HEALTH SCIENCE INTERNSHIP

HLTH 4200By: Emily Freeman

As part of my Health Science internship requirements at Clemson University, I completed 180 hours of work at Anderson Physical Therapy and Hand Center and Clemson Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation under Certified Hand Therapists.

The following slideshow is a brief but through look into my everyday duties at my internship, including assisting with therapeutic activities, stocking supplies, applying electrical stimulation pads, making splints, and conducting projects, research, and experiments.

Introduction

Anderson Physical Therapy and Hand Center

100 Healthy Way #1110 Anderson, SC 29621

Specialized services Orthopedic & Sports Injury Rehab Post-surgical Rehab Comprehensive Spine Rehab Neurological Rehab Balance & Gait Retraining

Fall Prevention Program Hand Therapy & Custom Splinting Comprehensive rehab for post-

surgical hand conditions Aquatic Therapy

Intern duties

From beginning… …to end

- Help patients into the fluidotherapy machine to get “warmed up” for

therapy

- Wipe down the table and change the pillow cases when therapy is

finished

Assist with therapeutic activities:

- Teach patients how to do exercises with Theraputty, including the ones pictured above, for grip strength, pinch, and cylindrical resistive flexion and extension

Assist with therapeutic activities:- Teach patients how to use the flex bar, which simulated different wrist or forearm strains and strengthened those areas

Assist with therapeutic activities:

- Teach patients how to use the wheel, which is especially useful for distal radius fractures

- This tool works on flexion and extension, as well as pronation and supination

Assist with therapeutic activities:

- Teach patients another distal radius fracture exercise with the hammer

- Show the patient how to move the hammer in a slow circle to work all motions of the wrist, moving down the hammer shaft as the patient built up strength over the course of therapy sessions

- Teach patients how to use the coin maze (bottom left), which also works all motions of the wrist

Assist with therapeutic activities:- Help patients improve pinch strength by using pinchers with different resistances to pick up cotton balls

- Work on pinch with wrist resistance using the pins and corkboard

Keep things organized and stocked

- Make sure all paperwork (evaluation sheets, home exercise programs, etc.) were copied and filed accordingly

- Make sure all supplies (edema sleeves, towels, Velcro, etc.) were fully stocked and cut extra Velcro straps

- Make sure the splint pan was on and at the right temperature to make splints

- Organize the desk by cleaning up clutter and throwing away unneeded papers

Retrieve therapy tools- The ionto machine, which introduces ionic medicinal compounds into the body through the skin by applying a local electric current

- The ultrasound, which uses sound waves to treat musculoskeletal problems, especially inflammation like tendinitis and bursitis

- Moist heat packs, which help get the patient “warmed up” in the event that they cannot use the fluidotherapy machine

Assist with therapy

- Teach patients to use the pulleys to stretch a proximal humerus fracture or radial head fracture

- Help measure patients’ grip strength with a dynamometer and pinch strength with the pinch meter

Assist with exercises

- Teach patients Thera band exercises to strengthen muscles of the rotator cuff

Projects

- Learn about charting and made sure necessary sections were filled out and signed by Sam

- Create a wound care handout for patients to take home and remember what they learned on their first day of therapy about how to clean and care for an open surgery incision

Clemson Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation10626 Clemson Blvd, Seneca, SC 29678

Interned under Nelson Vazquez, Registered and Licensed Occupational Therapist and Certified Hand Therapist

Clemson Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation (CSMR) “sees its mission as empowering, restoring, and enhancing the quality of life for patients in need of therapeutic services.”

Splinting - Turn on splint pan and cut out splint templates

- Observe splints being made and practice making them

- Pictured: trigger finger (volar hand based static MP block) and thumb fracture (short thumb spica splint)

Work with stroke patient

- Make her a thumb splint to abduct her thumb so she could use her hand functionally- Work on grip strength in her involved side hand using checkers blocks with Velcro for resistance

- Practice writing with the noninvolved side hand, in the event that her involved side hand doesn’t regain functionality

- “The brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.” is one sentence that contains every letter of the alphabet!

Work with stroke patient- Attach electrical stimulation pads to patient’s arm

- Teach patient how to use pulleys to stretch her arm muscles, which she often complains about hurting her at night

- Stretch out with pulley when stimulated, rest when not stimulated

Projects

- Create therapy tool for eccentric motion

- Research carpal tunnel release surgery effect on grip strength

- Complete a modalities experiment comparing the amount of edema caused by the fluidotherapy machine, paraffin, and a hot pack

Projects

- Learn to measure some ranges of motion- Pictured above: ulnar deviation

- Create a functional occupational therapy test using common items that people with hand, wrist, and arm injuries often have trouble opening- Come up with materials and method toexperiment

- Create a PIP/DIP flexion strap for patients to take home and use outside of therapy

Projects - Complete a

case study on a patient in the clinic

- Work on creating and modifying a homemade fluidotherapy machine that patients can make and use at home

- Factors studied were type of entry for hand (size of hole, sock vs. rubber, etc.), number of openings in the lid, possible heat and air sources (hair dryer and dry vacuum), and amount of time it takes to reach optimal temperature and remain there

- Work at a Foothills Community Health Care’s “Spring into Health” Fair, screening for grip strength

Assist with therapy- Enter patient reports for each patient who comes in for therapy to help Nelson save time and have more contact time with the patient

- Plug in class 4 hot laser for Nelson to use

- Observe use of laser, which stimulates tissue repair

- Warm up hot pads and hot cuffs in the microwave for patients to use during exercises and electrical stimulation

Assist with therapy

- Work on radial abduction by using a rubber band and trying to place it around the ball

- Attach electrical stimulation pads to muscles and tendons and help patients with exercises while the muscle alternates contracting and relaxing

- Teach patients how to work on grip strength with the gripper holding a business card and adjusting as strength increased

- Work on fine finger functioning and wrist movements using pegs and sockets that are angled different ways

Organization - Make sure all charts for the day are initially accounted for and stowed properly at the end of the day

- Print off necessary chart paperwork - Answer the

phone if Nelson couldn’t get to it

- Call to check in on patients who missed their appointment

- Make sure towels, pillow cases, and other supplies are stocked at the beginning and end of the day

Over the course of this semester, I learned more about the upper extremities and therapy than I could have ever imagined.

I was able to be an integral part of therapy and the recovery process, as well as conduct my own research about different modalities, therapy tools, and specific injuries.

This internship reinforced my desire to become an Occupational Therapist, and I’ll forever remember the things I learned here and cherish the friendships I made with my preceptors and my sweet patients.

Conclusion