Compleat Rehab and Sports Therapy is pleased to welcome LSVT-certified physical therapist Kristin Turbiak to Mint Hill.
Originally from Detroit, Turbiak earned her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Midwestern University and practiced in a hospital setting in Boston before relocating to Charlotte in September.
“Many people believe we only treat athletes because our name is Compleat Rehab and Sports Therapy,” says Turbiak. “Just because our name says ‘Sports Therapy’ doesn’t mean we solely see sports injuries. Compleat Rehab mostly sees orthopedic injuries, but we also see other injuries including my specialties of vestibular and neurological.”
Turbiak specializes in Vestibular Rehabilation and Parkinson’s Disease. Parkinson’s disease has gained increasing visibility in recent years as celebrities like Michael J. Fox, Neil Diamond, and Alan Alda have gone public with their diagnoses. PD, which affects about one million Americans and an estimated seven to ten million people worldwide, is a “neurodegenerative disorder,” a disease characterized by the loss of brain or spinal cord cells. Over time, the loss of these cells causes dysfunction and disability: tremors, small, slow movements, limb rigidity, and problems walking and balancing. The cause of PD remains largely unknown.
Although PD itself is not fatal, there is no cure, and complications caused by the disease can be serious and life-threatening. The CDC rated complications from PD as the 14th leading cause of death in the United States.
Because PD symptoms can severely impact patients’ quality of life, an effective treatment plan is essential. Typical treatments for PD patients include medication, surgical therapy, and lifestyle medications.
A lesser well-known option for PD patients is physical therapy. “Most individuals that have Parkinson’s Disease believe that they just have to live with their progressive disease,” says Turbiak, “but exercise can actually improve their quality of life especially through the LSVT training.”
LSVT is a unique physical and occupational therapy approach. People living with PD often move differently, using smaller and slower gestures and actions. They frequently have trouble with daily living tasks like getting dressed and getting around. According to LSVT Global, “LSVT BIG trains people with PD to use their body more normally . . . the treatment improves walking, self-care and other tasks by helping people ‘recalibrate’ how they perceive their movements with what others actually see. It also teaches them how and when to apply extra effort to produce bigger motions – more like the movements of everyone around them.”
“At other medical facilities or clinics that have staff that is not LSVT-certified the session may focus on orthopedic issues, postural training, gait training and overall strengthening,” says Turbiak. “The LSVT method focuses on all those aspects but incorporates the patient’s functional mobility and tasks. It allows the patient to carry over the basic movements into their everyday life.”
Turbiak also specializes in Vestibular Rehabilitation, a specialized therapy program that helps to alleviate the vertigo, dizziness, gaze instability and imbalance associated with vestibular disorders through exercise. Through VR, Turbiak works one on one with her clients to help them return to regular daily activity and avoid a sedentary lifestyle.
For Turbak, helping others to live fuller and more active lives is what it’s all about. “I went into physical therapy because of my love of helping others and movement,” says Turbiak. “I have first hand seen family members, friends and patients be affected by Parkinson’s and Vertigo and successfully improve their lives following working with a certified PT. When moving to Charlotte, I wanted to work with a company the valued their patients and their outcomes, and Compleat fit that bill. Every patient receives individualized care and is never treated like just a number or just a patient. The staff is very welcoming and we all share the same love for our profession and for the well-being of our patients.”
For more information about Compleat Rehab, visit https://www.compleatrehab.com/. For more about LSVT BIG, visit https://www.lsvtglobal.com/LSVTBig and https://www.lsvtglobal.com/Patients_Family.
