, she knows where to start: HydroWorx.
“It’s wonderful for patients who have pain when they walk or have difficulty standing or balancing for long periods of time. HydroWorx allows these individuals to do what they might not be able to do on dry land – for example, lift their leg and stand.”
The HydroWorx system is a compact, walk-in tank filled with warm water. This therapeutic treatment creates the sensation of floating, reducing pressure on sensitive joints and allowing patients to move their arms and legs with a greater range of motion. Traditional aquatic therapy has been delivering these benefits for years; now, the HydroWorx aquatic therapy chamber at Hands-On allows more patients than ever to take advantage of water’s therapeutic qualities.
“It can be very comfortable for patients, offsetting body pressure in a unique way. It works beautifully for conditions like low back pain, arthritic joints or new replacements,” explains Praschan.
In fact, the soothing water helps to support a patient’s body weight by as much as 90 percent. With a treadmill built into the floor of the tank, patients can work on many therapies, including ones to improve gait, posture and balance. The tank’s compact size – and chlorine-free water – simplify water therapy without reducing its benefits.
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Extra Care for Muscle Recovery: Learn more about the Graston® Technique
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As muscles heal, soft tissue needs all the TLC it can get. That’s why both Jackie Frabell and Andrea Praschan utilize the Graston Technique: a unique, evidence-based form of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization that helps reduce pain and swelling while it enhances recovery.
Although Graston has been around for nearly 20 years, it requires specialized training and custom stainless steel instruments for treatment. At Hands-On, both Praschan and Frabell are certified in the technique, meaning patients benefit from the treatment from hands to legs -- and from fingers to backs.
As a hand specialist, Frabell uses the treatment nearly every day for hand, shoulder and elbow therapies. “I use it with probably about 95% of my patients. It gets muscles or tendons moving better with improved circulation and reduced scare tissue.”
Frabell says her patients respond well to the treatment, often noticing more immediate improved motion than with other techniques. “They may come in not being able to make a fist, and after a Graston session their hand feels a lot looser and the pain goes down.”
Praschan has experienced this with her patients as well. “There is a science to the amount of pressure that is applied. I like it because it is relatively pain free for the patient. I use it a lot on patients who have had joint replacements, since it helps alleviate some swelling. I also use it to help with neck and lower back pain.”
Want to learn more about the benefits of Graston Technique therapy?
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Hand Therapy That Fits You: Custom Hand Splints
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For patients recovering from hand injuries or surgeries, every little detail becomes critical for recovery. For example, tendon repairs require very specific therapeutic needs. That’s often why surgeons insist their patients go to a Certified Hand Specialist for therapy.
In Northeast Ohio, those patients often visit occupational therapist Jackie Frabell, who is one of the few Certified Hand Specialists in the area, having undergone countless hours of training and testing to earn the designation.
Part of Frabell’s expert services includes creating custom hand splints for her patients. These custom splints not only conform exactly to the patient’s unique anatomy, they also include considerations related to the patient’s therapeutic needs.
“Sometimes one area of the hand needs to be immobilized while another area requires therapy. A custom splint can be molded to a patient’s unique physical needs and open up more customized treatment options,” Frabell explains. And that can lead to benefits that include faster recovery, improved range of movement and more.
Think a custom hand splint may be in your future?
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A 15 Minute Treatment for Pain & Swelling: Dryneedling
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When occupational therapist Jackie Frabell sprained her ankle a few years ago, she knew just what to do to decrease the pain and swelling: dryneedling.
“It’s a great technique for getting your normal immune system to kick in to help with healing and pain management,” Frabell explains. The treatment experience is a lot like it sounds: microfilament needles are used at key points to encourage the immune system to increase circulation around an injury. While similar to acupuncture in theory, in application it’s quite different. Explains physical therapist Andrea Praschan: “Acupuncture uses flow patterns, while we follow the nervous system and place the needles on the body in a different way.”
Frabell uses the treatment for patients experiencing shoulder or elbow pain and carpel tunnel syndrome. “I’ve had patients tell me it was the first thing to work for their carpel tunnel pain.”
Like other specialized treatments, therapists must be certified to perform dryneedling, and both Frabell and Praschan have undergone extensive training.
“Not everything works for the same person. If this doesn’t work, we can try something else. It’s wonderful to have so many treatment choices to offer our patients.”
Dryneedling is a quick, often 15-minute procedure.
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Altenheim Senior Living
Phone: 440-238-3361
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