The Mirror Newspapers Reflecting Life Along The Maumee River
BY KRISTI FISH | MIRROR REPORTER — A saltwater aquatic therapy pool, dry needling, cupping, blood-flow restriction and hands-on therapy are all options at PT Link Physical Therapy.
After reaching capacity at its previous 1,500-square-foot Maumee location, PT Link Physical Therapy moved to a 5,000-square-foot facility at 1675 Lance Pointe Rd.
“We have more privacy in this facility. It’s an overall better flow,” said Sam Rakyta, physical therapist and part-owner of PT Link Physical Therapy. “We have more equipment now because it’s a bigger space, so we’re just able to offer a lot more to the patient.”
What PT Link Physical Therapy can offer includes several different treatments for the patients. The saltwater aquatic therapy pool is a unique offering that has increased the number of patients PT’s therapists see.
“The pool has opened us up to a new realm of patients,” Rakyta said. “The pool allows someone that maybe has poor balance or they’re not able to walk – with the lift chair, we’re able to work with them in the pool.”
The pool, which is kept at 93 degrees, has two different depths, allowing patients to stand in water that is typically chest deep or in the 8-foot section, which can help alleviate lower back pain when hanging with the pool float.
Dry needling is another commonly requested treatment, which the office regularly receives phone calls about, Rakyta said.
“Dry needling has been very popular over the years,” Rakyta said. “They are very, very thin needles, and usually we can get these into the tissue with very minimal pain.”
Blood-flow restriction is a newer course of treatment offered at PT Link Physical Therapy. By using a cuff and restricting the flow of blood to a certain area, it allows the patient to exercise with a lower weight, but see the same results physiologically that they would with a heavier weight.
The restriction of blood flow is controlled by the physical therapist and this method can help improve strength in an injured or weak area.
Different courses of treatment are used for varying issues. Each patient receives an evaluation and a customized care plan when they come to PT Link Physical Therapy.
The business accepts most insurance, Rakyta said, and can often accept many patients without a referral from a physician.
“We get both referrals and direct access,” Rakyta said. “We will also always contact the physician and let them know what’s going on.”
While the cost of treatment can vary based on insurance, many patients can expect approximately three visits a week over the course of their therapy.
“Length of time that you’re in therapy depends on what the injury is. A typical bout of therapy is anywhere between four to six weeks on average, some longer if it’s post-operative care,” Rakyta said. “Usually, we’re seeing patients three times a week. We want to get them in as consistently as possible.”
The staff at PT Link Physical Therapy serves patients of all ages, including those requiring therapy for injuries or post-operative care.
Though PT Link Physical Therapy has been at the new location for about a year, the staff was finally able to hold an official ribbon-cutting with the Maumee Chamber of Commerce on June 3. PT Link Physical Therapy’s business marketing manager Joe Szafarowicz said the chamber has helped the company to grow immensely and is part of the reason the business needed to expand.
Chamber executive director Kristin Meyer thanked PT Link Physical Therapy for taking over the Lance Pointe Road location, a building that had previously sat empty for two years, and improving the city of Maumee.
“We want to thank PT Link for everything that they do for our community,” Meyer said. “They help patients become pain-free. They give them opportunities to get back to their normal lives.”
PT Link Physical Therapy’s Maumee location is located at 1675 Lance Pointe Rd. and can be reached at (419) 559-5591. The business can also be found online at ptlinktherapy.com.
