A Q&A with Kevin Barclay Co-Owner and CEO of Orthopaedic Rehab Specialists

What made you go into the field of physical therapy?

It was suggested to me by people who had seen me work with special-needs adults and knew that athletics and sports were important to me. I then discovered that on an aptitude test I had recently taken in my junior year in high school, physical therapy was a top 10 career choice for me. Eventually observing the profession in action during my senior year convinced me that this is what I was meant to do.

What are some of the reasons people need physical therapy?

When there is any limitation in strength or range of motion that limits someone’s ability to move normally and/or limits their normal activity. When balance or strength deficits limit someone’s ability to walk safely or independently. When pain limits the ability of someone to live their normal life. When work and daily activities cause pain to postural changes and progressive changes in the body due to aging.

Why do you think it’s important for people to follow up on physical therapy?

Follow up once prescribed: Some patients are referred for therapy but decide to try things on their own. There are techniques we can perform those patients cannot do on their own as well as education on their condition to keep them from developing chronic issues.

Follow up once discharged from therapy: Patients need to take the improvements, the understanding of their condition and their home exercises they gain in PT and develop new habits so that the benefits of the care received are not lost so the patient does not return to the same routines that led them to have trouble in the first place.

What are wellness webinars and how do they affect your clients?

ORS wellness seminars are designed to help patients to learn more about how other factors — nutrition, stress, sleep, activity — can affect their overall health and provide information that can help have a quicker recovery or be able to avoid seeing us in the first place.

Is there anything else you’d like to say?

The approach at ORS is not the normal physical therapy approach. We take mind and spirit into consideration along with the obvious needs of the body. We share/teach our core values to every new employee, celebrate birthdays and service anniversaries, enjoy out-of-work activities together, and recognize employees regularly.

We have patients of the month in each clinic, offer “spirit weeks” and maintain a fun environment to help the healing process.