Physical therapy keeps Airmen fit to fight

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Brok McCarthy
  • 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFNS) --  A person passing by the physical therapy office at this base in Southwest Asia might not notice it exists, because much of the recovery equipment found in stateside clinics isn't there.

But Maj. Jesse Richardson, 379th Expeditionary Medical Group physical therapist, said this allows him to get out and see exactly what people are doing to injure themselves.

"Getting out there lets me see what they are doing to hurt themselves," the Whitehouse, Texas, native said. "I can focus on what's bothering them." 

For instance, if a person says his shoulder is bothering him when he is lifting weights, Major Richardson can go to the gym with him and see what he is doing.

Staff Sgt. David Garcia, physical therapy NCO in charge who is deployed from Andrews Air Force Base, Md., said he and the major are beginning to go out and visit people who can't leave their workstations for long periods of time. This allows them to see more patients than they would otherwise be able to see.

"We can see four or five people at a time when we go to their work sections," said Sergeant Garcia, who is from Fredericksburg, Texas. "That saves time for them because they don't have to travel to us to be seen. It also opens up more slots for people to come here to be seen."

He noted the physical therapy staff usually is able to take patients on a walk-in basis. This allows a problem to be diagnosed sooner than at a state-side clinic, because people there first must be seen by a primary care provider.

The major said many of the cases he sees when he's both out and about and back in the clinic involve ankles, knees, hips, back and neck. He has also seen many more hip issues here than he has back home.

One of the things the major does to help people, especially those who have back issues, is tell them to put a sticky note on their computer or wherever they work the most that says "string thing."

The idea of the note is to remind people sit up straight and have proper back alignment. It makes them imagine they have a string running from the top of their head down their back which needs to remain straight by not hunching forward and keeping abdominal muscles tight.

He also is responsible for the runners' clinic that is held twice a month at the community activity center. He said people attending the clinic learn how to buy the proper shoes for running among other things. He also has orthotics available for people who need them.

Major Richardson says the best advice he can give is for people to slow down a little.

"A lot of folks get here and are ready to exercise, but they need to start slow and work into it," Major Anderson said. "Working your way up to full speed will go a long way in preventing an overuse injury so you won't have to come see me."

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