PIHS student gains insight thanks
to job shadow experience
By Chelsea Nickerson
PRESQUE ISLE – My fellow classmates and I were given the opportunity to participate in a Job Shadow Day at Presque Isle High School and I took advantage of it. I have an interest in the physical therapy field and I took the opportunity to job shadow Ryan Cormier, a physical therapist at County Physical Therapy in Presque Isle.
CHELSEA NICKERSON, left, a sophomore at Presque Isle High School, watches Ryan Cormier, a physical therapist with County Physical Therapy, LLC, in Presque Isle as he treats a patient with a shoulder injury. Nickerson was one of 50 PIHS sophomores who recently took advantage of Sophomore Job Shadow Day.
I began the day by seeing a patient with an Achilles tendon injury. Ryan began heating the patient’s injured area. Then the patient completed a course of exercises that was assigned. Before the patient was ready to head home, Ryan used transcutaneous neuromuscular electrical stimulation on the patient. He informed me of how it sends an electrical current to certain nerves to relieve pain, relieve stiffness, and improve mobility. He also explained how you can deliver steroid medication through the skin to treat certain areas of pain. Ryan even tried the electrical stimulation on me so I could see what it felt like. It felt like a tingly, vibrating sensation. I also learned there are two different types of stimulators. A Russian stimulator had a more intense sensation.
The next patient had a shoulder injury called a frozen shoulder. Ryan explained to me that the injury caused restriction of motion in the shoulder joint. To get a much better understanding of the injury, Ryan brought out a model of a shoulder, and I got a hands-on view of what the injury actually looks like. Like the majority of the patients Ryan saw that day, he began treating the patient by heating their injury. He gave the patient electrical stimulation. The only difference was the electrical stimulator had to be left on the patient’s injury for three hours. It gave the same amount of medicine and energy but at a slower rate. I also saw patients with an ankle injury and severe back injury.
My overall experience was very positive. I now understand some of what a physical therapist does and how it might be a possible career for me as I really enjoy working with people. Physical therapy seems to be a very rewarding occupation.
