Premier Physical Therapy

Author: Dennis Riney

What Is Physical Therapy?

What is Physical Therapy?

Every day, we come across patients just like Matt – people who are surprised to learn exactly what it is we do at Premier.

And then it dawned on us… many people don’t really understand physical therapy.

So, what is physical therapy? Physical therapy is a conservative approach to treating, healing and preventing injuries and disabilities to improve and maximize the quality of your life.

Some people mistakenly think you only need physical therapy after a severe injury or major medical procedure, like surgery. On the contrary, physical therapy can actually prevent injury and eliminate the need for surgery in some cases. In fact, nearly everyone can benefit from the positive effects of physical therapy at some point in their life.

Physical therapists work closely with physicians and medical providers to develop a program specific to your health goals. Whether it’s pain relief, increased mobility, regaining strength or something else, physical therapy is a great tool to help you maximize your potential.

Your Physical Therapist’s goal is to relieve pain and restore your ability to work, play and live your life using a variety of treatment methods.

Pain is an especially important symptom to address with physical therapy. After all, pain is the body’s way of telling you something is wrong. Chronic pain can be a sign of a serious medical condition and shouldn’t be ignored. If pain is keeping you from doing the things you love, you may want to consider physical therapy. Ask yourself these questions…

Do you experience pain during daily activities or discomfort while sleeping?

Do you plan your day around what will cause your pain or discomfort?

Do you have a pain or injury that other treatments have failed to help?

Physical Therapy can be used to treat a variety of conditions and injuries helping you get back to life. At Premier Physical Therapy, we commonly see patients for the following:

Back and Neck Pain

Knee Pain

Sports Injuries

Shoulder Pain

Vertigo/Headaches

Arthritis

Ankle and Foot Pain

Hand, Wrist & Elbow Injuries

TMJ

Pre & Post Surgical Cases

Gait Abnormality

Work Related Injuries

When choosing a facility for physical therapy, remember that the choice is yours! Tell your healthcare provider that you want to go to Premier Physical Therapy!

And the next time someone asks you “What is physical therapy?” – you will have an answer for them.

April 2, 2016
Why I Opened Premier Physical Therapy

Why I opened Premier Physical Therapy

A dream was fulfilled on a warm morning in August of 2006 when Premier Physical Therapy welcomed its first patient. The anticipation and excitement were immeasurable.

We were fortunate to help eight patients the very first day! Our staff of 3 was more than pleased and honored to be part of the birth of a new locally-owned, physical therapy business. After thousands of patients with hundreds of referral sources, community events, fundraisers and two locations later our business continues to grow to this day. I’m grateful and humbled to have served as the founder and CEO of Premier Physical Therapy. Our focus has been and always will be to improve the quality of life for thousands of people that we serve in our communities.

It started as a goal typed on a paper while completing my degree at Southwest Baptist University. The goal stated that I would operate my own private physical therapy practice someday. I displayed this list of goals at the desk of my first job as a physical therapist where I worked as a staff therapist. It would remain there for several years. Never out of sight and never out of mind. The only question would be when. There were other goals on the paper as well. These included that I would live in a Christ-like manner treating everyone with equality and respect regardless of background or situation, I would continue to promote health and nutrition (I also have a dietetics degree from Missouri State University), and others related to my passion and mission for serving others.

The why is simple. I felt called to serve at what I determined would be the highest level of responsibility. I desired to have an environment in that I could serve my family, my team, my patients, my community, my profession and God. Having our own business was the answer. I also felt that I could possibly create some time-freedom for my family. There is no doubt I knew that there would be risk associated with this decision, especially in today’s healthcare environment, but I also knew that reward and satisfaction could also follow. I was willing to take that risk. I desired to pursue the reward and satisfaction of knowing that I’m doing everything I can. I knew there was potential satisfaction that we would provide a special place for people to work, serve and to ultimately give back. Giving, growing, and receiving are both a professional and personal passionate mission of mine.

I like to create and I’m a firm believer that we create our own culture. This is exactly what we have done here at Premier Physical Therapy. We’ve created an environment that is positive, friendly, loving, and healing while providing care that is highly-skilled. That’s the balance and the key to our success. Our business model is also one that is very organized, measurable, structured and produces the products we need to complete our mission.

I feel very blessed to be part of something so special. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to serve our team, our patients and our community. Having a business is a huge responsibility but for me it has been such a rewarding experience. I’m learned that people will follow because of “why” we are doing what we are doing. The why behind anything is the key. Here at Premier Physical Therapy we all share my original why. The why is to serve and to serve at the highest level. I feel that leading this business guides myself and our team to do what I feel God intended for us to do and this business brings us together with a mission of serving others, improving the quality of their lives.

February 17, 2016
It’s Your Choice

Do you know who gets to decide where you go for physical therapy?

The answer is: YOU!

You decide. It’s your choice. Do your research, ask a friend or family member, explore our website or give us a call. Go to a facility with a proven track record that has a history of getting results. You deserve a positive, friendly, highly-skilled environment where you will receive “one-on-one” care. Choose your physical therapy provider carefully. When you see your physician tell them you want to go to Premier Physical Therapy.

Dennis Riney, PT

Founder of Premier Physical Therapy, CEO

February 17, 2016
Who is Donna Hart Goodson and what is Hand Therapy?

Donna Hart Goodson OTR/L, CHT has worked at Premier Physical Therapy from the first days the doors opened. She brings to Premier the expertise of hands and an art of healing others. Today I was able to sit in with Donna for an exclusive interview:

Q: Where did you go to school?

A: I graduated from the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks with a B.S. in Occupational Therapy and a minor in Art in 1985.

Q: How did you get into such a niche practice of working only with hands?

A: I did my internship at the Mayo Clinic in MN. At that time there wasn’t such a thing as a Certified Hand Therapy but after shadowing an OTR who treated mainly hand injuries, I decided that I wanted to specialize in hand therapy. Six years later the ASHT certified the 1st Hand Therapist and two years later I became certified in 1993. I feel like I’m a pioneer in the Hand Therapy world.

Q: When did you start working at Premier Physical Therapy?

A: I moved to MO from MN in 1985: worked as an OT, Owned a out-patient hand clinic for several years, married a local man and had three wonderful kids and then decided to be a stay-at-home mom for 2 years. After my baby started school I decided to start working again. Dennis asked me to join him in starting a new business 9 1/2 years ago and I’ve been here at Premier Physical Therapy ever since.

Q: What do you love about working at Premier Physical Therapy?

A: I love working with Dennis because he puts God and his family 1st. I love working with a team who prides themselves in giving 110% in their therapy sessions. I love working with area physicians, (hand surgeons and general physicians) who are very knowledgeable and skilled in what they do. But most of all, I love working with patients in our area who I get to see in the community even after their therapy is done.

Q: What do you enjoy best about being a hand therapist?

A: I really do love the complexity of hands and I get to provide one to one hand therapy to my patients here at Premier. Hands are so important and you need them to do so many things in life. I get great joy in getting people the use of their hands back so that they can get back doing what they need and love to be doing.

I really enjoy that I get to talk and work with some really awesome people who have hand injuries. I learn a lot from my patients because we discuss a lot of different things. I become very close to my patients. In today’s medical world, there is always so much more to learn about hand injuries, surgery, and therapy, and I find that very exciting.

Lastly, I get to talk about God and all of his blessings with many of my patients. I love that I work in a Christian atmosphere.

Q: I have been fortunate enough to see a lot of your work and also to be a patient of yours. I would call what you do an art! It is amazing to see the custom splints that you make and to see the level of difference you make in a patients life. Tell me a little about the artist in you.

A: When I make an orthotic (otherwise known as a splint), there is a certain function and goal for that orthotic. I have to apply my physics knowledge to design this orthotic to accomplish these specific goals along with my 3D artistic perception of what I want accomplished to make the orthotic. And having an orthotic that is unattractive or ill-fitting won’t be tolerate or worn by a patient. I want to fabricate an orthotic to be as comfortable and as attractive as possible to help encourage the patient to wear it as recommended by the physician. I’ve had patients have family and friends sign their orthotics or bling up the splints I’ve made for them. This makes them more tolerated and fun!

Q: Anything else you would like to add about being a hand therapist?

A: I really am thankful that God lead me to Cape Girardeau and Jackson. I love providing Hand Therapy to the people in this community and I am excited to see what new techniques and surgical procedures are being developed. I’ve had the opportunity to work with tendon and nerve repairs, multiple fractures; crushes; finger, wrist, and forearm re-attachments; toe to thumb transplants; tendon and nerve transplants; but haven’t gotten to work with a hand transplant (I hope to be able to have the opportunity to assist someone with therapy who has had this procedure done before I retire.)

February 17, 2016
Who’s Your Physical Therapist?

If someone were to walk up to you and ask “Who’s your doctor?” “Who’s your pharmacist?” “Who’s your dentist?,” you more than likely know this person or the name of their business within seconds. You should also know the name of your physical therapist/physical therapy clinic. Your physical therapist should be someone who you feel comfortable with, someone who cares about your health, someone who will answer your questions when you have them, and someone who gets results and gets you back to life and back to doing the things you love. Make sure you get to know this person/therapy clinic, so when you do need their services, you feel comfortable.

Premier Physical Therapy wants to be your first choice when choosing your physical therapist. We pride ourselves in having a family like atmosphere with the most highly skilled and trained therapists. We want to be your first choice and the clinic you call when you need help. Premier Physical Therapy will be there when you need us.

So when someone ask you…”Who’s your physical therapist?” you can easily answer…Premier Physical Therapy!

February 17, 2016