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Patient of the Month: Adrienne

PATIENT OF THE  MONTH: ADRIENNE

Adrienne has been a patient of ours since February. She is a fun, kind, and active person. When we first met, Adrienne literally hobbled into our doors. She had just hurt herself while skiing with her family in Vermont.  She turned around to look at her family coming down the mountain, lost her balance, and tore her ACL.

After seeing her doctor at the Hospital for Special Surgery with her leg in an immobilizer, she was scared and decided surgery was not an option. At this point, Adrienne found Sutton Place Physical Therapy.

Our team immediately decided that Adrienne was the perfect candidate for our Office and Aquatics Program.  An aquatics physical therapy program is ideal for a patient with a Lower extremity injury. The buoyancy of the water unloads the joints making it easier and safer to exercise and walk. In waist-deep water, the body handles only 50 percent of its weight. At chest height, the number is reduced to approximately 25-35 percent. Only 10 percent of one's weight is being used when a person is submerged to their neck.  “At first the thought of putting on a bathing suit was the issue,” says Adrienne, “but after I overcame that and sat in the lift to help me get in the pool, I realized this was right.”

“Our pool provided the non-weight bearing environment Adrienne needed and eased pressure off her muscles and joints so she could move freely and expedite the functional processes of rehab,” says Carol. “Outside of New York City, water rehab is common for patients like Adrienne. Sutton Place Physical Therapy is the only Physical Therapy Practice to offer 1:1 aquatic physical therapy offered in a full-size heated pool in Manhattan. “I love that patients such as Adrienne are able to recover more quickly and regain their confidence,” adds Carol.

The combination of the aquatics program and land PT in the clinic allowed Adrienne to get stronger and improve her walking and balance, so she is able to return to her full life,  driving her car, working in her pottery studio, and best of all playing with her grandchildren. In a short period of time, Adrienne is stronger, walking with a good gait pattern, and surprising her doctors. She is more toned and in better shape. “I also have some cool noodle games I can play with my grandchildren in the pool this summer,” says Adrienne. “Being in the water with Carol and Tracey is fun.  I love it and am getting stronger by the day. I am almost back to my old self!” And our goal for Adrienne is to get her in better shape than before her injury!

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