Knowledge Lunch

Yesterday, Paul, Jake and I ventured over to the Monticello Clinic for a "knowledge lunch," AKA a continuing education class for interested nurses and physicians with food involved. Paul talked about how heel pain and plantar fasciitis can sometimes be misdiagnosed, and how nerves in the back, leg and foot can play a role in foot pain.





On a similar note, Jake talked about how elbow pain, specifically lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow), can sometimes be misdiagnosed, and how nerves in the neck, shoulder and arm can play a role in elbow pain. In fact, pain in your limbs may be related to a neck or back issue more often than you realize!








And finally, I talked about concussions, specifically about how females and younger athletes may be more prone to lingering effects of concussions, about the potential for long-term cognitive, physical and emotional effects of concussion, and about how physical therapy can be used to help with recovery post-concussion (in more ways than you'd think!).




If you're interested in any of these topics, click here for more info! 
Physical Therapists' Guide to Plantar Fasciitis 
Physical Therapists' Guide to Lateral Epicondylitis (Tennis Elbow)
Physical Therapists' Guide to Concussion
 

Running for a Cause

This past Sunday, Monticello Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine employees participated in a fundraiser for the Community Health Foundation of Wright County, a foundation working to build a residential hospice house in Buffalo-- click here for more). It was a gorgeous, though chilly, fall afternoon for a walk/run ( I'm pleased to say each member of Team MPT chose to run!). Team Captain Jen lead Jake (PT) and his wife Sandy, Linda (office manager) and her son, Donald, and me, Anna, on a gorgeous run around Buffalo Lake. (Though, to be fair, Jake relied upon rollerblade wheels instead of his running shoes to complete the course-- but to make up for it, he provided us with up-to-the minute Vikings updates.)

Congrats Team MPT on a successful day, with proceeds benefiting a great cause!

From left: Sandy-Jake-Linda-Donald-Jen-Anna

Let Me Introduce You...

Greetings from the therapists' office at Monticello Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine! Depending on why you're visiting our website, you may be just as new to MPT+SM as I am. My name is Anna, and despite the fact that it's only my second week on the job, I can already tell you what a great place this is-- great fun, and with great results. Our company slogan says it best-- Quality Care, Exceptional Results. 

Thus far, I've met tons of great people (I realize I'm overusing the word "great," but I think it's well-deserved), both patients and coworkers. I'll give you an overview... I work with two other therapists, Paul and Jake, and distantly (in Buffalo), a third therapist, Mark. Paul started up MPT+SM five years ago, and business has been thriving ever since thanks to his extensive experience as a therapist-- he's even specially certified to treat orthopedic (muscle and bone-related) conditions. Jake and Mark both graduated a few years ago from Creighton University in Omaha and St. Scholastica in Duluth, respectively, with clinical doctorates in physical therapy (in technical terms- DPTs, or Doctors of Physical Therapy). I'm the newbie, graduating just a few months ago from the University of Minnesota, also as a DPT. 

I've also had the opportunity to meet a wide variety of patients hailing from Monticello and the surrounding area. Some were injured playing sports or lifting a little more weight than their bodies could handle-- sprains, strains, and low back pain (it rhymes!)-- while others are recovering from surgery or were hurt while working. Fortunately, we're not only trained to treat all of these types of injuries, but we're passionate about doing so and have dedicated our lives to it. We believe everyone deserves to be moving and feeling as well as they are capable of, and we're here to help them (you!) get there. 

That's all I have for you right now-- but check back soon for updates about the therapists, the clinic, and  how we're getting involved in the community. Thanks for reading!