Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee physical therapist one of few to work with burn victims
Physical therapist helps burn victims
She’s the only physical therapist in Wisconsin certified to treat burn victims and she’s been doing it in Milwaukee for more than three decades.
MILWAUKEE – She’s the only physical therapist in Wisconsin certified to treat burn victims and she’s been doing it in Milwaukee for more than three decades.
Inside a long hallway at Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital, Sara Harwood sees movement like medicine.
“We’re very progressive when it comes to mobility and function,” Harwood said.
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Sara Harwood and Russell Worden
Since 1991, she’s worked with burn patients to get them back on their feet post-injury.
“We work on a lot of exercise. We work on a lot of positioning strategies,” she said. “We work on a lot of splinting to help minimize negative outcomes that can happen.”
And she’s exactly why Russell Worden, from Seymour, is here.
“She knows what she’s doing. She’s not afraid to push you, because she knows that that’s what the patient needs,” Worden said. “But at the same time, she knows your limits, and she’s not going to push you to like an extreme.”
Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital
The 31-year-old suffered burns on nearly half of his upper body and his ears in a welding accident last August. He’s now spending a month in Milwaukee with Harwood.
“When you’re at home, but you can’t do everything like you normally used to, it’s a real test of patience,” he said.
Harwood is Wisconsin’s only physical therapist certified by the American Burn Association to provide the type of hands-on care that burn victims need.
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Sara Harwood and Russell Worden
“I really want people to trust the level of care that we can provide,” Harwood said.
She’s helping guide them forward by measuring progress both big and small.
Harwood is one of just 38 certified burn therapists around the world. As for Worden, he’s hoping to be back working, snowboarding and just being active soon.
National Burn Awareness Week runs through the first week of February.