Hello, my name is Emi Iwao and I have been working in the physical therapy field for 5 years. During high school I took a sports medicine class which interested me in the body and how it works. I knew right away that I wanted my career to deal with sports medicine and began researching. I applied to many colleges but finally decided on Central Michigan University because of the high reviews on their physical therapy program. At Central, I got my four year bachelor’s degree and then went on to get my Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) which took another three years. During my schooling at Central, I learned so much about the body, sports injuries, and the best methods of healing which intrigued me even more. One great thing about physical
…show more content…
I meet new people and deal with different injuries. The job of a physical therapist is to help patients improve their movement of an injured area by doing various exercises. One of my patients is a 16 year old female athlete named Ashley, who is involved in many sports. She plays soccer as well as basketball and track. Each of these sports requires a lot of physical activity and is hard on the knees. As a result, Ashley developed Patellofemoral Syndrome (PS) or Runners Knee. There are actually a few different causes of Patellofemoral Syndrome. One cause is strained tendons from inadequate stretching and irritated soft tissue around the patella. Another is the wearing down of the cartilage on the knee cap from vigorous activities. Some symptoms of the syndrome are a dull pain around the front of the knee cap, and pain while walking up and down the stair, sitting, or squatting. The main reason athletes get Patellofemoral Syndrome is misalignment of the knee cap, dislocation, injury, weakness of thigh muscles, or flat feet. While participating in vigorous activities and sports, it is common for people of all ages to develop Patellofemoral …show more content…
Once she was completely healed, she returned to her sports but I advised her to take it slow and always tell her coaches if she feels any pain. We worked on stretching and strengthening her muscles which helped her a lot. She told me that it helped her overall performance while playing sports. Now, Ashley only comes in for my help every once in a while. I am so happy to say that she followed all of my instructions and the pain of Patellofemoral Syndrome has yet to come back. Her surgery, as well as therapy was such a success. One of the many reasons I love this career is because I get to help people overcome their injuries and live a better life
I meet new people and deal with different injuries. The job of a physical therapist is to help patients improve their movement of an injured area by doing various exercises. One of my patients is a 16 year old female athlete named Ashley, who is involved in many sports. She plays soccer as well as basketball and track. Each of these sports requires a lot of physical activity and is hard on the knees. As a result, Ashley developed Patellofemoral Syndrome (PS) or Runners Knee. There are actually a few different causes of Patellofemoral Syndrome. One cause is strained tendons from inadequate stretching and irritated soft tissue around the patella. Another is the wearing down of the cartilage on the knee cap from vigorous activities. Some symptoms of the syndrome are a dull pain around the front of the knee cap, and pain while walking up and down the stair, sitting, or squatting. The main reason athletes get Patellofemoral Syndrome is misalignment of the knee cap, dislocation, injury, weakness of thigh muscles, or flat feet. While participating in vigorous activities and sports, it is common for people of all ages to develop Patellofemoral …show more content…
Once she was completely healed, she returned to her sports but I advised her to take it slow and always tell her coaches if she feels any pain. We worked on stretching and strengthening her muscles which helped her a lot. She told me that it helped her overall performance while playing sports. Now, Ashley only comes in for my help every once in a while. I am so happy to say that she followed all of my instructions and the pain of Patellofemoral Syndrome has yet to come back. Her surgery, as well as therapy was such a success. One of the many reasons I love this career is because I get to help people overcome their injuries and live a better life