Orthohealing » physical therapy

Superkids Charity

dosampson — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 23:20:06 +0000

A friend of mine back in NY told me about a wonderful charity. Her brother and sister in law (Stephen and Janet Fink) started this organization after they adopted their daughter from China.

Superkids is a non-profit organization that sends physical therapists and volunteers to the Shanghai Children’s Home. They work directly with the children, donate equipment to the orphanage, and work in partnership with the orphanage staff to incorporate easy, fun therapeutic exercise games in the children’s daily routines. These kids range in age from infant to teen and their medical problems range from minor to serious. Most of the children have mild and routinely correctable problems such as club feet and cleft palate. More serious problems include cerebral palsy and spina bifida. Because of their medical conditions, most of these children show delays in motor and/or speech development.

Special needs orphans are also called “waiting children.” Their age and medical conditions make them difficult to place. They wait longer to find homes. Many are never adopted.

Janet and a group of occupational therapists returned from Shanghai 3 weeks ago and met four teen orphans with spinal cord injuries. She has been trying for months to get them the appropriate wheelchairs.

Wheelchair companies will not donate or give discounts. Charities that can donate wheelchairs do not have the appropriate type of chair. These teens are already starting to develop scoliosis and breathing problems because they are not in good chairs. They have found a company that will make good, pediatric wheelchairs for only $3,000.

They are trying to raise money to purchase chairs for all four teens. If they can raise the money and have the chairs shipped to the orphanage, Janet will go to the orphanage in china with the therapists to make sure that the chairs are fitted properly to these children.

Please spread the word about these terrific kids and their need for good wheelchairs. If anyone is interested in making a donation, log on to the Superkids website http://www.superkidscharity.org/

PRP knee injection 8 wks post injection update

dosampson — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 04:19:04 +0000

Well it’s been 8 wks now since my infamous surfing experience & subsaquent injection. I have been doing terrific. By now, I have received a series of MRI’s and an ultrasound that document decreased edema & show tendon thickening (indicating healing of my MCL ligament. Initially I had a grade II MCL sprain. Because I have my own MRI machine, I have the luxury of performing seriel studies.

Anyways, I have been attending PT weekly with Cheyanne Kane PT in West LA (good therapist). She has been using modalities including Laser which have been helpful. Also, I have Cheyanne place the laser on acupuncture points for healing and relaxation.

By now, I have been swimming, biking, & running pain free. Occasionally my knee feels a little stiff after standing or sitting for prolonged periods, but maybe a 1/10 on the pain scale. I have not taken any medications other than tylenol for a few days after the initial injection.

I will soon publish a case report on my MCL injury with PRP injection. Hopefully this will inspire other professional & recreational athletes to consider this treatment to accelerate recovery with limited negative consequences. All of our professional soccer players with MCL sprains and PRP injections are doing great.

Doctor Heal Thyself or How I Treated My Own Tendon Injury

dosampson — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 01:56:45 +0000

After moving to California recently, I decided to take surfing lessons. However, I wasn’t aware that I was about to receive a PRP injection myself after spraining my MCL on the first day! I felt a pop in my knee and subsequently had an MRI that showed bruising of my tibia & swelling/fluid at my MCL. Shortly afterwards, I received a PRP injection to my knee.

This experience let me understand the healing process & better communicate the recovery process with patients. Most importantly I have appreciated the necessary role of Physical therapy post injection. We are in the process of developing Physical therapy protcols to maximize positive outcomes & improve pain tolerance. Being a typical doctor, and not properly taking care of myself, I worked the day after my injection rather than resting as I recommend to others. This resulted in increased pain which was later relieved with a device I received called “game Ready” which provides cooling & compression with ice. Now, I describe the process as similar to experiencing a new injury. Although there isn’t a second injury, we are releasing potent proteins/growth factors that normally accumulate when there is an acute injury.

I tell patients that they may feel a different pain which gradually subsides in 2-7 days. For some reason patient tolerance of the injection varies. Some describe significant brief discomfort, while others are completely fine.