Flooring and Physical Therapy. Does it Matter?
AUTHOR: Mark Huxta, Director of Sales, Health and Wellness
Be it yourself or a loved one, almost everyone has had some sort of experience with Physical Therapy (PT) during their life. It’s usually required as the result of an accident, injury, or chronic pain, and the person seeking therapy wants to become stronger or get better. Typical PT objectives include the ability to improve mobility, reduce or manage pain, restore function, and prevent disability or injury.
PT CONCERNS
When PT is prescribed after an injury has been incurred or a surgery was performed, it’s because the body has been compromised to some extent. A compromised body is much more susceptible to environmental influencers, which are conditions that might create physical discomfort, fatigue, or affect balance.
In addition to a compromised body, another PT concern is patient confidence. If a patient does not have confidence in the PT process, the experience can have a negative impact on the patient experience and outcome.
A third PT concern that many people might not think about is the PT environment itself, which can also have a direct effect on patient outcome. A critical but often overlooked component in a PT environment is the healthcare flooring. PT activities occur on or above the floor often indirect contact with the patient. If the floor in a PT space is too hard or slippery, the person performing activities on it could have additional pain/or a slip and fall risk which could lead to further injury.
PT SOLUTIONS
It’s imperative that doctors and nurses explain the benefits and positive outcomes related to PT and how these benefits can help patients to live better lives. In addition, it’s important for PT providers to specify an ergonomic, patient-friendly flooring solution for their therapy center.
ERGONOMIC FLOORING
An ergonomic floor is important, because it can effectively support and enhance the PT experience for the patient and the therapist. A crucial thing to consider here is the differences between an ergonomic floor and comfort flooring. An ergonomic floor strikes a balance between two measurable variables: force reduction and energy restitution. When these two dynamic forces approach balance, ergonomic performance improves.
ANTI-FATIGUE FLOORING
An anti-fatigue floor, on the other hand, does not provide these benefits, although it can be marketed as providing an ergonomic solution. Furthermore, the phrase “anti-fatigue floor” is often confused with a soft, “comfort” floor. Examples of an anti-fatigue flooring are comfort mats, which are used in retail applications or in front of sinks in restaurants and home kitchens. Although the subjective feel of these floor mats may reflect comfort, they do not provide anti-fatigue properties. When an anti-fatigue floor is specified, the body must work harder to maintain balance and must account for the lack of positive energy restitution from the floor. A similar correlation can be drawn if you think of a person running in sand. Although it does not create discomfort or pain on the legs or torso, standing on an anti-fatigue floor is far more tiring. In conclusion if a surface is too soft, it poses very significant ergonomic issues.
Circling back to our PT discussion, a person who is using a soft surface, who currently has a comprised body, may experience posture and mobility issues. A soft floor can exacerbate a patient’s imbalance, which can result in a change in gait, cause a fall, or simply diminish a patient’s confidence.
RIGHT PHYSICAL THERAPIST
With a focus on recovery, it’s best not to subject a patient’s body to an environment or clinic flooring that does not support therapy, let alone could potentially create stress, strain or discomfort on the body.
As such, patients should take care to select the right physical therapist for them. A dedicated physical therapist will be:
• Wholly committed to the patient
• Fully focused on the feedback and interaction with the patient.
The connection between a patient and a physical therapist is critical to the having optimal sessions and a successful outcome. As a result, physical therapists should have optimal working conditions as well, which can be improved with the right floor. With extended hours and constant movement, therapists are using floors all day long that can either contribute to a productive workday, or create a distraction or even discomfort that, in turn, detracts from their care. Because the floor can either contribute to or inhibit a patient’s experience and outcomes as well as the well-being of the therapist, the floor does indeed matter.
THERE'S MORE TO THE FLOOR
There are many PT floors on the market. Be sure to select one that support joints, reduces impact, and absorbs shock. In addition to these benefits, a floor that reduces sound to create a quieter healing space will help allow patients to focus on reaching their therapy goals. Enhanced acoustics will also support a patient’s right to privacy. With these benefits in mind, an engineered surface is ideal. Here are a few examples of ideal PT floors that use Ecore’s patented itsTRU® technology:
BALANCED MOTIVATE
PERFORMANCE MOTIVATE
Performance Motivate from Ecore is designed for bodies in motion. Performance Motivate features a 2.5mm surface layer and a 5mm base layer fusion-bonded using our patented itsTRU® technology. Tailored for light strength and conditioning, functional training spaces and rehab facilities, Performance Motivate provides a balanced distribution of force reduction and energy restitution.
HERITAGE MOTIVATE - PERFORMANCE VINYL TILE (PVT)
Heritage Motivate, a high-performance and visually stunning flooring surface from Ecore, was designed to be safer, quieter, and more ergonomic than traditional LVT products. Featuring a fiberglass reinforced 2mm vinyl surface layer fusion-bonded with Ecore patented itsTRU® technology to a 5mm vulcanized composition rubber base layer, the 21mil wear layer provides commercial grade durability paired with the in-demand looks of realistic natural wood. Ideal for a full range of interior applications from health and wellness facilities, to offices, fitness spaces, retail locations and more, it's easy to install, ergonomic underfoot, and easy to clean and maintain.
For more information about things to consider in order to select the right PT floor, visit the Rehab/Spors Medicine page.
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About the author: Mark Huxta is healthcare director of sales for Ecore, a company that transforms reclaimed wasted into performance flooring surfaces that perform well beyond industry standards. Ecore’s products align substantial force reduction with a balanced amount of energy return to create surfaces to meet virtually every commercial flooring application need. More information on Ecore is available at www.ecoreintl.com.