One-on-one outpatient therapy works for patient

Therapist Kathleen Meese works with patient Fred Arnold at St. Anthony's Sports and Therapy Services.

Nearly 12 years ago, south countian Fred Arnold tore his left rotator cuff in an auto accident. He underwent surgery, followed by six months of physical therapy at St. Anthony's Medical Center's Sports and Therapy Center. It was difficult – and painful. But, now Arnold has fully regained the use of his left arm. He not only can drive again, but also is able to “tinker with cars – which I love,” Arnold said.

“I didn’t realize at the time what I would have to go through to regain full function,” he said. “But, if I hadn’t gone to therapy then, I wouldn’t be able to use my left arm today.”

Then, about five months ago, in an almost freakish twist of fate, Arnold tore his right rotator cuff. He was dog-sitting for a friend and tried to step over a gate he’d set up on the stairs. His toe caught on the gate, his body spun around and he broke the fall with a twisting motion of his right arm.

This time his doctor initially advised against surgery, recommending only physical therapy to help alleviate the pain and strengthen the shoulder. “A rotator cuff tear is hard to repair for a patient of any age, but it's worse when you’re older,” said Arnold, now 71.

So Arnold began physical therapy again, this time trying out a privately owned clinic near his home. After about a half-dozen visits, he realized he wasn’t comfortable there and he cancelled his remaining appointments.

“The therapist was OK, but they booked someone for her every 15 minutes,” Arnold said. “She’d tell you what to do, then she’d run to the next person, then the next, back and forth. She was just too busy to give one patient her full attention. I checked a couple of other places that were nearby, but I watched the therapists staring into space, bored. Whatever they were thinking about, it wasn’t the patient – it wasn’t even in that room!”

Although it meant a longer drive, Arnold came back to St. Anthony's outpatient therapy center, 12692 Lamplighter Square, across the street from the medical center.

“I asked how much time I would actually get with a therapist,” Arnold said. “They told me it one-on-one – each therapist focuses on only one patient for the entire appointment. It's a completely different experience; you know your therapist and she knows you.”

But it soon was apparent that Arnold did need a second surgery, which he had Feb. 24. Two weeks later, he was back at St. Anthony's Sports and Therapy Center, where he has therapy three times a week, including heat, stretching, electrode stimulation and ice.

Jamie Nobbe, manager of St. Anthony's Outpatient Therapy Services, said that one-on-one therapy is not available in all facilities. “We have a lot of patients come to us who have been in what they refer to as ‘group therapy,’ and they tell us how much more satisfied they are with the one-on-one therapy,” Nobbe said. “They feel there is more consideration for the patient's time and more individualized care.”

The first step is the initial assessment of the patient by the therapist, which generally takes about one hour, including the initiation of treatment, Nobbe said. “We feel that a thorough initial assessment is crucial to a strong treatment plan,” she said. “The visits that follow are normally 30 minutes long, which allows the therapist time to listen to the patient, review home exercises for accuracy, perform any necessary education and advance the patient's treatment program.

The knowledge, background and experience of the therapist are important, Nobbe said. St. Anthony's least experienced therapist has 10 years, the most experienced has 32 years and the entire staff has an average of 25 years experience. Dedicated to outpatient rehab, the therapists attend numerous continuing education seminars each year, she said.

“A physical therapist needs critical thinking skills and the ability to problem solve on a daily basis,” Nobbe said. “Every case is unique; and, if one therapist is not achieving the results the patient expects, the therapist will seek the advice from someone with the highest level of expertise in order to offer a different approach. If a program isn’t working, you reassess the patient and change it. The advantage of having a large staff is that the members have a wealth of knowledge that enables them to provide the best care to patients, no matter why they’re coming to us.”

Fred Arnold is a believer. “When you have one-on-one therapy, your therapist knows what's wrong with you and she talks with you about your condition and any problems you’re having,” he said. “She watches you the whole time and tells you things to do. She's concerned – she cares about you – that makes all the difference.”

St. Anthony's Sports and Therapy Services also are available at the Arnold Urgent Care Center, 3916 Richardson Square Drive, Suite 160, in Arnold; and at the Fenton Urgent Care, 714 Gravois Road, Suite 110 in Fenton.

For more information, call 314-ANTHONY (268-4669) or 1-800-554-9550.

For information, please call our Health Access Line at 314-ANTHONY (268-4669) or 800-554-9550
or visit find a physician online.

At St. Anthony’s, our vision is to be the area’s premier health care organization
— and your first choice for health care services.

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One-on-one outpatient therapy works for patient