JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. –
The 633rd Medical Operations Squadron Physical Therapy Clinic is currently celebrating Physical Therapy Month.
The clinic provides a wide range of services to active duty service members in the Joint Base Langley-Eustis area, hosting over 17,000 patient visits per year. The therapists evaluate and treat most musculoskeletal issues including knee, back, and neck pain, neurological symptoms such as sciatica and radiculopathy, as well as post-operative rehabilitation.
It might be a surprise to many to know that the profession is deeply rooted in military history. The first therapists served over 100 years ago, working as reconstruction aides during World War I. At that time, rehabilitation from injury was nearly unheard of, so the Walter Reed Army Medical Center developed the first physical therapy school in the U.S. to serve the needs of its fighting forces.
Now, military physical therapists are on the leading edge of many treatment concepts and techniques, and civilian practices often follow what the military produces.
For example, while many military therapists, including those here at Langley, utilize dry needling treatment and prescribe x-rays on a daily basis, these services are still not offered by many civilian practices.
Looking to the future, the Langley Physical Therapy clinic will continue to provide the best care available to uniformed members. A change that patients will see in the coming months is the implementation of a Direct Access Model, which will allow patients with acute injuries to schedule directly with the Physical Therapy clinic, without a referral. This move is intended to improve access for all patients, and reduce the wait-time between injury and therapy.
In celebration of Physical Therapy Month, the clinic will perform free posture analysis at the Shellbank Fitness Center, Oct. 18, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Oct. 23, 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.