2023-2024 SCHOOL YEAR PRE-PARTICIPATION PHYSICALS-May 20th, 2023

OSTC is excited to host FREE pre-participation physicals for the 2023-2024 School year!

Physical Day will by MAY 20th starting at 7:30am and doors will close at 9:30am. All students must have Medical History Questionnaire and Physical Form completed and signed by parent or they will not be allowed to complete the physical.

As a reminder, this is a free service that we provide for schools that contract their sports medicine care through OSTC.  Each school has been given a specific time slot to help make the process run smoothly

  • Holliday ISD  7:30 am
  • Henrietta 7:45 am
  • Burkburnett  8:00 am
  • Wichita Falls Old High  8:15 am
  • Christ Academy 8:30 am

PLEASE DOWNLOAD UIL FORM HERE

OSTC Elves (employees) Enjoy Wrapping Party!

Every year around Christmas time, the staff at OSTC magically become Santa’s helpers.  This has been a tradition at OSTC since the doors opened in 2002.

The “elves” sign up to help a local family for the holidays by providing gifts.  The OSTC employees purchase gifts throughout the weeks leading up to the “wrapping party,”  then on wrapping day the real party begins.

2019 wrappers

Lunch is provided by OSTC, and the elves quickly get to work wrapping all the presents and enjoying each others company.  It is a holiday tradition that is looked forward to year round by all the employees at OSTC.

Physical Therapy for Shoulder Pain

If you’re experiencing shoulder pain, you could be suffering from one of many different ailments. Some common conditions include:

  • Rotator cuff tear: This is what happens when the tendons that constitute the rotator cuff muscles around the shoulder detach from the bone, causing a severe decrease in the range of motion that a healthy rotator cuff allows us to have. These injuries are very painful and have two general causes:
  • Repetitive use: As the name implies, repetitive use injuries are caused by repeated activities that wear the rotator cuff thin over time. This is typically seen in older patients or people who put an unusually demanding strain on their rotator cuffs, such as professional athletes.
  • Trauma: Traumatic injuries, such as breaking a fall with an outstretched hand, can lead to rotator cuff tears as well. This cause is much less common than repetitive use and is most often the culprit of rotator cuff tears in patients under 60 years of age.
  • Frozen shoulder: Also known as adhesive capsulitis, frozen shoulder is a medical condition that includes a decrease of motion in the shoulder and pain that progressively increases. There are three stages of frozen shoulder:
    • Stage 1: The freezing stage, or the beginning of pain and loss of motion, both of which begin to steadily increase.
    • Stage 2: The frozen stage. By now, the shoulder’s range of motion is severely restricted, but the pain is likely starting to decrease.
    • Stage 3: The thawing stage, where pain is minimal and shoulder motion slowly returns to normal.

These are only a few of the possible conditions that can cause shoulder pain. Some are more serious than others. Call your doctor, and consult us as for your physical therapy needs, if you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms:

  • Inability to carry objects or have full use of your arm
  • Joint deformity
  • Shoulder pain that doesn’t ease at night or while resting
  • Lack of motion, including an inability to raise your arm
  • Swelling or bruising around the shoulder joint or upper arm
  • Signs of an infection, which could include fever, redness, and warmth

A few common treatments that may bring relief include:

  • A little rest & relaxation. This can help soothe many aches and pains in the shoulder region, but medical experts advise you to use caution with this approach as too much rest can lead to the discomforts associated with a frozen shoulder.
  • Ice and heat. Ice packs should be used on recent injuries that were sustained in the last 48 hours. Ice packs are especially helpful where swelling is involved, as they can help decrease the swelling in the injured area, thus helping to reduce the pain. Heat treatments, such as hot pads, should be used only to relax and loosen tissues in cases of chronic conditions. Heat treatments should not be used after periods of significant activity (if you’re concerned about muscle soreness, use the heat treatment before participating in the activity) or after an acute injury.
  • Stretching. The shoulder is a very mobile joint. The less the shoulder is stretched, the tighter the joint becomes, causing more muscle and joint stiffness and leading to more pain. Stretching the muscles and tendons surrounding an aching joint can spell relief in many cases.
  • Physical therapy. It has been shown that physical therapy is “an important aspect of treatment of almost all orthopedic conditions,” and shoulder pain is no exception. The treatments utilized by physical therapists can ease pain, increase strength and mobility, and help patients resume the level of activity they enjoyed before the injury.
  • Anti-inflammatory medication. If the above-mentioned treatments aren’t enough to get you moving again, your doctor might prescribe anti-inflammatory medications to help the process along.

If you find yourself battling shoulder pain, you don’t have to suffer in silence. Talk to your medical professional, who can refer you to trusted physical therapists like us to guide you on the road to recovery.

OSTC Bike Team competes in the HHH 2019

OSTC would like to take a second to send a shout out to all the bike riders who rode in the Hotter than Hell Bike Ride. We are especially proud of the OSTC bike riding team.  The OSTC bike team consist of employees, their family members, friends are past patients.

Lucas Vietenheimer and Steve Bailey rode in the 100 mile race.

Charlie Post rode the mountain bike ride and the 25 mile ride.

Other OSTC riders included Belinda “B” Wingo, Corey Samudosky, Corey’s mother Terrilynn Nowicki, Pat Finnell, Diana Dearmond, Lacy Coltharp and her son, Caden.

To celebrate their accomplishment, OSTC employees and their families created a cheering section to meet the riders as they finished their rides.

steve   hhh2019

OSTC SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT

OSTC would like to congratulate the 2019 scholarship recipients!  This year OSTC created two scholarship opportunities to help senior students in the Wichita Falls area.

The winner of the First Annual MVP Scholarship is Alexis James of Holliday High School.  “Lexi” has been a member of the Lady Eagle tennis, basketball and volleyball teams.  She is also a member yearbook, TAFE officer, and a member of the 180 church group.

This year OSTC decided to award two deserving applicants for the Set Back to Come Back Scholarship.  We are proud to award both Jett Johnson of Holliday High School and Kalico Burkes of Henrietta High School.

This scholarship is unique in that is awarded to a senior student who suffered and injury while playing high school athletics and over came that setback with a major comeback.

Jett is not only a leader on the field but also in his community, he is a member of the Eagle football and basketball teams as well as student council, TAFE and the National Honor Society. He has received many awards for his outstanding accomplishments in athletics and academics.

Kalico, brings great leadership skills to her classmates at Henrietta.  She has been the Student Council President for 4 years, captain of the basketball and softball team as well as a member of FFA and 4H.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THESE THREE OUTSTANDING ATHLETES!

Krystal Francique, Master of Science in Radiological Science

OSTC would like to send a big CONGRATULATIONS to our very own Krystal Francique! Krystal just graduated from Midwestern State University with a Master of Science in Radiological Science (MSRS).

MSU was the first educational institution in the United States to offer a discipline-specific graduate degree.Today, the MSRS program at MSU remains a leader in imaging and radiologic sciences education and offers different areas of concentration. Krystal’s degree focus was on the administration and educational track.

Krystal is originally from Grenada in the Caribbean. She came to Wichita Falls to further her education in Radiological Sciences. In 2013, she earned her associate’s degree in Radiology and began working at OSTC. Krystal continued to pursue her educational goals while working at OSTC; she earned her Bachelor of Science in Radiological Studies and now her Master’s degree. I think we all agree, earning two degrees while working is no easy tasks, but Krystal remained focused on her goal.

The OSTC family is so proud of Krystal and her accomplishments. Seretha Elkins says, “Krystal is a true asset to the company, not only does she bring a high level of knowledge as a radiological technologist, she also brings enthusiasm and management skills.”

When Krystal is not busy studying or working, Krystal enjoys spending quality time with her friends and family.

OSTC Senior Student-Athlete Scholarships

The 2019 challenge for OSTC employees is to inspire those around us, in the spirit of this challenge OSTC has decided to create two scholarships for graduating senior athletes.
 
1. OSTC MVP Scholarship– This scholarship is available to any senior student athlete that is graduating from one of the schools covered by OSTC’s Sports Medicine Team. Applicant must be a senior student athlete from the following schools:
o Burkburnett High School
o Henrietta High School
o Holliday High School
o Notre Dame Catholic School
o Christ Academy Senior High
 
2. OSTC Setback to Comeback Scholarship-This scholarship is available to any senior athlete who was a physical therapy patient at OSTC during their high school career. The purpose of this scholarship is to honor those athletes that have suffered a setback while playing high school sports, and with the help of physical therapy, made a comeback.
Both forms are available at the OSTC front desk or online at http://ostcwf.com/forms/

OSTC ELVES ARE AT IT AGAIN!!

Helping Santa with his gift giving has become an annual tradition for the employees at OSTC.  Every year, before Christmas, the OSTC “elves” gather presents for a family in need.  The gifts are bought by different employees and stored away until “Gift Wrapping Day.”  On this day, OSTC provides lunch and all the elves hang out and wrap gifts while watching a classic Christmas movie.  This year we chose to watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas.  Wrapping Day

There is nothing “Grinchy” about this time though!  OSTC employees enjoy the teamwork involved in wrapping the gifts and just taking a time out from our busy day to enjoy good food and good laughs with our OSTC family.

gifts

Its little things like this that make working at OSTC special.  One of our key beliefs at OSTC is doing the right thing for the right reason, and what is more perfect than giving back at Christmas time.

All the OSTC elves would like to wish a Merry Christmas to all of our fellow employees, families, patients and wellness members.  Thank you for your support and for making the Season Bright!

November is National Diabetes Month

November is dedicated as National Diabetes Month, during this month we focus our attention on the growing cost of diabetes to American families.  Over 30 million Americans are impacted by diabetes, effecting not only their physical and mental health but also their financial well-being.  The average medical expenditures for people diagnosed with diabetes are 2.3 times higher than those without diabetes.   NDAM

OSTC  challenges you to make small changes throughout the month to reduce your risk of developing diabetes.

  1.  Take the American Diabetes Associations Risk Test.
  2.  Check in with your doctor.  It is important to have a yearly physical
  3.  Get Physical, it is recommended that you get 150 minutes of physical activity a week
  4.  Drink water!  Avoid sugary drinks such as sweet tea, sodas, fruit juice and flavored beverages
  5.  Eat fresh fruit and vegetables, and avoid foods high in trans-fats, saturated fats and sugars.
  6.  Get plenty of rest, studies have shown that poor sleep quality increases the risk for diabetes and obesity
  7.  Lose the extra weight.  Losing 7% of initial body weight has been shown to reduce the risk of developing diabetes by 60%