MARQUETTE -- The Marquette General Hospital has just opened its Walking and Balance Center. It's dedicated to diagnosing and fixing patients' walking problems.
At the Walking and Balance Center, sometimes they'll have issues with potential patients not coming in because they're scared that they'll lose their driver's license or their independence. But, physicians say there's no need to be afraid.
If you're not walking like you used to, have trouble getting out of a chair, have lower-back or extremity pain, numbness in the foot, or are limping, you're urged to come in now instead of waiting until it's too late.
"You get to take control of the situation because, my concern as a physical therapist is, I don't want to see you start to not get active because you're afraid you're going to fall. That's just avoidable," said Physical Therapist Jeanette Tousignant. "If you come in, you can learn how to stay balanced and stay safe. Then you stay more active and stay more mobile. And, really, you can learn how to do that, how to make those choices for yourself."
The information from the physical therapist is then sent to the doctor to help the diagnosis process.
"Our goal is to bring patients into the clinic in a one-day format where they can get evaluated by a team of experts and then come up with a diagnosis and a plan of care to help them resolve their pain issues, walking issues, and balance issues," said Rodney Riesland, a nurse practitioner.
The therapy is helpful, and some patients say it's even fun.
"I just like to come here. It's fun to come here. I like it because I feel good with myself for coming and for getting some work done on me to help me walk better," said Helen Zarkowski, a patient at the Center. "My mother's maiden name was Walker; we were all walkers, always. And that's what I want to get back to. I don't want a wheelchair; I don't want a stroller. I want to walk. And that's what I'm doing."
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forWLUC