Fayetteville, Ga. (March 4, 2020) - The Piedmont Fayette Hospital Rehabilitation Department, located at the Piedmont Wellness Center at Pinewood Forest, started offering aquatic therapy to several patients last month. Craig Scott, their first patient, recently completed his therapy and feels the experience was incredibly beneficial.

Scott ruptured tendons in both of his knees and spent several weeks in the hospital and at a rehabilitation center in Warm Springs. The Piedmont Wellness Center at Pinewood Forest opened at the end of October and soon Scott was working with Brian Gagne and Clint Bowman on the land before moving into the therapy pool.

“They were really wonderful and the program helped me a lot,” Scott said. “After a double knee surgery, my biggest fear was falling and re-injuring myself. That fear went away in the pool and I was able to regain confidence as I regained my balance.”

The therapists saw almost immediate progress once Scott was able to start aquatic therapy. They were able to normalize his gait pattern and build up strength, which helped with his balance. The therapy involved agility exercises and plyometrics, but the most important thing was that it removed fear. If Scott started to fall one way or the other, he could find ways in the pool to shift and keep himself up right.

“We did things we couldn’t have done on land, at least not at the beginning,” said Gagne. “That also gave us the ability to push a little more.”

Scott will continue to work out at the Piedmont Wellness Center at Pinewood Forest, building even more strength and confidence. Gagne and other therapists expect the aquatic therapy program to grow and maybe include group therapy classes for post-operative patients.

To learn more about rehabilitation services at Piedmont, visit piedmont.org/rehabilitation. More information about the Piedmont Wellness Center at Pinewood Forest can be found at piedmontwellnesscenter.com.