FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTUU/KTVF) – Physical therapy can be used to help treat issues such as limited mobility, pain, and other physical aspects of life, according to Jake Kretschmar, a physical therapist with Foundation Health Partners in Fairbanks.
However, some Alaskans face barriers to accessing such services, which include geographical or financial.
“A lot can be accomplished in one visit,” Kretschmar said.
Whether it’s a single inpatient visit before a person is discharged from a hospital or a free clinic, such as those put on by the American Physical Therapy Association Alaska (APTA), just getting started can be “quite beneficial,” Kretschmar said.
He said that during the first or only visit, a physical therapist assesses the patient to “hone in on the dysfunction that’s present during the evaluation.”
This allows physical therapists to prescribe exercises “to restore mobility, improve range of motion, decrease pain, improve strength and physical function,” Kretschmar explained. “Exercise can be a lot like medicine. Medicine helps heal …