Harry J. Lawall & Sons, headquartered in Philadelphia, recently hosted back-to-back OPAF First Clinics in Philadelphia and Princeton, New Jersey. The Philadelphia course, held at Moss Rehabilitation Hospital, offered First Things First, a workshop on falls and recovery, and was offered to area therapists, clinical practitioners, and students from physical therapy and recreational therapy. Chris Doerger PT, CP, led the workshop. Classroom education was followed by a hands-on lab experience where patients were taught a reverse chain method to get up from the floor.
The Princeton event offered First Stride, an introduction to gait training that covered prosthetic componentry, balance, and core exercises, and provided participants with an understanding of the partnership that benefits the patient when members of an allied health care team work together. Therapists also received clarifications on K-levels, different knees and posture alignment, and practical applications for correction. Community members joined First Stride for an introduction to gait where therapists and patients worked together to evaluate and improve.
The event, part of Limb Loss Awareness Month, marked the second year in a row Lawall & Sons offered First Clinics for its referral sources and patient population.