Aquatic Therapy gets young athletes back in the game sooner

Watching from the stands at the Class A Girls Basketball Tournament, a knee brace to prevent reinjury was the only clue fans had that Ada-Borup senior Kelsey Baker had suffered not one, but two potentially debilitating knee injuries during her high school sports career. As a freshman, Kelsey tore her right ACL. With hard work and therapy she returned to basketball only to have luck turn against her again two years later when she tore the other ACL.

Another Cougar athlete, freshman Sarah Blasey had a similar fate when she tore her left ACL twice in the last two years.  She is still recovering from her most recent injury but she expects to return to a variety of sports and dance with the help of Bridges Rehab Department. Both Kelsy and Sarah attribute their recovery, at least in part, to Aquatic Therapy.

Bridges Medical Center is home to a SwimEx in-floor aquatic therapy pool which, unlike therapy pools in many other facilities, has the added benefit of being able to generate a current against which patients can walk, run, or swim. “Dr. (Phil) Johnson (a independent orthopedic specialist treating patients at Bridges)

“Therapy sessions sometimes only last a half hour,” added Sarah’s mother, Terri Blasey.  “I can’t imagine all of the wasted time and expense if we had to drive to Fargo.  We’re lucky to have this close to home.”

“As a working mom, I’m really glad it’s here,” Char nodded in agreement.

Water simultaneously provides support and resistance offering patients a safe environment for rehabilitation.  Because of this, therapy may begin sooner, enhancing the healing process and reducing recovery time.told us that between the facilities here and at the Dekko Center (also in Ada) we can get as much done here as we could going anywhere else,” said Kelsey’s mother, Char Baker.