The Right Equipment - 3 Factors to Look For
Practice ManagementThe right equipment can transform your practe, bringing better results to your clients and growing your business. But with so many options for therapeutic devices, how can you choose? Here are three factors to look for when choosing new equipment for your clinic.
It is extremely important to use the right equipment when creating therapy plans for patients. The right equipment can transform your practice, bringing better results to your clients and growing your business. But with so many options for therapeutic devices, how can you choose? Here are three factors to look for when choosing new equipment for your clinic.
Cheaper Is Not Always Better
When it comes to exercise equipment, cheaper is not always the best way to go. Individuals who need physical and occupational forms of therapy want to be secure in the fact that the machines and tools they use are durable and safe to use. It is important to buy equipment from a company that has a proven reputation for producing quality merchandise. The product should be sturdy and able to support a person’s entire body weight, preferably a seated closed kinetic chain position for the weak and frail. If a machine is being used, it should be easy to operate and stable enough to allow the person to exercise without fear of re-injuring themselves or experiencing any other type of hazard.
Comfortable
Equipment used during occupational and physical therapy sessions should be comfortable to use. Pedals should be large enough so that the feet do not slip off. Hand grips should be pliable and diverse so the patient can firmly grasp them without causing discomfort to their hands. Seats should be large enough for a person to sit comfortably. Backrests should be high enough to support the spine and allow the person to perform their exercises without stressing the abdomen. When a person is comfortable, they can relax and focus on the task at hand. During physical therapy, a patient may be asked to perform exercises they are not familiar with. This can cause them to be unsure about what they are doing. Equipment that offers comfort and a certain degree of security will put their mind at ease, allowing them to focus on the healing process.
Produces Positive Results
It is important to use the right equipment that has been proven to produce positive outcomes. Dynamometers, for example, are capable of offering many different types of exercise, allowing you to focus on multiple functions on one device. This can include replicating the motion of an upper body ergometer, which is typically a stand alone device that does not provide a printable report. Older patients especially, prefer to stick to machines they already know, instead of constantly learning how to operate new ones. Look for machines that are versatile and can be used in a variety of ways. These machines can be used through almost every phase of therapy allowing the person to continually achieve the goals that have been set by their therapist.
Patients rely on physical and occupational therapists to provide effective exercise programs and therapy plans that will help them regain their strength and dexterity. Having the right equipment on hand is the key to helping them achieve those goals and begin to live a higher quality of life. While each patients’ needs may be different, the results they are striving to achieve are the same. Building strength, regaining range of motion, improved flexibility, and an overall improvement in quality of life are the prime objective. Having the right equipment is the first step on the long road to recovery.
