In December 2021 we came to a difficult decision to close our Auburn location after seven years of service to the Auburn and Placer county foothills area. We are sad to close this location, but welcome you to our Roseville location for the same great service. We continue to provide orthopedic physical therapy care and still accept most private insurances. We hope we can continue to serve you for your physical therapy needs!

In exciting news in Placer County, additional businesses and activities in Stages 2 and 3 are reopening as soon as today, June 12.
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BUSINESSES AND ACTIVITIES ELIGIBLE FOR REOPENING INCLUDE:

• Schools and school-based programs
• Day camps
• Hotels, lodging and short-term rentals (for tourism and individual travel)
• Campgrounds, RV parks and outdoor recreation
• Professional sports without live audiences
• Music, film and television production
• Gyms and fitness centers, including pools
• Family entertainment centers
• Zoos, museums, galleries and aquariums
• Bars and wineries; and
• Cardrooms and racetracks

As physical therapists, we are especially excited to hear our patient will now have the option to access local gyms! 

According to https://www.placer.ca.gov/reopen/guidance, the following are guidelines for local gyms:
Before reopening, all facilities must:

1. Perform a detailed risk assessment and implement a site-specific protection plan (see an example plan here)
2. Train employees on how to limit the spread of COVID-19, including how to screen themselves for symptoms and stay home if they have them
3. Implement individual control measures and screenings
4. Implement disinfecting protocols
5. Implement physical distancing guidelines

There is not yet available guidance for youth sports.

Our hats are off to all of those parents, caregivers, teachers, administration and students who have participated in a shift in their education these past few months. Students at all stages of their academic careers have recently showed their flexibility and resilience to continue learning during a global health crisis. The term "distance learning" has become a normal part of our daily vocabularies. 

Did you know that the state of California require physical therapists to complete 30 hours of continuing education every two years in order to renew their licensure?

On top of the masters or doctorate degree your physical therapist at Family Physical Therapy possesses, they also spend hours every year learning the latest research and techniques in the field! 

Ila Suplizio, our resident pediatric physical therapist, has been using her extra time to review some hot topics in pediatrics. Ila says, "I decided to review some topics that I see less frequently, such topics related to pediatric wheelchairs and power mobility, as well as some current events, such as utilizing telehealth, and the physical therapy implications regarding pediatric medicinal marijuana prescription."  Ila completed the following courses over the past 4 months:
"Telehealth-Innovations in Care"
"How to Identify and Intervene for Children with Sensory Based Disruptive Behavior"
"Wheelchair Seating for Kids"
"Meeting the Needs of Pediatric Power Mobility"
"Motor Behavior in Infants and Toddlers- A Developmental Systems Perspective"
"Medical Marijuana Use in Children and the Implication on Physical Therapy"
"Considerations for Adapted Sports and Inclusive Physical Education"

Over at Next Level Performance and Sports Therapy, Kirsten Carmichael has not only been recovering from her own knee surgery during this quarantine, but she has also upped her concussion rehabilitation knowledge exponentially by completing an extremely impressive 60-hour intensive concussion course "Complete Concussion Management Certification" while also renewing her IMPACT Concussion training!  Kirsten says this course was "a 60+ hour course of the most up-to-date evidence-based information on concussion assessment and management." She explains she is "looking forward to becoming part of the network and providing the best concussion care for my patients" 

Keep an eye out on Kirsten's blog, because she will be updating all about what she learned! 

We are excited to share a little more information about some of our staff members in our new monthly post “Meet our Staff."

This month, we are starting with owner of Family Physical Therapy and Next Level Performance and Sports Therapy, Brett Pinkney.

Academic and Professional Background:
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Brett graduated from North Dakota State College of Science with an AS in Pre-Physical Education in 1984, and then received a BS in Corporate and Community Fitness from North Dakota Sate University in 1987. He then went on to receive his Master of Physical Therapy from Mayo School of Health Related Science in 1992, and has been a practicing physical therapist for the last 28 years.

Brett initially began his work in physical therapy as a PT Aide, and fell in love with field when he realized it combined his background in physical activity and exercise  to help people recover from their injuries. During his time as an aide, he started to formulate his own ideas about how to personally treat people with respect and kindness, while providing a more “hands-on approach” to recovery. Brett loves to work with his hands, and is a great problem solver. He brings these skills to his physical therapy practice to provide patients with a high level of personalized care. 
Photo of Brett at work, courtesy of https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/family-physical-therapy-roseville

Being a Business Owner…

During this interview, we asked Brett how he decided to become a business owner. He candidly replied “I originally never wanted to become a business owner.” Brett explained he was happy and satisfied working as a clinician and having the daily rewards of building relationships with his patients. He explains this is why even as the owner of a busy practice, he still chooses to be active in the treatment side and continue to see patients.

Being the owner of the clinic is something positive in his life “that just happened.” He explains that in 1992, he met Deborah Mcsherry when she hired him as a new graduate. Brett explained that Deb had such extensive and positive experience in running PT clinics, and that she was a great educational support on the business side of things. When the opportunity arose, he felt confident about venturing into opening a private practice with her. Brett and Deb continued to work together until her retirement 3 years ago. Since then, Brett has continued to successfully juggle handling both the business side, and maintaining his ability to continue to treat patients.
 
“As a Physical Therapist I am so rewarded by the progress that I see in my patients, especially when I am able to help those who are in such need for physical healing and restoration. We may not be able to help everyone, but in most cases, we give assistance allowing a person to live more functional and productive lives and much of the time with less pain.”

“As a clinic owner, I have been able to continue to learn about the business side of therapy, but what I enjoy the most is my ability to meet, hire and learn from new physical therapists. The new therapists have been well-polished and I learn so many new and exciting treatment techniques from my therapists. I can't tell you how many times I say ‘In my day...we never learned about that’”

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Outside of the Business…
Brett has been married to Lori for 30 years, and together they have two adult children. 

He describes the majority of his free-time being spent with his family, detailing “It has been a joy to watch my children grow into responsible adults” Brett enjoys cooking, traveling, spending time at church, attending Sacramento Kings Games, hiking, fishing, roadbiking, and other outdoor activities.  A fun fact about Brett, that all of the staff can agree on, is that he is an endless source of random knowledge. Anytime we have a question about the location of a National Park, an actor in a movie, or an upcoming weather storm, we all immediately go to Brett.

Closing Thoughts…
“I think that in the medical field, physical therapists have the best job! We get to spend hours with our patients, so we really get to know them. Much of the time we can really help you to get back on your feet and hopefully allow you to return to your past levels of function so you can live productive lives.” -Brett Pinkney, PT, MPT, owner of Family Physical Therapy, and Next Level Performance and Sports Therapy

Dear Class of 2020 (pre-school, kindergarten, middle school, elementary school, high school, college, trade school, and graduate school)

Regardless of what level of academia you are finishing, this chapter in your life is closing during an extraordinary time. We know this milestone may not be what you pictured for yourself, or your families, as you celebrate your hard work and dedication. As you move forward, your drive and innovation will help your communities grow and flourish. Your tenacity and dedication to completing this milestone during such a confusing time is what inspires us.  Congratulations on your accomplishments, Class of 2020! 

The health and safety of our staff and patients remains our top priority. As our community continues to make sacrifices and take measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19, Family Physical Therapy remains open so that our patients can continue to progress towards their goals. We are committed to your health and wellness during this time.
 
We have remained open with modifications throughout the current pandemic per the American Physical Therapy Association and California Physical Therapy Association’s recommendation. We are following all Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidance to protect our staff, and the patients at our clinics.
 
Dr. Matos, an expert in biologic surety and the management of select agent programs at federal facilities, notes the following:
“Physical therapists are essential in flattening the curve of the COVID-19 pandemic.  They play a key role in keeping people they can help out of the doctor offices and ERs.  This will not only free up the medical teams to treat those impacted by COVID-19, but also limit the exposure of those seeking the care of the physical therapist.

What will be different in the clinic?
 
Maintaining distancing:  As our state moves into the next phase of economic reopening, we will continue to maintain social distancing within our clinic. We ask that only patients, and personnel necessary to the patient’s treatment enter the clinic. We respectfully request that companions and other individuals please wait outside. We ask that you please remain flexible with our scheduling as we are scheduling our providers in a manner that reduces the crowd of the clinic. We will be scheduling seniors and other at-risk individuals at lower-traffic times whenever possible, so we ask that you please remain flexible with our scheduling at this time.
 
To reduce the number of individuals in the clinic, we are now offering telehealth services. Telehealth allows you to check-in with a physical therapist, have exercises prescribed and progressed, and receive expert advice for alternative strategies and environment adaptations. If you are experiencing symptoms that do not permit you to leave your home, or are uncomfortable going out during this time, ask us if telehealth would be right for you!
 
Sanitation: As always, our sanitation standards remain high. That’s why in addition to our regular daily cleaning, as well as twice weekly deep cleaning, we have upped our cleaning schedules. We respectfully ask that all patients wash their hands before and after their treatment. Our team members are working hard to clean all tables, chairs, and equipment after each use.  Gloves are available for patients to use when touching exercise equipment.  For the safety of our staff and our patients, you will notice that our team members are now wearing masks and gloves while working.
 
Health screenings: We have signage posted on the door to remind the public to please not enter the clinic if they are experiencing any signs or symptoms of COVID-19 (see below). We ask that our staff and our patients to please stay home if they are experiencing any symptoms. For your health and safety, there will be no penalties for cancelations of appointments at this time.

Please reschedule your appointment if you have any of the following symptoms:

• Cough
  
• Shortness of breath
• Chills
• Fever
• Sneezing with nasal discharge
  
• Other cold or flu-like symptoms
  
  

Reducing items touched:  In order to reduce the amount of touchpoints, we ask that you verbally “sign in” at the front desk. We have eliminated our self-serve water, and will provide you with a cup of water if you need it. 
 
We thank you for continuing to trust us with your health and wellness during these uncertain times.  As always, please feel free to contact us with any questions, concerns or feedback.
 

Stay informed at the CDC’s website to find more information on the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

At Family Physical Therapy, we take pride in staying educated on the best practices and latest research in the field of physical therapy. Our physical therapists participate in regular continuing education courses in their fields of interest to stay current and to help provide our patients with the best possible care!

This past weekend, our Roseville physical therapists Ila, Lexi and Shannon met up with Next Level's physical therapist, Kirsten, to travel to Shriners Hopsital for Children for the first Sports Medicine Rehabilitation Symposium for the Young Athlete. This conference provided information from surgeons, physicians, and physical therapists on up-to-date surgical procedures, injection procedures, and rehabilitation strategies for sports rehabilitation in children and adolescents. 

Kirsten, Ila, Shannon and Lexi are looking forward to utilizing some of the techniques that were taught and reviewed in the symposium! We would like to send a special "Thank You" to Shriners. 

 Most people spend a lot of time researching and weighing options for a large purchase or a decision like changing a job.

Think about the last time you made a big purchase, say $1,000 or more. Did you go out and buy the first thing you saw? Take one recommendation from somebody? Or did you research it, learn some things, compare it to other options, and select something that was right for you? Most people tend to be educated and research large purchases like cars, televisions, or the newest cell phone.

 So why do we so often fail to do this with healthcare?

So what can you do to become a more educated healthcare consumer? Ask questions to understand what your options are, what is being recommended, and why. Some good questions to start with are:

● What are the risks and benefits of this treatment?
When a treatment or procedure is recommended, the patient often assumes that it will make them "better." But what the patient expects and what the healthcare provider expects are often two different things. For example, a patient having back surgery expects to be pain free after surgery. The surgeon probably doesn't expect that to happen. A large study of 1450 patients in the Ohio worker's comp system showed that after 2 years 26% of patients who had surgery returned to work. Compare that to 67% of patients who didn't have surgery. There was also a 41% increase in the use of painkillers in the surgical group

● What other options do I have?
Never feel bad about asking about the alternatives to the treatment. We want you to be educated on your decision to have a particular treatment! 
 
● What's it cost?
This last question is becoming more important as patients bear an increasing share of the cost of healthcare. Even if you don't have a high deductible plan or hefty co-pays, by being financially responsible today, you'll probably see smaller price increases in your premiums down the road. That back surgery that we've been talking about? It'll likely cost between $60,000 and $80,000. An educated consumer would learn that physical therapy is a viable alternative to surgery with comparable outcomes, much less risk and lower cost. In fact, a large study of 122,723 subjects showed that people with back pain who got physical therapy in the first 14 days lowered their healthcare costs by 60%.