Free physical therapy available at south side clinic

Free physical therapy available at south side clinic

Ohio State students help patients with pain and mobility impairment

Franny Lazarus Ohio State News [email protected]

Each year, physical therapy graduate students in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at The Ohio State University participate in a service-learning course at the John R. Maloney Family Health and Wellness Center on Columbus' south side.

They spend their time providing free physical therapy to the center's patients, many of whom do not have insurance or struggle with another barrier to accessing care.

"The parameters for who we see at the clinic are intentionally loose," said Marka Salsberry, associate professor of practice. "We say 'a patient with a financial barrier.' That could be someone without insurance. That could be someone with Medicare who can't afford their 20% co-pay for physical therapy. It could be someone with 100% insurance coverage but they've exhausted all their allotted visits for the year and need more."

The Ohio State University Student Physical Therapy Clinic is a nonprofit, student-run, full-service clinic. Patients see second-year doctoral students, who are guided on-site by third-year students as well as two licensed physical therapists. Between 70 and 75 students spend three hours, Mondays and Wednesdays, at the clinic each autumn and spring semester.

Many of the clinic's patients struggle with injuries that are routine but that have plagued them for years, Salsberry said.

"A patient may come in with something presenting like frozen shoulder, which is tightening of the shoulder joint due to inflammation. It's painful and limiting in terms of function, and all these patients continue to work," she said. "It takes us four weeks and then they can use that arm again."

A valuable skill that students learn, Salsberry said, is creating treatment programs that are actually usable for patients. Many physical therapy programs involve exercises at home, which may not be viable.

"These are individuals who work two or three jobs," she said. "That's often a 12-hour day or more. We need to give patients programs they can work into their days. We've try to give them something they can do if they're working on an assembly line, like marches or squats. So, it's a mind shift [for students]. The approach is different because of the needs of the population."

Claire Black, a third-year doctoral student, found another consideration when working in the clinic: patients' families.

After working with a patient who had experienced a stroke, Black was approached by the man's daughter with complaints of back pain. Black realized that the cause of the young woman's pain was lifting her father.

"How do we teach family members to help without hurting their own bodies?" she said. "Helping is a reality for so many of our patients and their families. We adapt things to make it feasible and safe for everyone. That's so important."

The clinic is run by a student board. Black is chair of the board this year. She said the experience has been valuable with graduation on the horizon.

"I serve in a manager role for the clinic," she said. "I'm in charge of supervising the other board members and also things like making sure the clinic runs smoothly. It's prepared me to handle things like scheduling challenges, providing exercise programs and making sure we're teaching the second-year students."

Second-year students are paired with third-year mentors. This partnership helps both students. Second-years learn tips from their peers and third-years get experience as instructors.

More importantly, though, said Black, the students are providing care to people who do not have access to it.

"It continues to surprise me - the lack of access to care," she said. "We are filling a gap."

Community service is central to physical therapy, Salsberry said.

"I do feel that that is our responsibility, as a profession," she said. "And I feel the university takes that responsibility seriously, too. … It's heartbreaking when you see someone with an injury that can be easily fixed; just a couple of visits to a physical therapist would change their day-to-day life. It's so rewarding when you can reach those people."

"It's important, not just as an Ohio State student, but as a person representing the profession of physical therapy [to give back to the community]," Black said. "It's important that our care meets the needs of every single person, not just those with money, and not just those with high health care literacy. There is an access issue, and we are helping to close that gap."

Patients can be seen at the clinic this year through Nov. 20. To schedule an appointment, call 614-859-1952.

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