“I had knee pain all the time and it was hard to walk very far. I decided it was time to have surgery when I went to shoot a basketball with my son and could not bend my knees enough to even do that. I want to be able to do more activities with him,” shared Julie Lamp, a Manning resident who recently underwent a double knee replacement.
Due to the close proximity of having the knee replacement surgery and physical therapy services in the same building at MRHC, Lamp could start physical therapy as soon as her surgery was finished. That same day she was up and walking and well on her way to recovery.
“Being able to do surgery, recovery, and rehab at MRHC has made it a lot easier and faster to recover,” Lamp said. “All the providers are under one roof and can talk to each other, and it saved me having to drive somewhere else. Driving and getting in and out of the car makes a person tired. I also had more time after therapy to go home and put ice on to keep the swelling down and get things to heal faster.”
Lamp was also grateful that she was able to recover close to home and continue her physical therapy sessions at MRHC with Therapy Director, Taylor Nelson. 
“Taylor is very helpful, knowledgeable, and keeps things light with his sense of humor,” Lamp shared. “If something isn’t working, he will find a different way to get it done. And he has taught me how to use practical items at home for weights instead of having to go out and buy new equipment.”
Nelson is a Vestibular Rehabilitation Specialist, which uses an exercise-based program to improve balance and reduce dizziness-related problems. He also specializes in orthopedic type conditions, implementing a multi-faceted approach, including hands-on and exercise treatments to help patients achieve their rehab goals.
“Here at MRHC, we pride ourselves in providing individualized care and creating varied treatment plans for everyone,” said Nelson, PT, DPT. “We evaluate, diagnose, and manage health conditions and movement problems in people of all ages and abilities.”
Nelson also reminds people that physical therapy is not just for those recovering from a surgery or an injury. “It is also commonly used to treat lower back, neck, or chronic pain as well as muscle and joint pain, headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, weakness or loss of motion, body misalignments, and to recover from strokes,” said Nelson.
Studies also show that starting physical therapy sooner rather than later can lower out-of-pocket expenses compared to injections or surgery and is also associated with decreased opioid use, healthcare costs, and imaging services.
“Physical therapy allows us to identify factors contributing to your pain such as muscle weakness or joint and muscle stiffness and develop a treatment plan to fit your needs including hands-on treatment, exercise, and education,” Nelson shared.
Physical therapy appointments can be made without a doctor’s referral by calling (712) 655-8298.
Evidence-based practice includes the integration of best available evidence, clinical expertise, and patient values and circumstances related to patient and client management, practice management, and health policy decision-making, according to the American Physical Therapy Association.