Amber Hammond-PTA
As Physical Therapist Assistants, we carry out the Physical Therapists plan of care that is designed specifically for each patient. The goal is to equip each patient with a treatment plan catered directly towards returning the patient to their prior level of function before their injury. As clinicians, the patients program is primarily focused to get the patient to be able to complete their activities of daily living or to be able to return back to their sport. When a patient comes to therapy for instance with a rotator cuff repair surgery, the patient is immobilized with a special brace for a few weeks to promote healing per their MD’s protocol. The goal initially is for the therapist to focus on maintaining passive range motion within that patients specific protocol. As the patient continues to heal, therapy is then progressed over the weeks transitioning from simple exercises that are range of motion focused to then progressing to more strength focused exercises so that the patient is able to complete functional tasks