AL

Classmates, to friends, to Business Partners: The story of Encore Rehabilitation, Inc.

University of South Alabama Graduating Class of 1980

Under the partnership of Paul G. Henderson, PT and Paige B. Plash, PT, Encore Rehab was founded in 1981 and delivers the best rehabilitation services to thousands of patients daily in locations throughout Alabama and Mississippi. Encore Rehab is an employee-focused company with a tremendous team of dedicated and experienced employees who understand the many environments in which a therapist can provide treatment. Through the company’s specialized divisions, Encore Rehab provides rehabilitation services of unsurpassed quality that help patients return to a healthier lifestyle.

2014 Decatur Dragon Boat Races

Dragon Boat Race & Festival

Join us for the Decatur Dragon Boat Race & Festival, May 10th at Point Mallard Aquatic Center Beach! This will be family-friendly, all day event you don’t want to miss! Proceeds go to The Decatur Morgan Hospital Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization providing financial support to the programs and services of Decatur Morgan Hospital.

“Dragon boat racing is the one of the fastest growing sports in the world and the most fun, unique cultural event featuring adrenaline-pumping action. Teams of 20 paddlers, a drummer and steerer race in authentic, 46-foot-long dragon boats. All ages, skill levels and physiques can paddle, making it the ultimate team building sport, requiring synchronicity and finesse, more than power to win.”

So bring your folding chair, a blanket and some sunscreen and enjoy the races! We hope to see you there!

The deadline to register for a dragon boat team is April 28th! Sign up here: http://www.decaturdragonboat.org

PT Tip of the week: Osteoarthritis

Jack Dockery, PT, DPT – Encore Clinic at Tillman’s Corner.

“As a physical therapist, I commonly encounter patients that have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the knee joint and want to know what they can do to avoid or postpone a total joint replacement. Obesity is a modifiable risk factor that has a direct correlation with the development of knee joint osteoarthritis, being that the knee is a weight bearing joint. A quick and easy means to determine a personal weight problem is the Body Mass Index (BMI). An individual can calculate his/her BMI by dividing their mass in kilograms by their height in meters squared. If this number is greater than 30.0 than that person will fall into the obese category and have a higher risk of developing knee osteoarthritis. Exercise is also important in avoiding or postponing a total joint replacement by strengthening the muscles around the joint and normalizing muscle imbalances. Low impact exercises such as aquatics, cycling, walking, and stretching are ideal for an arthritic joint by dissipating less joint force than higher level exercises such as running and jumping. Lastly, when running or jogging an individual should be doing so in appropriate footwear. Most individuals would benefit from a foot orthotic placing the foot in anatomical position and avoid placing other joints in the lower leg at a mechanical disadvantage. A person should change their shoes with an increase in lower leg or back pain and/or breakdown of the midsole.”

Encore Photo Contest Winners!

Encore had a company wide photo contest last week and we wanted to share the beauty of these photos with you! The objective was to capture a landmark that best represents the town the photographer was from.
The winners are as follows:
1) Brett Ferguson, LPTA – Muscle Shoals Bridge

2) Emily Perez, OT – Winter Fountain

3) Beth Farris- Fayette Courthouse

Ari Hallmark

This post is dedicated to the beautiful Ari Hallmark, a survivor of the April 27th tornado in Ruth. Both her parents, grandparents and a cousin were killed in the tornado, and they found Ari 200 yard from where she was before the storm. She has written a book about her experience called, “ To Heaven After the Storm“. Tomorrow, Ari will be riding in the Bo Bikes Bama, on the bike Bo Jackson gave her. We support team Ari!!

Fayette Athlete of the Month

The Fayette Athlete of the Month goes to Colin Jones, an 11th grader at Fayette County High School. He has played football for 2 years, Basketball for 1 year, and Baseball since 7th grade as 3rd baseman and pitcher. He is attending Encore rehab in Fayette, AL for an elbow sprain. Colin is the son of Jeff and Kim Bigham, and an A & B student with future plans of being a finical advisor.

Physical Therapy Benefits For Back Pain

After an episode of low back pain has lasted between two and six weeks, or if there are frequent recurrences of low back pain, it is reasonable to consider back pain exercises and physical therapy for back treatment. (Some spine specialists consider back exercise and physical therapy sooner, particularly if the pain is severe.) In general, the goals of back pain exercises and physical therapy are to decrease back pain, increase function, and provide education on a maintenance program to prevent further recurrences.

Passive Physical Therapy – Modalities

There are many different forms of physical therapy. Acutely, the therapist may focus on decreasing pain with passive physical therapy (modalities). These are considered passive therapies because they are done to the patient. Examples of modalities include:

Heat/ice packs
TENS units
Iontophoresis
Ultrasound

Active Physical Therapy – Back Pain Exercises

In addition to passive therapies, active physical therapy (exercise) is also necessary to rehabilitate the spine. Generally, a patient’s back exercise program should encompass a combination of the following:

Stretching for back pain exercise
Strengthening for back pain exercise
Low-impact aerobic conditioning

Even patients with a very busy schedule should be able to maintain a moderate back pain exercise regimen that encompasses stretching, strengthening, and aerobic conditioning. These exercises suffice as physical therapy for back pain relief.

Stretching for back pain exercises. Almost every individual who has suffered from low back pain should stretch their hamstring muscles once or twice daily. Simple hamstring stretching does not take much time, although it can be difficult to remember, especially if there is little or no pain. Therefore, hamstring stretching exercises are best done at the same time every day so it becomes part of a person’s daily routine.
Strengthening for back pain exercise. To strengthen the back muscles, 15-20 minutes of dynamic lumbar stabilization or other prescribed exercises should be done every other day.
Low-impact aerobic conditioning. Low impact aerobics (such as walking, bicycling or swimming) should be done for 30-40 minutes three times weekly, on alternate days from the strengthening exercises.

Source: Ullrich, P. F. (1999, 9 8). Physical therapy benefits for back pain. Retrieved from http://www.spine-health.com/treatment/physical-therapy/physical-therapy-benefits-back-pain

Happy St Patricks Day from the Encore corporate office!

We hope you remembered to wear green too! #nopinching

A Special Thank You Letter

“I am a 67 year old grandmother and have had my fair share of orthopedic rehab. I have never, throughout all my injuries, experienced anything to touch the care of Encore Rehab in Spanish Fort, AL. My two therapists, Rachel Hartman and Jessica Jones, are the best you can get! Peggy Alexander, the receptionist, facilitates everything so quickly that you are immediately cared for the minute you walk in the door. These three women are an asset to Encore’s company and are responsible for the incredible recovery of my new knee. With their help, I am now in my 5th week of therapy and can say they have given me exactly what I want, a wonderful new knee with full range of motion. It can be done at Encore with Rachel and Jessica.”

– Susan Dube, Daphne, AL.