Physical therapy is another important form of care, especially in this era where many working people have health problems, such as back pain, shoulder pain, and neck pain.
From the previous episode, the admin took everyone to see almost every part of the work during the COVID-19 crisis, whether in front of the scenes, behind the scenes, the frontline, to the backline that has never been seen, or even the team that had to go to the field to work first, such as IC work or infectious disease control work. What we clearly saw from watching the work of many departments is that all departments work here for everyone willingly, which is the most admirable thing.
From the previous episode, we saw the first step of entering the COVID-19 crisis. Today, we will take a long step to the final step of treatment before going home, which is the Physical Therapy Center from Ms. Suphanni Choeyrot, Head of Physical Therapy, Thammasat University Hospital.
“Here, we don’t only care for patients with hemiplegia and paralysis.”
Most people think that physical therapy centers only care for patients with paralysis. But in fact, that is only part of the work. Because physical therapy centers also have many other areas of work, such as bones, muscles, nerves, children, and other diseases. The patients range from newborns to the elderly.
“Neck pain, back pain, shoulder pain are the most common symptoms.”
Most patients come to receive treatment for bones and muscles, such as neck pain, back pain, shoulder pain, which are symptoms that many people have. Neck pain in particular may be due to degenerative cervical spine, dislocated cervical spine, or herniated disc. Currently, there are more and more patients of this type. Some are caused by accidents and by repetitive behaviors or by holding the same position for a long time.
“Our work is more diverse than just physical therapy, as many people think.”
In the treatment at the physical therapy center, it also includes symptoms related to the nervous system, such as nerve injuries, weakness of the arms and legs, blood vessel stenosis or rupture, which will be the beginning of paralysis. In addition, most of the work is very diverse, such as work related to children, starting from when the child is born with one arm weak, unable to lift the arm. The center will send them to the child’s muscle weakness department. If there is a delay in development, they will be sent to the development stimulation department. Or the group that has problems with walking unsteadily, walking slowly, walking with a limp will be sent to balance, etc.
“We have quite a role in post-COVID treatment.”
During the COVID-19 crisis, another role of the physical therapy center that has increased is to care for COVID-19 patients who have symptoms that require physical therapy after receiving treatment, such as having difficulty breathing after taking medication, sleeping for too long causing weakness in the arms and legs or not being able to move as desired as before, including healing health to return to normal use.
“Our challenge is how to enable patients to return to their normal lives after being infected with COVID-19.”
The work of physical therapists occurs when the doctor finds that the patient has a problem, such as a collapsed lung, poor lung expansion, physical weakness, or muscle weakness from sleeping too long. When such a diagnosis is made, the patient is sent to a physical therapy center, and the physical therapist will assess and find further treatment methods, such as having to work on lung expansion, training the patient to exercise, training the muscles in the arms and legs, and finding ways to return the lungs to their original state to help the patient return to living their life as usual.
“Everyone is worried and scared, but it’s our duty.”
Patients are afraid and anxious, so are our staff. Therefore, our staff’s fear of COVID-19 is the same as everyone else’s. Everyone is afraid, whether they are doctors, nurses, or both. But because this is our job, our duty, everyone knows that we need to have the knowledge to protect ourselves. And there is also the IC or infectious disease control unit that comes in to provide knowledge and correct practices, such as wearing a hat, a coat, gloves, washing hands before and after every case, etc.
“Protect both him and us. Everyone must have measures to protect and take care of themselves.”
Self-protection must come from both parties. The process of IC that has come to educate personnel starts from teaching personnel to protect themselves when treating patients, as well as how to behave for patients who are receiving treatment. This is so that all personnel have the knowledge not only to protect themselves properly, but must also be able to tell all patients to protect themselves properly as well. Both parties must have measures to take care of themselves in this situation to reduce the risk of infection to the least.
“We have reduced the number of patients admitted for treatment, while the number of patients with office syndrome has been increasing.”
During COVID-19, the physical therapy center had to reduce the number of patients to only 25%. Now, the number of patients has increased to 50%, but it is still unable to accept full patients. In addition to reducing the crowding in physical therapy, some of the physical therapy center’s staff also have to help with vaccinations. In a situation where the center can accept only a few patients, the number of patients with office syndrome has increased alarmingly. Some patients are so severe that they need to receive therapy.
“Office Syndrome: Symptoms that come with working from home”
In this COVID-19 crisis, working from home has been chosen as one of the solutions to stop the spread of the virus for the nation. And the number of people experiencing office syndrome has increased accordingly. Most patients are caused by repetitive work in the same position for a long time. In fact, working should not be done in the same position for more than 3 hours. Because if it is too long, the muscles that should normally contract and relax will become stuck. And the muscles will contract together instead. This will cause injuries such as back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, etc.
“My little one is in a wheelchair. It hurts when I move, it hurts when I sit, it hurts when I walk, it hurts when I lie down, and I can’t stretch my arms or legs.”
Dr. Suphanni told us that there was a child who came for treatment. The child could not help himself at all because of a slipped disc. It was caused by the child sitting in front of the computer for a long time because of the thesis. It was not until the third time he received treatment that he began to help himself and could walk from the first floor down.
“It was a proud moment to help him smile again.”
The fact that the child was able to return to living a normal life was a great source of pride for the Physical Therapy Center, and it also encouraged the Center to continue trying. At first, the child’s parents were afraid of having to have surgery. The child had lost many opportunities because he had just graduated, but could not go to job interviews, and could not take care of himself. Being a part of helping a child return to living a normal life and be able to have the bright future that he wanted was a matter of great pride.
“Everyone, come to work with your heart.”
The physical therapy center has never been closed, even during the peak of the COVID-19 situation. There has only been a reduction in the number of patients per day. As for IC, they continue to help with risk prevention as much as possible. Everyone who comes to work is willing and doing their best. In the center, we always talk about whether we are afraid. We can be afraid, but we have to learn to protect ourselves. We have to learn to work in this situation. If the germs are still with us like this, in the end we have to learn to protect ourselves as best we can and get through this together.
Conclusion
In this situation, it is not just the fear of the COVID-19 outbreak, but working from home also causes the spread of office syndrome silently. It is not a contagious disease, but many people are infected with it, both consciously and unknowingly. It can cause more damage than just neck pain, back pain, and shoulder pain. If we still have the same behavior, the physical therapy center can help you, but the best solution is that you have to feel comfortable working, move, get up and walk, or go outside to breathe some fresh air. This will allow the body to have other postures so that you don’t have to travel to the physical therapy center.
“Not only do we survive office syndrome, we must also survive COVID-19 together.”
Follow the story behind the crisis and the actions of medical personnel at Thammasat University Hospital in dealing with the COVID situation in the program Unmask Story, stories behind the masks of medical personnel at Thammasat University Hospital.
Mission to revive..restore the body Mission to..physical therapy | Thammasat University Hospital
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