Physical Therapy at RiverLedge Helps Lisbon Man Live Pain-free Life for First Time in Years

OGDENSBURG – For the second time in his life, Bryan Flack, of Lisbon, has had knee replacement surgery on his left leg.

The first time came many years ago when he was in the military, with the second time coming this spring on March 12. 

“I am leaps and bounds ahead of where I thought I would be,” Mr. Flack said, adding he began outpatient physical therapy at United Helpers’ RiverLedge Health Care & Rehabilitation Center on March 19, one week after his surgery.

“On March 19 Megan asked me what my goal was and I only had one goal. I wanted to live a pain-free life,” he said, referring to Physical Therapist Megan Morrison, DPT. “I now believe I can get there.”

Even before his surgery, Mr. Flack said he’s been dealing with pain on the left side of his body for years, stemming back to his original injury.

“My thigh muscle and calf muscle were never quite rehabilitated and now I can feel those muscles getting stronger. I’m already ahead of where I was on March 11,” he said.

Mr. Flack said the key to his success has been listening the physical therapy staff and doing the recommended exercises at home.

“You have to listen to these guys, they know what they’re doing,” he said. “When they ask you if you’re doing your exercises at home, you can tell them you are, but they would know. You can’t put anything over on them.”

Physical Therapist Assistant Joseph Longshore called Mr. Flack an “ideal patient.”

“He was in a lot of pain when he came out of surgery, but he’s done everything we’ve asked him to do. He’s done his exercises at home and that’s made a world of difference. I’m just amazed at how far he’s come.”

Looking back on his first physical therapy appointment, Mr. Flack said he was nervous when he couldn’t even step up on a “four-inch step.”

“For the first month I was pretty discouraged, but then I turned a corner and if I hadn’t been doing what they told me to, I would have never turned that corner.”

Mr. Flack came to RiverLedge on the recommendation of his mother, who had therapy there following hip replacement surgery and he said, he’s now recommending therapy at RiverLedge to others.

“I work as a maintenance mechanic at OFA, and when Megan, Brett (Amo MPT) and Joe found that out, they crafted exercises for me that relate to what I do on a daily basis,” he said. “I’m definitely doing exercises and things this time that I did not do the first time around.”

For more information on therapy services at RiverLedge contact (315) 393-0730. For Maplewood Health Care & Rehabilitation Center in Canton, please call (315) 386-4541. Both locations offer prompt and flexible scheduling. You may also like United Helpers on Facebook or visit www.unitedhelpers.org.