The impact and prevalence of obesity to lower back and knee rehabs, following a motor vehicle accident
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Authors
Peters, Michaela M.
Issue Date
2022-01-01
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
Obesity and motor vehicle accidents have been major causes of death for many Americans. This is not only an American problem (obesity impacts people globally), but all eyes are on America, since it is a high-income country, and it deals with racial disparities within its education and economy systems (CDC 2021). Many studies have shown that when obesity develops alongside illnesses like diabetes and hypertension it can result in a major threat to the individual's life, and they can affect consequences of trauma and MVAs (Homaie Rad, et al. 2020). The purpose of this study is to see if a BMI >25 can impact the length of a rehab or the time a patient will be alleviated from the pain in their lower back or knee following a motor vehicle accident (MVA). With the patients that I observed, the goal of the rehab session was to obtain more mobility through exercises or stretching, strengthen the muscles, and alleviate pain. Sessions also became more specific depending on what the patient came in for (e.g., back, knee, ankle etc.). The data and other studies also showed that most of the car accident patients that were obese or overweight experienced pain like a person of normal weight, but it seemed very challenging for them to do the physical therapy exercises, because some of the patients were not used to exercising. Thus, adding the element of a motor vehicle injury as a mechanism of injury made lower back and knee muscle mobility more challenging, since their muscles are usually stiff from overcompensation from the traumatic event. This observational study was important because it helps informs people of how weight on the joints and muscles can affect their rehab short term and long term, and how it may differ from a person with a BMI of normal weight.
Description
v, 17 p.
Citation
Publisher
Kalamazoo College
License
U.S. copyright laws protect this material. Commercial use or distribution of this material is not permitted without prior written permission of the copyright holder.