‘There’s Help’ at the Y — Olive Branch Native Will Treat Sports Injuries, Falls and Medical Conditions at Rehab Center

By Toni Lepeska lepeska@desotoappealcom

A new service being offered at the Olive Branch YMCA might be the closest thing to a house call DeSoto Countians get from a Saint Francis Hospital physical therapist.

The hospital opened its sports medicine and rehabilitation center at the YMCA this month. It’s tucked along a wall of the workout room.

The center, the first of its kind offered by the hospital to Mississippians, brings physical therapy services, and perhaps eventually speech therapy, closer to DeSoto County residents.

So far, four people have signed up to be seen by physical therapist Trisha Watson. She was delighted to be picked for the job. Being licensed in Mississippi, as well as Tennessee, put her on the top of the list.

“When the Y opened, I thought that is going to be a lucky

person who gets that” job at the Saint Francis center, said Watson, a graduate of Olive Branch High School and the University of Mississippi. “I never really thought I’d be this close to home.”

Using a variety of equipment and knowledge, Watson will treat neurological conditions, strokes, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and other ailments such as sports injuries and falls.

Lakisha Fullilove, 33, goes to her for treatment of lupus and rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. She’s the only one of Watson’s four patients from outside DeSoto County. She lives in Whitehaven.

Fullilove began treatment at the hospital in April. She considers the Olive Branch Y more convenient than a trip to the hospital. Plus, she’s getting something she could not get at the hospital, aqua therapy.

The Y’s pool, heated to 86 degrees, is the perfect environment for her. The heat and buoyancy help her joints and help her exercise to stave off flare-ups.

“My shoulder, my joints were locked up,” said Fullilove, describing her condition before starting physical therapy. “I couldn’t raise my left arm. Saint Francis has really been a great support for me. They gave me hope.

“I’m getting something I need. I’m getting healthy,” Fullilove said. “I encourage other people not to give up. There’s help.”

Saint Francis also has outpatient facilities at the YMCAs in Collierville, Bartlett and Millington. Patients must be referred to the centers by a doctor.

For more information, contact the center at the YMCA at (662) 895- 2332.

– Toni Lepeska: (901) 333-2015