Businesses We Admire

NEW SECTION! FIRST HONOREE!
Center for Physical Therapy and Wellness, Bloomfield

This new section of our newsletter features a new discovery for us. As we strive to find the best providers/ referral partners in our state-wide company we are always seeking opportunities to showcase a new find!

In this case, Dawn Reed, our long-time employee and Senior Caregiver Mentor was accompanying a client to therapy. Dawn of course was familiar with Rehab centers. She is not easily impressed.
Until she met the staff and management while observing the care provided at The Center for Physical Therapy and Wellness in Bloomfield.

We were fortunate enough to be able to spend some time speaking with the president and founder Angela Labella, P.T., DPT. We were fascinated. As a lifelong advocate of high-quality effective therapy, I was interested in their approach to patients and the overall journey to healing. There are several differentiating factors that separated them from many options in therapy in CT

• A commitment to one on one sessions with a consistent PT or OT, they do not utilize PTAs or OTAs
• They are privately owned for 35 years.
• They pride themselves on treating the problems, not just the symptoms
• A dynamic discharge plan of care and prevention program is provided.

This holistic approach is enormously effective be in achieving long term improvement in mobility, pain relief and higher quality of life.

We spoke with Mary about pain management, fall prevention and importance of committing to a lifetime of movement. Not surprisingly has strong beliefs about many of these issues.

Pain control. So often non-medication options are not considered. With the issues surrounding opioids, this needs to be seriously included. She is a strong advocate of cold as an effective treatment for pain, even severe pain, and movement. Most pain can be mitigated and symptoms relieved by regular gentle movement. Mary is impressed with the effectiveness of medical marijuana when patient requires this level of relief

Lifetime commitment to movement. Chronic conditions as arthritis and osteoporosis can be managed by gentle movement daily to start. No one should simply wake up and jump out of bed. Start day with gentle stretch. Activities as Yoga and Tai Chi as well as other guided gentle exercises are enormously helpful. Mary has a yoga studio and classes in her office.

Fall prevention. Of course, balance exercises can help in prevention of falls, but the vast majority of falls are caused by a lack of mindfulness or multi-tasking. FOCUS ON ONE THING AT A TIME. Good advice for falls, and life in general.

In addition to avoiding multi-tasking, Mary is a strong believer in the role that FEAR plays in falls. Any fall can create a PTSD reaction., the person is then traumatized by a previous fall to which he/she over reacts becoming fearful and preoccupied. That fear can immobilize them, cloud their judgment and cause them to repeat a fall.

No doctor’s referral is required for therapy. Once an assessment is made the office can contact the physician of the patient’s choice.

We look forward to their continued success! ■