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July 21, 2010 Among the many specialties available to patients at Kennewick General Hospital is one not found at many healthcare organizations. Joe Goates, who recently joined the staff at the KGH physical therapy department, can treat not only conventional orthopedic cases, but also vestibular/inner ear disorders that usually include symptoms like vertigo, dizziness and loss of balance. These conditions can be caused by neurological disorders, such as stroke or may occur in an otherwise healthy individual. Many of these conditions were thought to be virtually untreatable in the past. “Up until recently, a primary care physician might not know what to do with a vestibular problem, except to prescribe medication,” Goates says. “Now we have the ability to provide therapy for equilibrium conditions that cause imbalance and falling. It’s really become a specialization within the general field of physical therapy.” Goates’ background includes undergraduate work in exercise and sports science at the University of Utah, where he also obtained his doctorate in physical therapy (DPT). It was there that he first became aware of balance disorders. “They have a hearing and balance center in Salt Lake City, and I worked with a clinically certified specialist there who piqued my interest in those conditions.” Through rotations and field work at various clinical sites, Goates also received some exposure to patients with balance problems in an outpatient setting, many of whom were told that they couldn’t be helped. “I ran into people who had bouts of vertigo that would occur every few weeks for years and were told they just had to live with it.” That’s no longer the case. What Goates, a member of the American Physical Therapy Association, brings to KGH and the surrounding area is an ability to work in multiple forms of therapy to correct vestibular conditions. “Sometimes the falling is due to lack of muscle strength,” he says. “Other times there may be a neurological problem that we need to work on. We’re in a position now at KGH to address both situations and correct those problems. It was something that brought me to the hospital here, as the hospital expressed a specific interest in dealing with these vestibular conditions.” Though physical therapy is not one of the newer professions in the medical field, the therapy itself was sometimes provided based on what was assumed to be best. “Now we have evidence-based therapies that have proven their effectiveness,” Goates says. “As the word gets out on possible treatments, we are starting to see more vestibular patients along with the traditional orthopedic cases here at KGH. We’re trying to let doctors and clinics know that there are solutions to these problems, where we can combine equilibrium therapy with improved muscle strength to put the patient back on a solid footing again.” To schedule a consultation, or for more information about physical therapy at KGH, call 586-5866. |
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| 900 S. Auburn Street, Kennewick, Washington 99336 (509) 586-6111 http://www.kennewickgeneral.com | |||||||||