2. Introduction
This summer I spent 180 hours shadowing a
physical therapist at Atlanta Falcons Physical
Therapy clinic in Woodstock, Georgia as a part
of my Health Science internship
Throughout my internship I got to learn more
about the field of physical therapy and interact
with numerous patients hands on
This Powerpoint will give a small glimpse into
my overall experience
3. Atlanta Falcons Physical
Therapy
The Atlanta Falcons Physical Therapy
Centers, Located throughout Atlanta, GA
provide professional quality physical therapy
and sports rehabilitation to athletes and non-
athletes, from youth to seniors. The licensed
physical therapists are committed to overall
well-being and recovery, they invest in the
best people, equipment, and facilities in
Atlanta to provide excellence at every level.
4. The Atlanta Falcons
Physical Therapy Center
in Woodstock, Georgia is
one of the 11 clinics
located in the Atlanta
area. This particular
clinic is where I spent
my internship. It
provides physical
therapy, occupational
therapy, and hand
therapy services.
Atlanta Falcons Physical Therapy
Woodstock, Georgia
5. The Mission of Atlanta Falcon’s
Physical Therapy
“Taking you beyond recovery”
The heart and sole of Atlanta Falcons Physical Therapy is its
people. Each of the team members receive on going training from
leading medical professionals and research institutions in order
to ensure the best care for their patients. The highly trained staff
combine personal, attentive care with technical excellence to
deliver a customized plan to support recovery and help patients
reach their goals.
6. The Physical Therapy Clinic
Located on the 3rd floor the physical therapy clinic contains some of the
latest training and rehabilitation equipment. Working closely with the Atlanta
Falcons keeps the clinic on the leading edge in delivering the best available
technology and evidence based techniques.
7. My Preceptor
As a summer intern at the Atlanta Falcon’s Physical Therapy center, I had
the opportunity to shadow the clinic’s head physical therapist. Jennifer
Hughes graduated from Texas Tech University with a Master’s of Physical
Therapy. She has been the Director of Physical Therapy at the Woodstock
location since August 2014.
Jennifer Hughes and I inside
the main patient room
8. My Role
At the beginning of my internship I was given the responsibility of being
a physical therapist tech. As a Physical therapist tech my job was to
assist the physical therapist, and to make sure everything in the clinic
was running smoothly. My everyday tasks included:
Taking/ recording the temperatures of the Hydrocollator and cold pack
freezer
Running loads of laundry and folding pillowcases and towels
Wiping down tables or equipment after each patient
Leading patients through their individualized warm up routines
Keeping track of the timer during exercises
9. Daily Tasks/ Roles
Each morning when I would arrive at the clinic, the first thing I would do
was take the take and record the temperatures of the Hydrocollator and cold
pack freezer. The Hydrocollator contains heat packs and has a temperature
range of 160-165 degrees Farenheit. After taking the temperatures I would
record them on the chart shown above.
10. Daily Tasks/ Roles
Maintaining cleanliness and sanitation is a huge priority for the Atlanta
Falcons Physical Therapy clinic. A clean table and fresh pillowcases and
towels are mandatory for each and every patient. Every time a patient comes
into contact with linens, equipment, etc. it needs to be cleaned with Pine-Sol
after. On an average day in the Clinic, I ran 2 to 3 loads of laundry.
11. My Goals
After my first full day at the Atlanta Falcons Physical Therapy Clinic, I
came up with a comprehensive list of goals and objectives for the
remainder of my internship. My list included:
To be able to confidently and accurately place stim electrodes on a
patient after assessing which muscle I am trying to target
The ability to assess a new patient and create a plan of care
Understand how the Atlanta Falcons Physical Therapy Clinic evaluates
patients and successfully treats their injuries
Express my feelings on pursuing a career in physical therapy and
understand how to further my studies into a graduate program
12. Muscle Stimulator Units
One of the most commonly used treatments in the Atlanta Falcon’s Physical
Therapy Center is the E-Stim or Muscle Stim. The Muscle Stim targets a specific
muscle and helps to prevent muscle disuse atrophy and spasms. It also increases
range of motion and local blood circulation. A Muscle Stim treatment cycle ranges
anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes and is used on a variety of patients.
The Muscle Stimulator works
through electrodes (pictured left)
that are placed specifically on the
muscle that is being targeted.
One of my daily roles included
placing electrodes on patients
and then taking them off after
treatment. Before I could begin
any actual treatment, my
preceptor always had to double
check and make sure the
electrodes were placed in the
proper location.
13. New Patient Evaluations
For the duration of my internship, I saw close to fifteen new patient evaluations.
Before new patients come in they are required to fill out new patient paperwork in
order for the physical therapist to get a better idea of their medical history. After
completing paperwork they undergo a thorough interactive evaluation in order for
the physical therapist to establish a customized treatment plan. Several things
take place during this initial evaluation
In depth discussion of current condition
Goal setting for therapy
Gait analysis: physical therapist watches patient walk (if their injury permits)
in order to gain a better understanding of their gait and see if there is a
potential relationship between their injury and their gait
General strength analysis: physical therapist takes patient through a series of
general strength exercises in order to establish a starting point for their plan
of care
At home exercises: at the end of the first treatment, the patient will receive a
copy of at home exercises that are to be completed on their own for however
long the therapist diagnosis
14. Warming Up
As soon as patients arrive for their appointment they begin their warm up. A
typical warm up lasts anywhere from seven to fifteen minutes. The goal of each
warm up is to promote blood circulation and loosen up tendons and ligaments. An
effective warm up will prepare the cardiovascular system and muscular system for
the more vigorous exercise to come.
A typical warm-up for a post op Knee replacement:
Five to seven minutes on the on stationary bike
Two minutes of side to side shuffle
2 X 10 repetitions of squats holding on to bar
Three minutes on the Shuttle Recovery
2 X 15 repetitions of hamstring curls
15. Warming Up
Patients with lower extremity injuries typically warm up on the stationary
bicycle (pictured left). The cycling motion increases blood flow to the legs
and allows the muscles to contract and relax. Upper extremity patients begin
their warm up with pulley movements (pictured right). The pulleys allow the
muscles of the shoulders and the arms to stretch and they also work on
increasing range of motion.
16. Interacting With Patients
Because physical therapists spend
most of their time working on patients,
communication skills are vital.
Throughout my internship I got to
practice interacting with patients and
instructing them on proper exercise
form. I made sure to catch up with
patients on how their day was going
or how they were feeling during their
warm up. The more I engaged with
them, the more comfortable they felt.
Engaging with a patient while they were receiving an icepack helped make the
time pass quicker and take their mind off the intense coldness
17. Patient Breakdown
Youngest Patient: 18 years old
Oldest Patient: 92 years old
Knee: 10 patients
Hip : 4 patients
Lower Back: 6 patients
Ankle: 2 patients
Shoulder: 9 patients
Spinal: 1
Male: 18
Female: 14
A breakdown of the patients I either
observed or help treat throughout my
time at Atlanta Falcons Physical
Therapy. One of the best parts about
my internship was getting to meet a
wide variety of patients with different
backgrounds.
18. My Projects
Project #1
For my first project I got to create a therapy session for a patient
post op hip replacement. After assisting several patients with hip
replacements and observing several hip evaluations I felt
confident in my ability to create my own therapy session. After
creating it, I presented it to my preceptor and she gave me
feedback.
Project #2
I saw two patients who had undergone microfracture knee
surgeries. I had never heard of a microfracture surgery and
instantly wanted to know more about the surgery. My preceptor
asked me to do some research on microfractures and create a
presentation. I put together a brief Powerpoint on my findings.
19. Case Study
As part of our internship requirements we
were instructed to complete a
comprehensive case study. I chose to do my
case study on a patient with an incomplete
spinal cord injury. I really enjoyed following
the patient’s progress and being a part of his
rehabilitation program. I learned a lot about
physical therapy just from his case alone.
20. Conclusion
My experience as an intern at Atlanta Falcons Physical
Therapy was rewarding and truly a blessing. I left the
clinic with a new found knowledge on the world of
physical therapy and everything that goes into
becoming a successful health care provider. I’m
thankful that I made the most out of my opportunity to
connect with patients and learn valuable information
from my preceptor. This experience has definitely
inspired me even more to pursue my dreams of
completing a Master’s program to become a therapist.
