PT Solutions August 2013 | Page 12

as I once was, but I have no plans of hanging up sports gear at this time, despite numerous injuriesthat have plagued me throughout my life.

Physical therapy has been a good profession to me. I have been able to help many people both physically and psychologically. The things we do every day take a toll on our bodies and not all have to be sports-related. In my case, I had suffered two major back injuries related to my extracurricular activity, but it was spending three days fixing up my bathroom that ‘broke the camel’s back,’ or in this case, injured mine. I ruptured a disc. I have burning pain going down the back of my leg. The pain was so bad, it literally felt like my leg was on fire when I sat down or bent at the waist. I received an injection to control the inflammation and realized I needed to once again, do the exercises I had preached to so many patients. Obviously it is very difficult to treat your own back. You cannot get good visualization from the back and even from the sides. Probably the most important factor is that it is tough to truly objectively evaluate and treat yourself when you have a certain level of pain.

Where Does Your Healthcare Provider Go for Physical Therapy?

Tye Marr

“Have you ever wondered who your healthcare provider sees when they are in need of care? After all, they are human as well and they too often succumb to the same ailments as the patients they treat. In fact, some are treating patients while they themselves are going through the exact same problem.

Healthcare specialists typically have an idea who they would like to see even if they do not suffer themselves as they see firsthand the work of fellow professionals or they know they can at least make an educated guess through the networks they have made in their field. The success of any treatment, many a times, is due to a multitude of factors but you at least want to know you have started out picking the right person to help you along the way.

I am a physical therapist and have been treating patients for close to 15 years. Professionally, I graduated near the top of my class, specialized in manual and exercise-based treatment, and have gotten to know many people in the profession of physical therapy over the years. Personally, I am still active in sports and was even lucky enough to play at the college level. I may not be as fast or as strong