Prison PT

what are you treating?

what kinds of things are you treating?

Mostly orthopedic issues:

  • Shoulders: rotator cuff issues stemming from sports injury on the yard, old surgeries, and injuries of repetitious exercise
  • Low back pain, sciatica
  • Neck pain
  • Knee pain: mensicus, ACL, osteoarthritis, patellofemoral
  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome–a lot of this….likely secondary to diabetes
  • Aging population issues: osteoarthritis, vertigo, deconditioning
  • Post-surgical: total knee replacement, elbow surgery, ACL repairs, cardiothoracic surgery (post stabbing injury)

Judging from the repeat postures I see and the kind of exercises they repeatedly do, it’s clear to see patterns of they these are common injuries. Pushups, pullups, dips, sit ups, bench press (with picnic tables): all of these overdevelop the anterior or front lines of the body. Add this to postures created from sitting on lower bunks or even upper bunks in a forward slouched position. I can always tell my lower bunk guys.

Setting up perfectly for rotator cuff issues, neck and back pain. And don’t forget the repeated squats—not the sit to stand kind, but deep low squats. On repeat for sometimes 1000 per day.

Yep, with time and limited resources for weight lifting, they are left to get creative with what they have. The prison took the weights away several years back because the inmates were getting too big.

So now they’re equipped with, bars, body weight and furniture. As well as various sports: basketball, tennis, handball, baseball and yoga for those that can get into the waitlisted class.

I may add to the list above as I see more patients over the months to come, but this is what’s come my way so far. I thought I might be seeing more “industry” injuries, such as job duties in the kitchen, laundry, cleaning porters, but not so much….yet.

*just to note, I’ll be leaving out the name of the institution that I work at. It’s a state prison for reference. Images are not from the prison as no devices are allowed in.

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caring for the incarcerated

Prison PT

I’ve been a physical therapist (PT) for 19 years. Worked in all different settings: Acute care, inpatient rehab, home health, hospice care, outpatient clinic, telehealth, and I’ve run my own concierge practice. As a yoga therapist and PT I’ve been able to help those see a new perspective around their pain. Not to expect a pain-free life, but to relish a life that exists in the presence of pain—because we will all experience it at some point.  But now, I’ve chosen a new path. I wanted to serve the underserved, and I wanted something unique. Working at a prison was not something I thought possible. But it is. There are a small world of PT’s doing just that. But if you search out there to find information on the experience, you won’t find much. I found several sites about nursing for the incarcerated, but the PT landscape was bleak.  So, it’s with this intention that I began to share the stories here. A source to inform those who are curious and have questions and provide them a place to land. Please share if you know someone who might be interested.
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