New therapy reduces pain

New therapy reduces pain

A new machine at Culpeper Memorial Hospital is making recovery possible for patients who were not able to perform painful knee exercises in traditional physical therapy.

The continuous passive motion machine means a lot to Glynda Menefee who has been walking stiff-legged for eight months since she dislocated her knee in February.

Because the Sperryville resident’s knee continued to dislocate after six weeks in a cast, surgery was performmed in April to pull the knee into place. Following another six weeks in a cast, Menefee could not bend her knee, and the built-up scar tissue in her joint made the necessary physical therapy too difficult and too painful for her to perform.

"In her situation, my wife just couldn’t do the therapy to bend her knee,” said Mr. William Menefee.

To help Mrs. Menefee regain mobility in her leg, Dr. Robert Rutkowski of Culpeper manipulated her knee under anesthesia, releasing the scar tissue that was preventing movement of her knee.

After the procedure Mrs. Menefee’s knee could bend 90 degrees, but her goal was to maintain this mobility and to increase the range of motion. Dr. Rutkowski prescribed the continuous passive motion machine; and after one day on the machine, Mrs. Menefee’s knee was bending 107 degrees. ,

"The machine has worked out quite well,” said Dr. Rutkowski "For her-to return to normal, it will take work on muscle strength." A recent development in physical therapy equipment, the continuous passive motion machine holds the patient's leg in a sling and moves automatically, bending, extending, and flexing the knee with minimal discomfort. Without the use of this machine, therapy for patients with knee injuries, knee surgery, knee replacements, or strokes is difficult and painful, requiring considerable exertion from the patient and constant attention from the therapist to keep the leg moving. With the continuous passive motion machine, significant results are achieved with little effort from the patient or therapist. Edna Farry, Chief Physical Therapist at Culpeper Memorial, says “The patient can go to sleep while the machine is running.” Mrs. Menefee was greatly relieved by the ease of the machine. “It’s better than going to therapy,” she explained. “It’s gentle and doesn’t hurt so much.” The speed of movement and degree of flexion and extension may be tailored to the ability of the individual patient. As the pace of the machine gradually increased, Mr. Menefee commented, “This is as far as I have seen her knee move in months.” A major convenience of the continuous passive motion machine is that patients can take it home with them, thereby shortening their hospital stays and reducing the number of visits to physical therapy while maintaining a continuous level of therapy at home. There is also an attachment for the machine which electrically stimulates the muscle in synchronization with the movement of the machine to teach muscles how and when to contract. Before leaving Culpeper Memorial, Mrs. Menefee was able to bend her leg 111 degrees. “It feels good to sit down and bend my leg normally,” she said as she prepared to return home with the machine and instructions for exercises to perform on her own. Before her accident, Mrs. Menefee worked at Aileen in Culpeper. “I hope this therapy will help me be able to go back to work,” she said.