• PATIENT RESULTS • Hear what our patients have to say!
The best therapy team I have ever had! “ “When I came to ReQuest my MS was rapidly progressing and I was to get a prescription for an electric wheel chair. I had great difficulty with all aspects of daily living: frequent falls, increasing weakness…I had very low expectations that anyone could help me. My family escorted me to the treatment table, expending nearly all my energy reserves for the day. Jerry Rieta introduced himself to my family and then looked me in the eyes and asked me I wanted to get better. That was the day I got my life back. It’s been along hard road but the knowledge, therapeutic skill, treatment and encouragement has been second to none. I wish I had a video of my lack of strength, balance etc. I was unable to walk on my own without falling – now I can. I was unable to stand without assistance – now I can. I couldn’t go up or down steps – now I can. My balance was so poor but now I walk with my 3 year old great grandson. I have relapsed remitting MS and I suffered a silent stroke, but the encouragement Jerry gave me kept me from slipping into the usual depression that comes with relapses. I feel God puts people in our lives as part of his master plan. Thank you seems so inadequate. I have been a registered nurse for over 40 years and this has been the best therapy team I have ever had the pleasure to work with.” -Nancy B.
We gladly accept most insurances, providing a great LOW COST SOLUTION to restore your pain-free movement!
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• THE TRUTH ABOUT BODY WEIGHT AND KNEE PAIN • Discussing Stress On Joints & Weight Loss
the knee joints must withstand each day. It is no wonder that persons who are in the top 20% for body weight have up to 10 times the risk of knee osteoarthritis compared to those in the lowest 20%. So, if being overweight increases the development and progression of osteoarthritis of the knee…could weight loss potentially reverse these effects? Indeed researchers have shown that those that lose the most weight have the least about of cartilage degeneration. Researchers have demonstrated that a 10% reduction in body weight in overweight elderly men decreased risk of OA by 21.5% and 33% in women. Other studies have shown that a similar weight loss in those overweight with knee osteoarthritis decreased pain by 30% and improved function by 24%. Fortunately patients have an option to be referred to ReQuest Physical Therapy where they can strengthen their knee and participate in Physicians’ Choice for Weight Loss, a lifestyle/weight loss program. I have had many weight loss success stories with this program and patients report a reduction in knee pain and improved ability to walk. If you have degeneration of your weight bearing joints and are struggling with being overweight ask your physician to refer you to ReQuest for physical therapy and weight loss.
I have worked with hundreds of patients who have been referred to physical therapy with osteoarthritis of the knees and they are also overweight or obese. Weight loss has been shown to be a key ingredient for the reduction of knee pain and improved function. We may occasionally think how our body weight could affect our knee joint pain, however may not realize just how traumatic the effects of just
adding 10 pounds to our frame can be. Understandably added body weight places an extra load on the joints which increases stress on joint surfaces and may accelerate the breakdown of the cartilage. However did you know that for every extra pound of body weight there is approximately 4 extra pounds of force placed on the knee joint while walking. So 10 pounds of added body weight increases joint forces in the knee to 40 pounds with each step! Nowmultiply that by 5,000 steps that you may take each day…Wow! That’s 20,000 pounds of accumulative forces that
- Jeff Gilliam PT, PhD, OCS
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