I am almost done with the first floor on Google Sketchup. I have constructed the reception area, massage rooms, evaluation room, pools, and locker rooms. I will complete the floor with an office area and some detail such as paintings or plants. The second floor already has some of the machinery in it such as treadmills and free weights. I will hopefully start the second floor next.

I will first introduce myself, my topic, and my essential question which is, ‘What are the advantages of water rehabilitation for sports induced injuries.’ I will discuss land therapy and water therapy and how they differ. For example, land therapy uses more machinery and stretching whereas water therapy is focused more on movement with less pain due to the buoyancy. I will also talk about the benefits and negatives of both methods. With land therapy, there is more pressure and pain. Water therapy patients can easily over-due themselves because of the lack of pressure and they are more prone to infection. I will specifically refer to ACL tears while discussing these methods and the different exercises used for each. For land therapy I will show pictures of different machines and explain why each one is beneficial. I will show the pictures I took of Christian Elias while he was doing his therapy. When I get into water therapy I will discuss the different movements in the water and why it is easier for the patient. My presentation will include a brief speech about the different centers I went to. I will show the pictures I took using power point and explain the differences. I will present my model and discuss the set-up and the process I went through to construct it. I will explain why it is modeled this way, such as the different floors, pools, and machines. Lastly, I will walk my audience through the most common and beneficial methods a client would use if they had a torn ACL using the center I constructed.

Using SketchUp has been very difficult. I have been focused on the program and I have taught myself how to use it by watching videos and testing out the different tools. The process of building the center has been stressful but once the product is finished, I will have learned a lot about virtual construction. I have started over several times now which makes this even more difficult for me because I feel like I am going in circles and not getting anything done. Finally I feel like I have made some progress toward the completion of my product.

Today, I spoke with Mark Creed, an architect in Charleston, who recommended another program called Revit and Archicad. Both of these programs are like Google Sketchup, however, they are not free. He explained to me that these programs might be easier for me to use however they cost money and might not be easier according to the time I have to work on it. He encouraged me to research different programs and softwares to discover which program would be best for me.

I heard a new opinion from a different expert who has practiced sports medicine and is working with patients on land rather than in the water. He believes regular therapy on land is more beneficial with a shorter recovery rate because the person can fully use their muscles and joints unlike in the water. I have learned about the different machines and exercises used for ACL tears, such as, treadmill, leg press, jumping leg press, exercises with the half balls such as half ball squats and half ball lunges, and exercises to improve foot work and balance. Michael Barr also explained to me the difference between a younger person and an older person tearing their ACL. I learned that it is almost necessary for a younger person to have surgery after tearing their ACL. If a person does not have surgery after their injury, they will not be able to fully use their knee in situations that involve running such as sports or any other physical activity. Older adults do not absolutely have to have an operation because they are older and less active therefore they do not do much running around or other activities. With some physical therapy and special attention to the area, they will regain control and function in the knee enough to be able to walk and possibly run.

I have also downloaded Google Sketchup which is the program I will make my model with.

1. Intro

      a. How I conceived my essential question and why?

               i. I have always lived near the water and my family and I are very interested in water sports. Wakeboarding has been a hobby of mine for about three years. My brother is a competitive wakeboarder and I have seen many injuries he has needed physical therapy for. One of the most common injuries for wakeboarders is knee injuries or torn ACL’s. I decided to research ACL tears because of my interest in wakeboarding and medicine.

2. How I answered my essential question a. Research

     i. Printed sources

          1. (Anterior Cruciate Ligament)ACL’s are often damaged because of sudden deceleration or pivot with can hyperextend or put too much rotation force on the knee.

          2. A less severe tear of the ACL is usually treated with P.R.I.C.E ( protection, rest, ice, compression, elevation) This calms the swelling and eases the pain 

          3. It is almost necessary for younger individuals (athletes especially) to have surgery after this injury takes place because it is rare that it will heal on its own. Adults, or older men and women are less likely to need surgery because they have a less active lifestyle and therefore can function (walk, run, jog) after a certain amount of therapy.

     ii. Internet

          1. Water helps build muscle and strengthens the patients balance because of the resistance. There is much more resistance in the water than in the air.

          2. Being in the water with the buoyancy gives patients the ability to move freely

          3. Water therapy can be used to help treat arthritis, strokes, Parkinson’s disease, obesity, and muscular dystrophy

          4. The water gives the patient more support when their muscles and joints can not support their own weight.

          5. The temperature in the pool is usually warm (between 92 and 98 degrees) to help relax the muscles and ease the aches and pains for those clients with arthritis.

      iii. Expert: Shelly Burgess, InShape Physical Therapy, Lexington, South Carolina

          1. Water therapy causes the patient to have less pain due to the buoyancy.

          2. For knee injuries, being in the water reduces the pressure on the specific area.

          3. Water rehabilitation is not always the best method. Being in the water with less weight and pressure on the injury causes people to be unaware to the amount of work and strain they are putting on the area.

          4. Water therapy is more common and more beneficial for certain injuries. For example, knee degeneration so the patients can ease back in to walking with less weight and pressure.

      iv. Expert: Michael Barr, MUSC Physical Therapy, Charleston, South Carolina

          1. Water therapy has its benefits but land therapy is preferred for certain injuries.

          2. ACL tears have an average recovery rate of about 6 months. Land therapy speeds up this process

          3. Land therapy is more beneficial. Aquatic therapy is good for taking stress off of a joint however, after surgery, therapy in a pool gives the patient a higher risk of getting infection.

          4. The biggest benefit of land therapy over water therapy is that the patients are actually weight-bearing and can start using their muscles to gain strength.

     v. Visits

          1. In the pool, you can be more relaxed yet still get the therapy you need for your injury

          2. Most rehabilitation centers have pools because some patients prefer one method over the other.

          3. At InShape Physical Therapy, the pool is not only less painful for the client but it also is beneficial. You can perform most exercises in the pool that you can on land but without as much weight and pain. There is a treadmill in the pool for walking or running but unlike running on land, there is less stress on the knees.

b. How this information influences my project. This information gives me a better understanding about water therapy and knee injuries. I have more knowledge on the benefits of water rehabilitation for specific injuries, although it varies for different people with different injuries and tolerance.

3. What is my final conclusion and the discovery process? What reflections can I share about the process and my progress? How did all of this aid you in creating the product and answer your essential question?

     a. I believe aquatic therapy is more beneficial for patients in some cases. The water definitely alleviates the pain for the person and can help them slowly ease back into fully using the muscles or joint. The water has more resistance than the air allowing the patient to build muscle and gain more balance. The water therapy takes the stress off of that joint with the buoyancy. The land therapy however has a quicker recovery rater for certain injuries. Although there is more pain for the patient, they can feel the building up of the muscles and joints therefore they can know when to stop rather than over-working the area which is easy to do in the water. Both methods are very effective and beneficial. Which method is best depends on the person and their injury.

     b. This process introduced me to a new topic. I have learned a lot about sports rehabilitation, land and aquatic therapy, and the different methods used for specific injuries.

      c. Both rehab centers that I visited focused on either land therapy or aquatic therapy for the majority of their clients. I want to create a facility that treated any injury of ache with any method necessary.

Works cited 5 sources • Expert • 2 printed sources • Site visit • Internet source

“The Benefits of Aquatic Therapy -.” Associated Content – associatedcontent.com. Web. 12 Jan. 2010. <http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/232367/the_benefits_of_aquatic_therapy.html

“Benefit of Water Therapy.” Health Benefit of Water. Web. 10 Dec. 2009. http://www.health-benefit-of-water.com/water-therapy.html.

Drury, Mackenzie. Interview with Michael Barr. 18 Jan. 2010.

Drury, Mackenzie. Interview with Shelly Burgess. 14 Jan. 2010.

Sports medicine and rehabilitation a sports specific approach. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2009. Print.

Product

My product is a model of a physical therapy center. At the entrance there will be the check-in desk and waiting area where the clients can wait to be evaluated. On the other side of the room there will be evaluation rooms where the therapists can privately talk to the clients about their needs. After evaluation they can move to the stretching area, which is an open, matted, floor space for stretching and progressive walking, or the locker rooms to change into swim wear for the water therapy. There will be one pool that has very warm water (for the patients with arthritis) and another pool that has cooler water and more machinery, however ther temperatures and depths can easily be adjusted. The pools will both be three to five feet deep with under water treadmills built-in. The pool with the cooler temperature will have more machinery such as, a stationary bike underwater, whereas the warmer pool will be mostly free weights, kickboards, and the pressure from the current produced by the jets. In between both pools will be three massage rooms where the patients can have several different massages such as deep tissue or relaxing massages. Near the evaluation rooms there will be an elevator and stairs that lead to the second floor where there will be more land physical therapy. There will be a section for upper body, (arms, chest, shoulders, wrists) a section for legs ( knees, hips, ankles) and a cardio section with treadmills, stationary bikes, and stair-masters. In the center of the room there will be a closed off room for stretching and free weights. Both floors will be complete with a room that has towels and beverages.

Paper

My paper will start by answering ‘What are the benefits of water rehabilitation for sports induced injuries?’ I will introduce my topic with a thesis discussing the benefits of water therapy such as less weight and pressure, less pain, more progression, and the advancement of water therapy. My body paragraphs will discuss more in-depth these benefits as well as why my center would be the most beneficial, for example, it is the most beneficial because it has multiple methods of therapy, it has two pools and plenty of staff and space for comfort. My center is also relaxing as well as progressive. I will  discuss why my center is beneficial to patients with specific injuries.

Presentation

I will first introduce myself and my topic. I will discuss land therapy and water therapy and how they differ. For example, land therapy uses more machinery and stretching whereas water therapy is focused more on movement with less pain due to the buoyancy. I will also talk about the benefits and negatives of both methods. With land therapy, there is more pressure and pain. Water therapy patients can easily over-due themselves because of the lack of pressure. I will specifically refer to ACL tears while discussing these methods. My presentation will include a brief speech about the different centers I went to and why one was better than the other. I will present my model and discuss the set-up. I will explain why it is modeled this way. Lastly, I will walk  my audience through the most common and beneficial methods a client would use if they had a torn ACL.

Site visit

Yesterday, I drove to Lexington, South Carolina to visit the InShape Physical Therapy Center. I interviewed Shelley Burgess and asked her about her center and methods of therapy available there. She was very informative. I learned about the evaluation rooms, the laser light therapy, and the water therapy. She walked me through the center giving me detailed explanations for everything. She allowed me to watch a client of hers in the pool with her therapy for her hip and knee. I got a better understanding of why water therapy is more beneficial in certain situations. Her center, along with many others, is attatched to a gym that provides her patients with the machines and weights they would need for physical therapy. I took pictures of everything and now I have a better understanding for the set-up of a physical therapy center.

I also emailed Michael Barr at MUSC. He is a Sports Medicine Coordinator. I plan to interview him at his earliest convenience.

I did research on the benefits of water therapy and found out that it increases flexibility and strength. Also, being chest deep in the water creates less stress on the joints and muscles. The buoyancy of the water allows for freer movement with less pressure. Water therapy can also cure arthritis and help individuals with asthma.

My product will either be a model of an ideal therapy center that includes both traditional sports medicine methods and water therapy exercises or a program for rehabilitation of specific injuries that includes many different types of methods.  The program I develop will also include “at home” techniques to further progress the healing process.