Bob McGrath: Putting Young People to Shame Thanks to PT at RiverLedge

OGDENSBURG – Bob McGrath, of Ogdensburg suffered a knee injury 30 years ago, but kept on plugging away until finally deciding to have a knee replacement in January.

Now less than six months after the operation, Mr. McGrath said his leg is stronger than it has been in more than 30 years.

“Right now it’s five months out and I’m ahead of where they expected I would be,” he said. “The strength in my leg is just amazing. It’s nothing like I’ve had in 30-some years.”

Mr. McGrath has reached this point thanks in large part to the physical therapy he received at United Helpers RiverLedge Campus.

His therapist, Brett Amo said the progress Mr. McGrath has made since they first met is remarkable.

“When Bob first came in, he was about two weeks post op,” he said. “He was walking on crutches. He wasn’t able to go up and down stairs and he wasn’t able to bend or straighten his knee very well. Obviously he wasn’t able to work. He’s a contractor and owns his own construction company.”

Now, Mr. Amo said Mr. McGrath is doing better than he was before the operation even took place.

“Bob is doing great. He’s a contractor so he’s going up and down ladders and he’s putting the younger guys to shame.”

Heading into the surgery and its aftermath, Mr. McGrath said he didn’t know what to expect.

“I just knew what people told me. I knew it was going to be painful at the start. I can’t lie, it’s going to be, but they get you where you need to be and beyond,” he said referring to the physical therapy staff at RiverLedge.

When asked what makes physical therapy at United Helpers (therapy is also offer at Maplewood in Canton) so successful, Mr. Amo said the approach taken by United Helpers is different from that of many providers.

“We offer a one on one approach,” he said. “We try to keep our patients with just one therapist. We target our program to their individual needs.”

For Mr. McGrath, that meant a program that literally got him back on his feet.

“Since Bob is a contractor, he needed to be able to go up and down stairs, up and down ladders, be agile on his feet and be able to lift lumber and shingles and such,” he said. “We tailored his program to be able to accommodate those demands. There’s not one set program we use, so whatever your normal activities are we tailor our program to meet those needs.”

If you or a loved one is in need of physical therapy, contact United Helpers at (315) 393-0730 for therapy at RiverLedge in Ogdensburg or (315) 386-4541 for therapy at Maplewood in Canton.