Therapy staff members at LCH include (front row, from left) rehab aides Deanna Pick, JoAnne Fodness, Sherry Bierman, (middle row) Maggie Dorn, physical therapist assistant; Lori Mulder, occupational therapist; Brenda Hulstein, occupational therapist; Patty Halse, speech language pathologist; Kathleen Loosbrock, physical therapist assistant; and (back row) physical therapists Holly Sehr, Jolene Gordon, Tammy Loosbrock, Pat Smedsrud and Brynn Ladd. Not pictured are Shannen Scheafer, physical therapist; Rhonda Anderson, occupational therapist; Vicky Meyer, occupational therapist assistant; and Kris VanDerBrink, massage therapist.
By Lori Ehde
October is Physical Therapy Month, and Luverne Community Hospital is showcasing its therapy department.
It has grown to include 17 staff members and a wide range of services offered in the hospital and in several outreach locations.
LCH offers physical therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy.
Physical therapy is the evaluation and treatment of human injuries or impairments to prevent, correct, minimize or alleviate physical injury.
Some PT services include stroke rehabilitation, sports injury management and home exercise programs.
Occupational therapy helps people whose ability to function in daily life has been affected by illness or injury, developmental problems or aging.
Some examples of OT are helping patients regain use of an injured hand, re-educating stroke patients to compensate for losses and improving feeding or oral motor skills.
Speech therapy addresses communication or swallowing disorders. Examples of services include improving voice, stuttering or articulation problems and treating swallowing disorders .
In addition, OT and PT departments at LCH recently began offering treatment for patients with urinary incontinence.
A combination of exercise, biofeedback and electrical stimulation has produced an 80-percent success rate for LCH patients seeking help with urinary incontinence.
LCH therapists hold visible positions in the area by offering their services at several outreach sites.
Those locations include Luverne and Pipestone school districts and nursing homes in Ellsworth, Hills and Adrian. In addition, LCH therapists bring their services to the Rock County Pool and Fitness Center and to local home health patients.
To celebrate Physical Therapy Month, LCH will host an open house for current and former patients from 9 to 11 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 31, in the therapy department.