Tulsa Bone & Joint congratulates two of our amazing physical therapists, Libby Boone and Bethany Koss, on a decade of service!
A lot can happen in a decade of time.. In 2013 twerk was added to Webster’s Dictionary, ObamaCare was implemented into healthcare, the Harlem Shake was the trend of the year, taking selfies became a rage, and Beyonce reunited Destiny’s Child for the Super Bowl halftime performance. Here at Tulsa Bone & Joint in 2013, Physical Therapy was located in two awkward tiny wings of what was once the Platinum Gym and on the 3rd floor of the South building. In that time, Bethany and Libby have worked in three different buildings — physically moving the entire clinic twice (once in a thunderstorm).
A number of things haven’t changed … both Bethany and Libby have been vital to building the foundation of our department. Their dedication to the profession and the care they provide our patients are unmatched. They are dependable, they are consistent, and they never complain.
Bethany Koss’ Story
After high school, Bethany was unsure of a career path and ended up following her sister to beauty school, where she
became a licensed cosmetologist in 1998. After 4 years in the field, she decided she wanted to go into physical therapy. She began working part time and completed prerequisites at TCC. In 2008, she graduated from OUHSC-Tulsa with her Masters of Physical Therapy. Upon graduation, she began her career at Redbud PT and worked there for nearly 5 years before coming to Tulsa Bone & Joint.
During her decade at Tulsa Bone & Joint, Bethany has treated 3,430 patients, obtained certifications in ASTYM, dry needling, BFR and sportsmetrics. She is also one of the physical therapy providers for Tulsa Ballet.
Three things Bethany has enjoyed most at TBJ in the last 10 years are her co-workers, the types of patients she gets to work with and the relationships she has built with our physicians.
Bethany enjoys being an advocate for her patients and having some of their situations changed by being a voice for them. She loves her job and the ability it provides for her to help her patients get back to things they want to do.
In the next 10 years, she wants to be able to hone her skills for treating shoulders, specifically overhead athletes, and she wants to become the go-to therapist for individuals with these injuries.
Bethany is a friend to all, a quiet leader and an ideal employee that has helped lay the foundation of culture for our clinic.
Libby Boone’s Story
Libby graduated from OU with a bachelor’s degree in Physical Therapy in 1996. She began her career with Patient Health Care Corporation, which was an independent local company. She worked in various settings while there, including outpatient PT, hospital based PT, and home health.
Libby then took a job with Professional PT, owned by our very own Helen Pratt (now Tulsa Bone & Joint Midtown PT). She worked there for the next 12 years. This is where she started to develop her knowledge and skills in working with spine patients. She attended several CE courses taught by people like Dr. Shirley Sahrmann and Dr. Stanley Paris and attended courses through IAOM-US. Libby also performed work screens, FCE tests, and did some company consulting.
While working at Helen’s clinic, Libby became mom to twins Max and Emma. She wanted more time at home with her young kids, and left Professional PT to pursue a job at Core Physical Therapy, which was owned by a group of physician and chiropractor friends. She worked here part time for 2 years, which allowed her the flexibility to both work and be present with her kids. This is where she first became interested in pursuing scoliosis training. She began self study of the Schroth method to improve her ability to treat these patients, developing the skills needed to treat varying types and stages of scoliosis.
After leaving Core PT, Libby found herself at Tulsa Bone and Joint, where she has spent the last 10 years. During her time here, she has seen 2,284 patients and treated a variety of orthopedic and sometimes non orthopedic problems. She has become Dr. Clark’s right hand woman when it comes to treating spine patients and is the scoliosis guru.
Libby has stuck with TBJ through 6 location changes over the years, changes in leadership, and through a global pandemic. She enjoys the patients she gets to treat and working alongside a group of clinicians that care more about the patient than the metrics. She enjoys the benefit of having access to the doctor’s notes and the ease of communication with them if needed.
Libby is a fantastic physical therapist, and we are so lucky to have her as a part of our team. If you want to see Libby, be prepared to wait at least 2 weeks to find an open spot on her schedule. She has patients that she has seen for years, even some that have followed her from other clinics. She provides excellent patient care and brings a wealth of knowledge to every patient she treats.
When not at work, you can find Libby on the soccer field cheering on her two favorite players, traveling the world thanks to her husband Mark’s work, volunteering with various organizations through her kids’ activities, or throwing the tennis ball with her favorite fur child, Cooper.
At Tulsa Bone & Joint, our physical therapists can help minimize your back and neck pain with a customized treatment plan based on:
- Stretching and strengthening, which will help manage pain and accelerate tissue healing
- Proper posture and ergonomic principles to preserve the spine
- Apply passive modalities if needed: ice, heat, ultrasound, traction, electrical stimulation
- Education, to decrease the likelihood of future injuries
The physical therapists at Tulsa Bone & Joint Associates have advanced education and training for many common and not-so-common orthopedic conditions. Request an appointment online or call (918) 392-1482 today to schedule your appointment at our main campus in our Tulsa, Midtown Tulsa, Bartlesville, Owasso, or Sand Springs.
Kally Owen recently joined Tulsa Bone & Joint as a physical therapist on our main campus.
Kally holds a Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences and a minor in Microbiology from Oklahoma State University. She earned a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of Oklahoma.
“I love treating all orthopedic conditions and have added training in pelvic floor physical therapy, which allows me to treat my patients in a holistic manner in hopes of improving their functional abilities and adding value and meaning to their lives,” Kally says.
Outside of work, Kally enjoys spending time with her husband, Garrett, and their, dog, Woody, along with our family and friends.
“I am a ‘farmer’s daughter’ originally from Northwest Oklahoma and enjoy all things outdoors,” Kally says. “We love living in Tulsa and typically spend our free time trying out new attractions and restaurants that make us even more proud to call Tulsa our home.”
We’re so glad you’re on our team, Kally!
By Lisa Altena, PT
Recently, Tulsa Bone and Joint Physical Therapy has seen a lot of workers start to work from home. With this change, posture or home ergonomics has started to become a very important topic to address. Poor posture while working at a computer can create injuries in multiple areas of the body. Correcting this posture can help with injury prevention especially when you are working from a computer over a long period of time. Working from home brings up new topics to address, like using laptops, surfaces you are working on, and chairs.
What to look at:
- Chair: chair height, seat of chair, and back support of the chair
- Monitor: the height and location of the monitor
- Edge of workstation surface
Ways to make your chair more posture-friendly:
- Put a pillow on the seat to elevate the seat if needed
- Roll up a towel behind the back for lumbar support
- Wrap the armrests in a towel to allow your elbows to rest
- Move your chair close to help prevent leaning over the surface
- Lower the chair so your feet can touch the ground
Ways to make your laptop positioning more posture-friendly:
- Place something under the laptop when using it on your lap
- Use an external monitor, keyboard, or mouse if possible
Way to make your edge of surface more posture-friendly:
Pad the surface edge that you are working on with a towel or pool noodle
Other things to think about:
- If you use two monitors, have your main monitor in front of you.
- Try to stay away from the dining table, couch, bed, and floor.
Applying these ideas and others can help prevent injuries over time.
References:
Davis, K. G., Kotowski, S. E., Daniel, D., Gerding, T., Naylor, J., & Syck, M. (2020). The Home Office: Ergonomic Lessons From the “New Normal.” Ergonomics in Design, 28(4), 4–10. https://doi.org/10.1177/1064804620937907
By Steven Smith, PTA, Tulsa Bone & Joint
For the majority of people out there who have sustained an acute injury, such as an ankle sprain, you have probably heard of the RICE method. This method quickly became the go to protocol for quick assessments of such injuries as of 1978 when it was created by Dr. Gabe Mirkin, MD in his best selling “Sports Medicine Book.” The guidelines for this protocol have since been used by coaches, athletic trainers, and physical therapy clinics with the intent of expediting the recovery process and reducing inflammation for acute injuries. However, as people are paying closer attention to results and the long- and short-term effects, they are finding it may not be the best way to address such injuries. A new era of treatment is evolving, where the MEAT protocol is proving to potentially be the better path.
R– Rest
I– Ice
C– Compression
E– Elevation
M– Movement
E– Exercise
A– Analgesics
T– Treatment
There are varying opinions/problems with RICE:
- Rest. Studies have shown that it can actually be detrimental to the healing process. As the “Journal of Athletic Training” in 2012 points out, with earlier movement of the tendons, ligaments, and muscles injured, it could result in less time at a follow up clinic, or away from sport.
- Ice has long been the go-to for the prevention of swelling and reduction of pain at the injury site. But ice has been noted to actually delay and potentially reduce the healing process, as some people commonly confuse inflammation and swelling. The two in fact are vastly different, as inflammation is the first phase of the tissue repair, while swelling is accumulation of waste that has not yet been evacuated from the area. Inflammation is an important part of the healing process as an instantaneous defense mechanism whose main goal is to control the extent of cell injury, and preparing that tissue for the process of repair. Injuries to structures that have limited blood supply like ligaments, tendons, and cartilage are hindered by cryotherapy, which reduces blood flow thus prolonging the healing process in the acute stage. The RICE method wants to reduce swelling and decrease blood flow to the injured area. However, blood flow invites more oxygen and more nutrient- rich blood to the area which ultimately accelerates your recovery.
There is a substantial amount of evidence to support the new era of MEAT, and that gentle movement and exercise help expedite recovery, improve range of motion and blood flow, and prevent instability in the joint post injury. Movement should be started as quickly, and without exceeding pain tolerance, as possible. Gentle movements will allow for a small amount of load on the ligament, which could help the tissue grow back in a stronger way.
Rest is important when it comes to an acute injury, but in moderation. This is because collagen fibers (scar tissue) can quickly build up if a joint is left in the same position for extended periods, ultimately threatening long term stability. Evidence has shown that the more movement to the injury, the stronger and more flexible it will be in its healing process.
Analgesics are pain relieving medications that can be helpful to allow for movement and exercise before pain starts. Though these should not generally be anti-inflammatory for reasons listed above, as inflammation is important to the healing process. Over the counter medications that are good options include Advil, Ibuprofen or Tylenol, but always consult with your doctor first to decide which is safest for you!
The last two steps, Exercise and Treatment, go hand in hand, as a structured exercise determined by therapists in a treatment setting will show greater results than rest alone. A structured exercise routine will create functional stability and strength with a regimen and manual techniques provided by a certified therapist, and potentially prevent recurrent injuries. Therapeutic guided exercise is an excellent form of rehabilitation that minimizes the detrimental deconditioning effects of rest and immobility. These include muscle atrophy and weakening of connective tissue, such as tendons and ligaments.
While there is still not sufficient side-by-side evidence to prove that MEAT is in all cases superior than RICE, there is sufficient evidence that shows that movement, exercise, and treatment from a physical therapist leads to a faster, more complete healing than rest, elevation and compression.
