𝐒𝐏𝐂-𝐏𝐓 𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐠𝐝𝐚𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦, 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐧 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐏𝐓 𝐃𝐚𝐲

Ranging from free physical therapy (PT) services at the San Pedro College (SPC) Agdao Health Center to a stroke seminar on campus, the SPC-PT department moved World PT Day, Sept. 8, forward through local and school initiatives.

𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬

For the first time in years, the SPC Association of Physical Therapy Students (APTS) organized a World PT Day outreach program involving a presentation followed by free doctor consultations, PT assessments, and PT treatments.

The educational segment, delivered by the Agdao health center interns in Sept., anchored on the role of PT in the prevention, management, and rehabilitation of cardiovascular diseases, which are among the leading causes of stroke.

In particular, hypertension or high blood pressure was identified as a silent killer that may evolve into a heart attack or stroke when not properly managed.

Heart attack is characterized by pain that may radiate from the left shoulder to the jaw, with dizziness or difficulty breathing, while stroke presents as BE FAST: balance problems, eyesight changes, facial drooping (especially on the jaw), arm weakness, and speech difficulty.

Both are emergencies in which time is of the essence, so medical assistance should be sought immediately.

Simultaneously, both conditions can be prevented through healthy lifestyle choices, including exercising regularly, maintaining a balanced diet, managing existing comorbidities, and quitting smoking.

SPC-PT faculty, interns, and students then assisted the participants through their individualized consultation and subsequent PT session, also prescribing them a personal home exercise program to ensure that improvements will continue outside the rehab clinic.

𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞-𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞

Luigi Libarios, licensed doctor and physical therapist, engaged SPC-PT students in the medical technicalities and latest developments related to cardiovascular disease and stroke.

“The proper data gathering will help you analyze not just the disease process, but the patient [themself],” he emphasized, as understanding how the level, laterality, and locality of a lesion contribute to unique signs and symptoms is vital in assessment.

The speaker, whose PT backbone permeates through his medical practice, also touched on the human side of patient care.

“The worst thing about disability is that people see it before they see you. But as a physical therapist … we see the patient rather than the disability,” he said, later expanding the role of PT beyond prevention and rehabilitation of impairments to fixing systems that inhibit persons with disabilities (PWDs) from integrating into society.

Libarios ended his talk by advocating for the Davao City Health Office’s (CHO) free house-to-house PT for stroke patients, which may be coordinated through the CHO itself, the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC), or barangay health centers.

In addition to World PT Day, SPC-PT fostered unity during the first general assembly, which featured a parade, the annual flash mob, and rounds of games.

This year’s commemoration also marked the 75th anniversary of World Physiotherapy’s founding in 1951.

#SPCTheRock #PillarsofTruth