Patients Reach New Recovery “Heights”
November 4, 2016
With a goal of helping its patient heal faster, Heights Physical Therapy in Colorado is committed to bridging the gap between rehabilitation and optimum function.
A therapist owned practice, Heights focuses on holistic wellness for its patients, who include university athletes, mountain sports athletes and average people who need physical rehabilitation for an injury or after surgery.
Heights’ owner Trent Ezzell saw the advantage of having an AlterG® Anti-Gravity Treadmill™ and added it to his therapy offerings four years ago. He says his clinical population is involved in high levels of activity and insists on returning to full function quickly as possible. The AlterG helps advance those recovery plans.
Prior to having the AlterG at Heights, Trent was using assistive devices to try to offer partial weight bearing. He says there was no real certainty of the desired body weight being achieved, but the AlterG overcomes those limitations. The AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill uses differential air pressure to unweight patients in precise 1% increments to as low as 20% of patient body weight.
Heights has the area’s only AlterG and treats 20 to 25 patients per week with the treadmill technology. Trent and his staff use the AlterG for the following conditions: post-op ACL, knee scopes, ankles injuries, hip and knee replacements and lumbar fusions. The AlterG also is part of recovery plans for runners and athletes with tendonitis, stress fractures, Patellofemoral Syndrome (PFS), sacroiliac issues and muscle strains.
Top Clinical Benefits
- Allows for easy adherence to weight bearing protocols for post-op/recovery patients
- Gives ability to assess gait and pick up subtle compensations
- Offers psychological benefits during recovery and for performance
Top Business Benefits
- “Wow” factor opens discussion about taking performance and rehab to the next level
- Allows specialization in faster recovery for those who perform at a high level of activity
- Helps us maintain a strong relationship with the local university track and cross country program
“Height’s state-of-the-art facility serves as the backdrop for patients to practice new ways of moving in the way the body was meant to function,” says Trent. “We utilize a combination of traditional tools and newer technology, such as AlterG, to practice engaging the body in the complex movement that are performed in real life and in sport. With AlterG, our patients soon realize they will recover and return to their lives.”
Trent gives the example of a 55-year-old competitive skier who tore an ACL and arrived at Heights four weeks post op. She was becoming depressed over her inactivity, having never been injured before. Trent had her jog on the AlterG at 20% body weight. She quickly realized she was going to recover and, psychologically, it changed her attitude about her rehab program.
“The athletes treated with AlterG can continue their sport without further risk of injury. We are able to decrease weight bearing, which can eliminate pain, and we can assess gait and address and correct bad habits.”
Trent says the AlterG has “absolutely” helped him gain greater market share and allowed him to develop a strong relationship with the local university track and cross country program. It allows the athletes another option beyond a pool in order to run through an injury.
Many of Trent’s patients continue to seek greater “heights” for their performance after they complete their rehabilitation program. Heights welcomes direct access AlterG clients, and they include runners from the university who are given Punch Cards for an average of $100 a month of AlterG time.
Interested in learning more about Trent Ezzell’s physical therapy business and his experience integrating the AlterG into his rehab programs?
Contact Trent at 970-641-7389 or visit www.heightsperformance.com/.