Five questions with HMG's Dr. Alan Meade

When Holston Medical Group acquired his physical therapy practice in 1997, Dr. Alan Meade was excited for the opportunity.Now, a quarter century later, they've been able to expand their practice to four locations. Recently, Meade answered five questions about his work, tips for avoiding injury and when you might want to see a physical therapist after getting hurt.What brought you to HMG?I have been with HMG since 1997 when HMG acquired our practice, Alan and Ernie Physical Therapy. We started in 1995 and were excited to join HMG. Moving from private practice to a physician-owned medical group was a great move and it helped us have a closer relationship with our providers, giving us more opportunities for growth. Since 1997, we have grown our practice to four locations, Johnson City being our newest, and nine physical therapists. With more locations and providers, we are able to meet the needs of the community and HMG has supported our growth all along the way.What did you want to be a physical therapist?I decided to pursue a career in physical therapy when I was a child. I watched physical therapists work with my grandmother after she had a stroke and they really helped her get back on her feet again. From that moment, I knew I wanted to help people with similar issues improve their quality of life. I knew I had an interest in neurology, but what I love about physical therapy is seeing the progressive results for patients as we work through sessions together.Beyond that, I just find it a fascinating subject. I'm always hungry to learn more and to be more involved in the physical therapy community around me. I have been a member of various physical therapy organizations since I was in college at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis and serve as the current president of the Association of Physical Therapy in Tennessee. Really, it's just a field I can't get enough of.What sports-related injuries do you see the most?Being that my office sees people from all walks of life, we see so many different types of issues and care for everything from young athletes with injuries to active seniors who have recently had a joint replacement and everything in between. We see a lot of knee and shoulder injuries, as well as some foot and ankle. It varies by degree, sometimes it's a regular sprained ankle, and other times people come in requiring surgery. We also provide a good amount of wound care which is a common issue for those with diabetes. Physical therapy is a great option for those with sports or other injuries and we do everything we can to get them back to doing what they love most.Any advice for athletes on how to best avoid injury?You may have heard it already, but I can't stress it enough — stretching is so incredibly important. It has been great recently to see coaches teaching their athletes proper stretching techniques to incorporate before and after games and practices. A lot of the injuries that I see could be avoided if the person would take some extra time to stretch.This advice really isn't just for athletes, either. Stretching is crucial for everyone, from trained players to those enjoying some recreational sports in their free time. You need to pay attention to your body, and properly warm-up and cool down; this could be the difference between a great afternoon outside and an afternoon with me in the office.Is there a sure sign of when an injury is bad enough to need physical therapy/to be checked out?The bottom line is if you think an injury needs tending to, it probably does. If you're having trouble moving certain limbs, if you can't walk without pain, or if you see swelling or redness, those are all good indicators. One other sure sign you need to come in is edema, which is swelling caused by excess body fluid trapped in your body's tissues and is centered outside of your joints.I'd also tell people it's easier than they think to see a physical therapist. Tennessee is a direct access state, which means that if a patient goes to an urgent care center or other provider's office they can usually be checked out and given a clinical judgment as to whether they need to go to a physical therapist without needing a full referral or prescription.If you have trouble with movement, or motion, or feel as though you have any other issue to address, I invite you to come by our new location at 3019 Peoples St., Suite 300, Johnson City, or call us at (423) 578-1560 to schedule an appointment.