Physical therapy: here to stretch you up Published March 13, 2013 By Staff Sgt. Jason McCasland 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- An often overlooked section of the 2nd Medical Group helps patients get back on their feet by teaching them how to ease their pain and recover from injuries or surgeries through rehabilitation. The physical therapy clinic is an exercise clinic that provides services to those who were injured on the job, physical training, surgeries and playing sports. "Most of the patients we see are here because they push themselves too hard too fast before a PT test, which causes them to hurt themselves rather than help," said Tech. Sgt. Aaron McGee physical therapy technician. The technicians at the physical therapy clinic teach patients several types of stretching exercises to help with pain management, range of motion and rebuilding strength in injured areas. "We teach our patients how to ease or relieve the pain they are having," said McGee. "Because every patient is different we tailor each person's recovery to suit their needs. No two injuries are the same because we have to factor in age, athleticism and previous injuries or surgeries." With physical therapy located on the second floor of the medical clinic, patients have close-to-home care that provides them with a knowledge base that benefits their recovery after an injury. "Since we are in the clinic we can closely work with the primary care manager of our patients to fast-track the road to recovery," said Capt. Rita Sircar physical therapy clinic element chief. "An added convenience of our location, our service members don't need to go off base for care. Sometimes that can be a hassle, especially for those on the personal reliability program. We save them the commute to and from their appointments which helps them to get back to the mission faster." Being located in the clinic also allows physical therapy technicians to work with other offices on base or inside the clinic as well offering a whole body-care package. "We work with the Health and Wellness Center to give an injury prevention brief at the beginning of their running improvement program, this can help give RIP participants a better idea on how to prevent injuries from running," said McGee. "Starting next month our office is going to host an educational knee and back class at our clinic. This way we can help people with chronic pain learn how to take care of their bodies by working out without injuring themselves." Physical therapists work to get each patient back to the military standards that are required of all Airmen. "Being service members, we know the standards for the PT test and help to push and encourage our patients to reach those standards so that they can continue the mission," said Sircar. For more information about physical therapy can help them, service members should seek their PCM for a consultation.