It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Happy Holidays

At Rock Valley Physical Therapy, we feel the holiday season is a time to be thankful, and it also provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the past months. Since opening in April, it has been our privilege to assist many in their road to recovery. Would you believe that we have had the pleasure to get to know and help over one hundred individuals? While the number of patients that comes through our doors is important, the most exciting thing for us is the freedom we have to follow our patients individually from start to finish getting to know them personally along the way.

Rock Valley’s belief is that “good care is good business” and feels that the people we treat are our best marketing tool. We feel it is a great honor to have people refer us their family members, co-workers, or friends and would like to offer complimentary “Send a Friend” assessments to anyone you know who might be struggling with a musculoskeletal injury.
We would like to end by thanking all of those people who have made our first year a great success, and wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season. As always, if there is anything that we may help you with please call us at (309) 243-1989.

Check out our E-Christmas card!

http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/3YXQR8bgT9Ayl7uY

Season's Greetings from Rock Valley Physical Therapy

It's Official...Rock Valley has joined the STOP Sports Injury Campaign

Thanks to the effort of Luke and myself, Rock Valley Physical Therapy is now an official participating sports medicine practice in the STOP Sports Injuries Campaign. Although this campaign is targeted to the youth, we plan to continue to be advocates for sports safety across the lifespan from youth to seniors. With our outreach opportunities, we will continue to raise public awareness and educate individuals about sports safety. Please feel free to check out the injury prevention tip sheets available on the STOP Sports Injuries website for 12 different sports. Here is the link for the web site: http://www.stopsportsinjuries.org/

Youth Injury Statistics

The information outlined below was taken directly from the STOP Sports Injury website, and the sources for the statistics are referenced at the end of the post. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), participation in organized sports is on the rise. Nearly 30 million children and adolescents participate in youth sports in the United States. This increase in play has led to some other startling statistics about injuries among America's young athletes:

• High school athletes account for an estimated 2 million injuries and 500,000 doctor visits and 30,000 hospitalizations each year.1

• More than 3.5 million kids under age 14 receive medical treatment for sports injuries each year.1

• Children ages 5 to 14 account for nearly 40 percent of all sports-related injuries treated in hospitals. On average the rate and severity of injury increases with a child's age.4

• Overuse injuries are responsible for nearly half of all sports injuries to middle and high school students2

• Although 62 percent of organized sports-related injuries occur during practice, one-third of parents do not have their children take the same safety precautions at practice that they would during a game.2

• Twenty percent of children ages 8 to 12 and 45 percent of those ages 13 to 14 will have arm pain during a single youth baseball season.3

• Injuries associated with participation in sports and recreational activities account for 21 percent of all traumatic brain injuries among children in the United States.4

• According to the CDC, more than half of all sports injuries in children are preventable.

• By age 13, 70 percent of kids drop out of youth sports. The top three reasons: adults, coaches and parents.2

• Among athletes ages 5 to 14, 28 percent of percent of football players, 25 percent of baseball players, 22 percent of soccer players, 15 percent of basketball players, and 12 percent of softball players were injured while playing their respective sports4

• Since 2000 there has been a fivefold increase in the number of serious shoulder and elbow injuries among youth baseball and softball players.4

References:

1.JS Powell, KD Barber Foss, 1999. Injury patterns in selected high school sports: a review of the 1995-1997 seasons. J Athl Train. 34: 277-84.
2.Safe Kids USA Campaign Web site. 2009.
3.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. 2009.
4.Preserving the Future of Sport: From Prevention to Treatment of Youth Overuse Sports Injuries. AOSSM 2009 Annual Meeting Pre-Conference Program. Keystone, Colorado.

STOP Sports Injuries: A National Effort

Little did Luke and I know when we began to develop our injury screening and prevention program, that there was a current national campaign to help prevent athletic overuse and trauma injuries in kids. This campaign launched in April is the Sports Trauma and Overuse Prevention (STOP) campaign, also referred to as STOP Sports Injuries. This is a collaborative effort between multiple organizations, but the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) is the driving force behind the effort. All involved organizations are committed to changing the current culture of youth sports that has injury rates nearing epidemic proportions.

STOP stands for Sports, Trauma and Overuse Prevention. While everyone acknowledges that injuries are an expected, if not unfortunate, byproduct of sports participation, this movement targets those injuries that can be prevented. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS)reports that overuse injuries account for nearly half of all injuries sustained by middle school and high school athletes. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) estimates that half of such overuse injuries are preventable. With the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimating that high school athletes alone account for approximately 2 million injuries per year, this means that nearly 500,000 injuries could be prevented annually, just within the high school population.

The most common injuries affecting kids in sports are not unfamiliar. In the lower half of the body, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears in the knee are the primary culprit, particularly in running and cutting sports. The most common serious overuse injury in overhead athletes occurs in baseball: the tear of the ulnar collateral ligament, the ligament that reinforces the inner aspect of the elbow. Disruption of the ligament requires reconstruction, now commonly known as Tommy John surgery, so named for the first professional pitcher who underwent the procedure. While these two examples may represent more extreme injuries that require surgery, there are many other types of injuries, especially of the "itis" variety (such as tendinitis and bursitis), which can be equally disabling. Chronic pain over an extended period of time can lead to long-term consequences for youth athletes including eventual exclusion from sports altogether.

According to AOSSM, the key to combating this trend in increased sports injuries is education. Recognition of early injury-warning signs is the responsibility of coaches and parents. Encouraging open communication among all parties so that a child can speak comfortably about an injury without fear of retaliation, like being benched or removed from a team, is critical. But there are also training elements that factor into injury prevention. Pre-participation physicals along with proper nutrition and hydration are critical. Cross-training and rest are just as important as sport-specific training in an athlete's success. To that end, maintaining a diverse sports schedule is one of the many tools being recommended by those involved in this campaign.

The initiative not only raises awareness and provides education on injury reduction, but also highlights how playing safe and smart can enhance and extend a child's athletic career, improve teamwork, reduce obesity rates and create a lifelong love of exercise and healthy activity. The message underscores the problems of overuse and trauma and emphasizes the expertise of our coalition of experts.

The above information was taken directly from the STOP website. For more information about the STOP Sports Injuries Campaign, visit their website at:

http://www.stopsportsinjuries.org/

Keys to Prevention of Knee Injuries

As therapists, we know our role is to treat and return athletes as quickly as possible to their sport. With starting a new practice and doing some soul searching, we came to the conclusion that it is great to help athletes after they are injured, but what about helping prevent these injuries and their serious long-term implications altogether? This led us to doing research and developing an injury screening program to help identify those athletes at risk and train them in strategies for prevention. Below, I included exerts from one of many excellent research studies focusing on identification of athletes at risk for injury and training strategies for prevention. I feel this gives a great synopsis of the problem we are facing and where some of the research is taking us on prevention.

"Female athletes are currently reported to be 4 to 6 times more likely to sustain a sports related non-contact ACL injury than male athletes in comparable high-risk sports. The established links between lower limb mechanics and non-contact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury risk led to the development of neuromuscular training interventions designed to prevent ACL injury by targeting deficits identified in specific populations. Injury prevention protocols have resulted in positive
preventative and biomechanical changes in female athletic populations at high risk for knee injury. There is evidence that neuromuscular training not only reduces the levels of potential biomechanical risk factors for ACL injury, but also decreases knee and ACL injury incidence in female athletes."

Information taken from: Myer et al "Trunk and Hip Control Neuromuscular Training for the Prevention of Knee Joint Injury" Clin Sports Med. 2008. July

Factors that contribute to lower body injury:
• Center of mass away from the foot (decreased trunk control)
• Knee abduction (ligament dominance)
• Low hip and knee flexion (quadriceps dominance)
• Single leg weight bearing (leg dominance)

Jumping/landing cues:
• Land with feet hip width
• Land soft with quiet impact (hip/knee flexion)
• Land with both feet at the same time and even weight distribution
• Land with an erect trunk
• Land on toes and absorb through mid-foot
• Perform each exercise with partner feedback for perfect technique

Soccer ACL injury videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHgu5e9K3Ww&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_Mdm4v-ty8&feature=related

Basketball ACL injury videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1VLN2dlbV0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAzUp_YLVIM

National Physical Therapy Month

October is National Physical Therapy Month. This year's theme will focus on the importance of physical activity for people of all ages and abilities in preventing and combating obesity and its consequences. According to the most recent data, nearly 34% of adults and 17% of children and adolescents are obese. The incidence of type 2 diabetes, which accounts for about 90 - 95% of the 17.9 million diagnosed cases of diabetes, is also increasing as obesity rates climb. Literature increasingly indicates that inactivity and insufficient levels of physical activity are key indicators for health problems such as metabolic syndrome and pre-diabetes.

As health care providers, we play an important role in helping our patients and communities make the commitment to be physically active by providing them with the tools and strategies needed to make fitness fun and facilitate lifestyle changes.

As experts in restoring and improving motion in people's lives, we have the opportunity to educate the people who live and work in our communities about how we can help prevent or manage obesity and its effects by: designing physical activity programs for children and adults that can protect against obesity; devising exercise programs for children and adults with physical disabilities; developing safe and appropriate exercise programs and behavior modification plans for children and adults who are already overweight or obese; and providing a multi-dimensional approach to exercise for people with type 2 diabetes.

The above information was taken directly from the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) website. For more information about the APTA and National Physical Therapy Month, visit their website at:


http://www.apta.org/ or http://www.moveforwardpt.com/

Making Better Meals

For those of you that have not noticed, Rock Valley's slogan/ tag line is "Making Better Lives." So, it is only appropriate for a our company cookbook to be entitled "Making Better Meals." We received our first glimpse of the finished cookbook this week. This project was completed as a fundraiser for local food banks. Stop by our office and check it out. With so many Rock Valley employees, I am sure the cookbook is jammed pack with great tasting recipes. For those of you that are interested, the price of the cookbook is $10.00. (A)

Coffee On Us

As mentioned in earlier posts, there is definitely excitement concerning the fact that we opened our doors back in April with minimal to no patients and each month since April, we have been able to grow our practice. Most of the credit for this growth should be attributed to our patients. As a result, Luke and I were brainstorming a way to say "Thanks!". So this is what we came up with:

At Rock Valley, we feel it is the highest compliment for someone to refer a friend, family member, or co-worker to us for care. To show our appreciation, we would like to give anyone who refers a patient to us a gift card for "Coffee on Us". Please ask Luke or me for details. (A)

Active Warm Up #2

ACTIVE WARM-UP #2: 6-10 reps with relatively light weight.

• PRISONER SQUAT- blocking pattern with dumbbells, parallel squat
• UPRIGHT ROW, FLIP, AND PRESS
• PRESS INTO SQUAT
• PRESS INTO SQUAT AND PRESS
• GOOD MORNING AND PRESS
• DUMBBELL V-UPS- 20 reps
• CHEATING FRONT RAISE
• SPLIT JERK
• PRESSING JUMPING JACKS
• DUMBBELL V-UPS- 20 reps

Robber- 4 Positions

ROBBER: 4 POSITIONS- Reps will be outlined by therapist.

• ELBOWS AT SIDE
• 45 DEGREE POSITION
• 90 DEGREE POSITION
• 135 DEGREE POSITION

Dumbbell Warm Up- 10 Reps Each

DUMBBELL WARM-UPS: Use weight recommended by therapist; typically, weight will range anywhere from using 2# dumbbells up to 10#.

• VERTICAL CHOPS
• DIAGONAL CHOPS (10 reps each L and R)
• BIG CIRCLES (10 reps each CW and CCW)
• SPLIT JERKS (10 reps each L and R)
• PRESSING JUMPING JACKS

Posterior Capsule Stretch- 30 Second Hold, Complete 3 Reps

GENIE STRETCH

SIDELYING STRETCH ALSO KNOWN AS "THE SLEEPER STRETCH"

Meet Our Neighbors...

Our strip mall plaza is almost complete, so we thought it was about time that we introduced you to our next door neighbors. If you stand at our front door and look out into the parking lot, you will find Brasky's to our left and Lily's to our right. I will start with Brasky's. This is a little pub that opened about a month ago. Luke and I have already eaten over there a couple of times. I must say that I am a big fan of the Brasky Burger. According to the menu, it is one of kind. How could it not covered in bacon and your choice of three cheeses and then all deep fried? This is definitely not a burger for the health conscious! But, it sure is delicious!

If we head down the stereotypical path for a minute, you would probably assume that being female I would have tried the nail shop out before devouring a Brasky Burger. Well, you are wrong! These OSHA guidelines of having to wear a closed-toe shoe while at work has interfered with me enjoying a pedicure. Who wants smudgy toes? Not me. Now, Cheryl (our receptionist) has been over to Lily's a couple of times for a pedicure. Lily and her husband are just plain fun! In fact, they are the snoops of the plaza. If you want to know what is happening in our little strip, they are the ones to ask.

I am looking forward to what businesses might be part of the second phase of the "strip." There is a rumor that a Chicago style pizzeria might be moving in. I will definitely keep my fingers crossed.

It just dawned on me looking at past posts that I might not have the healthiest eating habits...cupcake balls,iced cookies, deep-fried burgers, and pizza. I think I am off to have my cholesterol checked. (A)

A New Program...Send a Friend

For those of you that can not read the fine print on the picture:

Do you know others dealing with pain every day? Do you know others who find it difficult to work or struggle to recover from an injury? Here's something you can do to help. Tell friends about Rock Valley Physical Therapy. Our Send-a-Friend program offers them a 15-minute assessment of their condition. Those valuable minutes will provide the information that makes a difference.


With an effective one-on-one treatment schedule, their pain can become a thing of the past. Rock Valley is the number one choice of medical professionals. So, when you send a friend to us for their assessment, they're in good company. Help those you care about get better. Tell them about Rock Valley Physical Therapy's 15-minute assessment.


That's the kind of thing good friends do. (A)

Leg Series: L-1 and L-2

L-1:

• 10 squats


• 10 alternating lunges (5 on each leg)


• 10 side lunges (5 on each leg)


• 5 squat jumps


• 10 box jumps

L-2:

• 20 squats


• 20 alternating lunges (10 on each leg)


• 20 side lunges (10 on each leg alternating)


• 10 squat jumps
• 20 box jumps

Push Up Series- Completing 1-3 Circuits

• Regular
• Cross right foot over left
• Cross left foot over right
• Pike up
• Open up onto right hand
• Open up onto left hand
• Stagger right hand down
• Oblique right (feet behind right hand, toes pointing to the right)
• Stagger left hand down
• Oblique left (feet behind left hand, toes pointing to the left)

What...a Student Already!

The plan when Luke and I started this clinic from scratch was to hold off on working with physical therapy students as part of their "clinical experience" until at least January 2011. We thought by this time we would have been able to grow our practice enough to have a steady stream of patients. Well, that was our plan until... we received a last minute phone call from a professor at Bradley University that coordinates their clinical education. One of their placements had fallen through at the eleventh hour and they knew Luke and I would be able to offer a great learning opportunity. I must say I was skeptical to accept knowing that our caseload was not full, but Luke talked me into in stating he would do most of the work.

So, it my pleasure to introduce the Rock Valley following to Danny Schroeder. He started with us last week and will be with us until September 3rd. He is currently in his second year of the Doctorate of Physical Therapy program at Bradley University. He did his undergraduate work at the University of Illinois where he also was a member of the baseball team. I am feeling a little sorry for him over the next several weeks because I am sure he will get roped into several department activities (like the picture I have included.) Danny was a willing model to update a couple of our common exercise handouts. Stay tune for what we will be having Danny do next.... (A)

Dynamic Flexibility- 20 Yards

• Spiderman Crawls
• Walking Knee Up & Pull to Side
• Walking Knee Up & Pull Heel Behind Ear
• Over-Over Under
• Side Lunge with Pivot
• Lunge & Rotate & Touch
• Walking & Touch Ground
• Inch Worm
• Squat Shuffle

SPIDERMAN CRAWL

WALKING KNEE UP & PULL TO SIDE

WALKING KNEE UP & PULL HEEL BEHIND EAR

OVER-OVER UNDER

SIDE LUNGE WITH PIVOT

LUNGE & ROTATE & TOUCH

WALKING & TOUCH GROUND

INCH WORM

SQUAT SHUFFLE

Trying Something New

In joining the blog era, Luke and I had two purposes. We wanted a method to share a quick story/ clinic event with our Rock Valley "following." We were also looking for a way to demonstrate commonly used exercise progressions that we might incorporate to a patient's home exercise program that might be challenging if accompanied by only a handout. Bare with us, this is our first attempt, and I am sure there is a learning process involved. We took the first steps by purchasing a HD flip video and creating a blogger account. Now let the fun begin... (A)

Open House Wrap-up

I am here to tell you that the sugar cookies were delicious from last night (I thought I would include a picture so you could see for yourself), and I am looking forward to eating the left overs today. Speaking about left overs (the picture doesn't even begin to paint the picture of the amount, you should see the fridge)...we had a lot of individuals attend the Open House, but no one was really in the eating and drinking mood, just the standing and talking mood. That left us with a surplus of meat and cheese trays, fruit trays, vegetable trays, cookies and cake balls. Luke and I decided to send a majority of the food back up to the Quad Cities for other staff members to enjoy. Being the "newbies" to the Rock Valley family, you have got to score points when you can. However, Luke and I did not share the cookies. Instead, we decided to share these with area physicians and their office staff. I bet you thought that we were going to keep them all to ourselves. I am not going to lie...we did eat our fair share! (A)

Open House Time

I think Luke and I sent out over 400 invites for our Open House this evening. Most of the invites were sent to area physicians, past/ current patients, and friends/ family members. Some people (especially Lily from the nail shop next door) have found it odd that the clinic has been open for almost three months and that we are just getting around to hosting an Open House. Well, the first month doesn't count because I had not joined the Rock Valley staff. I have no excuse for the next two months, but to state that there are a lot of little start-up tasks that take time. Anyway...having said that, we are hoping to have a crowd of 100 tonight. It should be a good time! There will be refreshments and prize drawings. Rumor has it that there is this bakery (Old Towne Bakery) located up in the Quad Cities that makes a delicious sugar cookie and somehow finds a way to place a Rock Valley Logo in the icing of the cookie. I am looking forward to sampling these! (A)

Houston! We have a problem!

I just got back from the Sports Medicine Symposium of the Americas in Houston, Texas. This was a great opportunity to hear some of the top therapists and orthopedic surgeons in the country present together on current advances in treatment of the shoulder, knee, hip, and ankle. Represented were team surgeons and therapists from multiple professional and college level programs including, of course, the Houston Astros/Texans/and Rockets to name a few. Of particular interest for me was hearing the latest in ACL prevention, hip/labral problems, PRP, and scapular evaluation and treatment. It is always refreshing to get to a great learning opportunity like this to motivate continual progress in your own practice. Even though I left my ten gallon hat in Texas, I look forward to applying what I've learned to assist my patients here in central Illinois. Oh, by the way, if you plan on travelling to Houston watch the movie Tin Cup, as the landscape in the movie pretty much sums up what it is like down there. (L)

What is Speed Networking?

I was asking myself that question until this morning. Here's the answer...speed networking is a program that the Peoria Chamber of Commerce offers. It is intended for those businesses whose success depends on word-of-mouth referrals and marketing. The Chamber limits the participation to one company from each business sector (example: health care, insurance, advertising, engineering, etc.) and basically you have 90 seconds to present your "company basics" and then it is another person's turn. You then move down the table and repeat the process all over. This continues for the next hour to hour and a half.

It was fun to see how much information you could present in 90 seconds and how much you could learn in 90 seconds about another company. I met a lady whose company is responsible for creating all of the decals for he Caterpillar skid steer line. I will tell you one thing though...I was definitely tired of talking after the event! (A)

I Didn't Want to Keep You in Suspense...

If you had trouble sleeping last night wondering if the "big"scissors actually cut the ribbon from our ribbon cutting, I thought I would be put you out of your misery. They worked! After the ribbon cutting, Luke and I gave a quick tour of the facility and discussed the services we provide. Then the crowd feasted on Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory apples. Those apples are so delicious and addictive! I think we feel a namesake bound with the folks over there at the Chocolate Factory...Rocky Mountain, Rock Valley...they are pretty close. (A)

It's Official...The Ribbon Has Been Cut

Luke and I were looking for a cost efficient way to become more visible to the business community and that led us to become a Peoria Chamber of Commerce member. As part of the benefits, we were able to host an "official ribbon cutting" ceremony. Well, that day is today! I only hope that the giant pair of scissors that I am holding actually cut the ribbon. It would be embarrassing if they don't. I guess I would compare it to trying to blow out the candles on a birthday cake with everyone watching and nothing happens. I will keep you posted... (A)

Getting the Message Out

It's too bad that your previously employer won't let you just post a sign stating that Luke and Amy are now providing therapy services for Rock Valley. That would be a lot easier! But since that is not a reality, we have been busy spending the last several weeks meeting with area physicians to introduce ourselves and meeting with different marketing media to consider the best method to deliver the Rock Valley message. At the end of the day, these tasks are important, but our biggest success has come from our previous patients. By providing quality therapy service over the years, our past patients have remembered us. That has been great! (A)

Finally, My First Day is Here..

I thought this day would never come. It seems unreal that you can work at a place for 13 years, and then one day just close the chapter on that phase of your life and start something new. It is a lot to wrap your mind around. That's why I had to squeeze a little vacation in before starting at Rock Valley. I just spent the last several days standing in long lines and fending off feisty women attempting to talk me out of my fabulous Super Tote I grabbed at the Vera Bradley Outlet Sale in Fort Wayne, IN.

With my "Vera" experience behind me, I am ready to become a Rock Valley employee. I am most excited to be part of such a talented staff of professionals and am looking forward to being mentored by individuals that have more experience in the field than me!

Luke and I understand that you have a choice as to your Physical Therapy provider and we invite you to visit our office, and should you need PT services, please consider using us. I think the fact that patients will be seen by one therapist from start to finish will help us to provide optimal clinical care and will separate us from other clinics in the area. I know our current patients already appreciate this from the standpoint they do not have to tell and retell how their injury/ symptoms began. (A)

What is OCS?

Many patients ask me what does the "OCS" behind your name stand for, so I thought I would take this opportunity to explain. The short answer is that it stands for "Orthopedic Certified Specialist." But who is ever satisfied with the short answer, so let me explain further... This information was taken from the web site of the APTA (American Physical Therapy Association.)

Clinical specialization in physical therapy responds to a specific area of patient need and requires knowledge, skill, and experience exceeding that of the physical therapist at entry to the profession and unique to the specialized area of practice. The specialist certification program was established to provide formal recognition for physical therapists with advanced clinical knowledge, experience, and skills in a special area of practice and to assist consumers and the health care community in identifying these physical therapists.

Purposes of the Clinical Specialization Program:

• Promote the highest possible level of care for individuals seeking physical therapy services in each speciality area.


• Promote development of the science and the art underlying each speciality area of practice.


• Provide a reliable and valid method for certification and recertification of individuals who have attained an advanced level of knowledge and skill in each speciality area.


• Assist consumers, the health care community, and others in identifying certified clinical specialists in each speciality area.


• Serve as a resource in speciality practice for the APTA, the physical therapy profession, and the health care community.

As of 2009, there are 204 individuals who have been certified in Illinois as clinical specialists in Orthopedics. And to think...we have two of them at our clinic. (L)

Every Clinic Needs a Sydney

With starting any new business there are always projects and things that need to get done, but sometimes not enough time in the day to complete everything. Enter Sydney! Sydney grew up in the Des Moines area, and will be a senior at Bradley University in the fall. She was referred to us to get some exposure to the field and observation hours, and has done that and so much more. She is great with technology and makes us "old" people shake our heads with the things she can get done on the computer. We are so lucky to have such a great person help us out, and can only hope that we can return the favor as she proceeds forward with applying into PT school. Oh yeah, by the way Sydney's parents are both potters....no, not Morton potters, but real potters and check out the picture of the Rock Valley mugs they made for us. (L)

Introducing the Rock Valley Staff...

It dawned on me the other day that people that I do not even know might be reading this blog and not have a clue who in the world I am. For those who already know me, I apologize for the repeat, but I think it is rude if I do not introduce myself to the entire world wide web.


The first thing you should know about me before you read on my specialist certification hanging on the wall of the waiting room is that my first name is Jonathan,but I go by Luke. I am originally from Kahoka, MO and now resides in Dunlap, IL. I am an avid sports fan and enjoy spending time with family, fishing and traveling to Walt Disney World. I graduated from Bradley University in 1999 with a Bachelor's degree in physical therapy (BSPT). I am a certified strength and conditioning specialist and received my speciality board certification in 2006. I am an active member of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and the Illinois Physical Therapy Association (IPTA).


I thought I would go ahead and take the opportunity to introduce Amy since she is joining the staff next week. Amy also graduated from Bradley University with a BSPT, but was two years ahead of me in school (1997.) She received her orthopedic board certification in 2006 and is an active member of the APTA, IPTA, and the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF.) Amy grew up in Pekin, IL and currently resides in Washington, IL. She enjoys traveling, photography, tailgating at University of Illinois football games, and spending time with her family.


At our front desk, you will also see a couple of familiar faces from our old Great Plains days. Cheryl Botkin is our receptionist on Monday thru Thursday, and Kristi Hoover is our receptionist on Friday. (L)

The Creation of the "Top Ten" List

Although I was fortunate that several of my past patients chose to follow me over to Rock Valley to continue their therapy, it is both exciting and scary to start a clinic from scratch. With every new beginning comes the unique opportunity to shape the foundation of our clinic. I have had a little time on my hands to ponder the question, "Why choose Rock Valley for your therapy?" or "What will make this clinic different than any other therapy clinic in town?" So, I decided to take a week to answer this question and create a "Top Ten" list (Reasons to Choose Rock Valley as Your Physical Therapy Provider.) This is what I have come up with so far:

1. Patients are evaluated and treated by the same Physical Therapist every visit. (No Physical Therapist Assistants and No Physical Therapy Aides)
2. Rock Valley therapists are board certified in Orthopedic Physical Therapy.
3. Convenient location in north Peoria at the intersection of Knoxville Ave. and Route 6.
4. Patients will be seen timely for optimal outcomes.
5. Prompt and consistent communication with referral sources.
6. Patients will receive thorough education on their impairments and the role of physical therapy in making their lives better.
7. Evidence supporting current best care is utilized.
8. The "Send a Friend" program which entitles individuals to a free 15-minute assessment to determine if therapy services are indicated.
9. Functional outcome measures are used for all patients to ensure the best, most efficient care for your patients.
10. In addition to standard therapy services, specialized programming is available: ASTYM, osteoporosis, and golf specific rehabilitation.

I think I will share the list with Amy to see what she thinks. She will probably be relieved when my patient caseload grows. Then, I won't have time to sit and ponder these questions. (L)

A New Beginning

As of April 12, 2010, I am pleased to announce that I will be providing physical therapy services for Rock Valley Physical Therapy. As you know, I was previously with Great Plains Orthopaedics and have joined the Rock Valley Staff along with Amy Johnson, PT, OCS to expand my professional career and continue to provide the highest level of care to you and your family. Amy will not be joining the staff until the beginning of May. She thought it would be in Great Plains's interest for her to stay on a little longer to assist with their staff transition.

Rock Valley is a new name to the Peoria area, but Rock Valley has served the Quad Cities as leading experts in orthopedic, sport, and hand therapy for 25 years. Rock Valley is committed to making better lives for their patients. This is evident in their approach to patient care in promoting the highest level of care for individuals seeking physical therapy services. (L)