US News & World Report yesterday issued its list of "best jobs"—ranking physical therapist as the fourth best job in health care and the eighth best overall job in 2012. The annual list includes jobs that are "hiring in droves, paying well, and providing room to grow." APTA Deputy Executive Director Janet Bezner, PT, PhD, is quoted in the article about how students can use internship opportunities to "to pay attention to what they like or don't like" and determine the type of patients and the size and style of practice that will best suit them. >>

Everybody takes a nasty spill once in a while.  But when you start spending more time on the ground then you used to it may be more serious then you think.

A new solution at Ozarks Community Hospital will get you stable just in time for the next slick ice storm.  >>

The most common reason older individuals fall -- at least among those living in long-term care facilities -- is the incorrect shifting of body weight, researchers found.

Of 227 falls captured on video, 41% were related to incorrect transfer or body weight shifting, Stephen Robinovitch, PhD, Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, and colleagues reported online in The Lancet.

Other common causes included trips or stumbles (21%), hits or bumps (11%), loss of support with an external object (11%), and collapse or loss of consciousness (11%). The least common cause was slipping (3%).

"By providing insight into the sequences of events that most commonly lead to falls, our results should lead to more valid and effective approaches for balance assessment and fall prevention in long-term care," the authors wrote. >>

Linwood physical therapy center helps maturing bodies gain and maintain strength

LINWOOD – Eleanor Hagan spent 26 years in the Atlantic City casino industry. Starting as a bartender at Bally’s Park Place, Hagan moved on to become a floor person and then a dealer at the blackjack, roulette, poker and craps tables.

All the while, she had a second career in mind – one markedly different from the first. Studying nights, weekends, during her work breaks, and in countless stolen moments in between, Hagan worked toward her goal. In 2000, she earned her master’s degree in physical therapy at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. She was 50.

“People always said, ‘By the time you graduate, you’re going to be too old; who’s going to want to hire you?’” said Hagan. But her age worked in her favor, she said, giving her the single-mindedness to push past obstacles and the patience to deal effectively with challenged clients. >>

Body in Balance combines physical therapy and fitness to maximize functional independence and maintain a high quality of life well beyond the therapy period.

I’m a board-certified geriatric specialist. My focus is on balance and making sure clients can stay in their homes and remain independent in the community. >>