Steve Tysee saw a lot of repeat offenders. They hobbled into his office month after month with excuse after excuse. Finally, when their time was up they left his office and slowly fell back into old habits. Then, months or even years later, they would come back to him with the same problem.
Late last month, after years of frustration, Tysee officially opened MedEx –an extension of Redondo Orthopedic Physical Therapy. MedEx aims to focus on the therapy after the initial insurance physical therapy sessions run out after surgery, and the patient still needs continuous exercise and rehabilitation.
“Insurance only pays until they get out of the pain and initial limitation from surgery,” said Tysee. “Then it’s over. I saw a lot of people being discharged from physical therapy that were not 100 percent functional.”
Knee, hip and back problems were the biggest issues, balance issues and basic mobility followed a close and difficult second.
“I work mostly with the baby boomer, senior population,” said Tysee. “Most are already not healthy enough for a regular gym environment then you compound it with medical issues… The fitness world says ‘Go back to a doctor,’ and the doctor says ‘go to the gym.’ ”
Tysee saw problems with the current system and started working with his patients to make their recovery long-lasting and prolong their quality of life.
“The biggest frustration was seeing people come back a year later with the same issues,” said Tysee. “They just don’t belong in the fitness world and don’t know how to continue their exercise.”
Many of Tysee’s patients are independent living seniors who are trying to stay independent. They recognize the risks of falling-related injuries and want to mitigate that possibility – but aren’t sure how to go about staying safe and in-shape.
“There is an entire population living on the edge,” said Tysee. “One fall and it goes down from there.”
MedEx focuses on preventive medical maintenance and is based on a physical therapy model. Tysee noticed that many of his patients were intimidated by the younger-generation focused gym environment, and when doctors told them to go, they quickly fell off the wagon and never fully recovered. MedEx is a small, somewhat more tranquil gym filled with physical therapists helping each patient through every exercise, without the pounding music and sweaty runners. Each patient has a set time they schedule to come in, and Tysee said he sees them “like clockwork.” If he doesn’t, he makes a home phone call to check in on them.
“I try not to let them fall through the cracks,” said Tysee. “We cater to the group that many gyms can’t capture, and the gyms are not medical oriented enough to know what to do with them. It’s a whole subset that is missing!”
David Peters, 59, was an avid basketball player. After three knee surgeries he still wanted to stay in shape and keep his body and knees strong. He is still active and can often be found biking and hiking.
“I used to work out in gyms,” said Peters. “But they never had the individual attention or programs that worked. In the past my knees got so sore I had to quit. Now, my knees are the strongest they’ve been in 15 years.”
Peters is one of the more athletic patients that come to MedEx. Some of the clientele work on everyday basic movements and balance. In the gym, personal trainers walk some people slowly over tiny hurdles to help their bodies better navigate many everyday things such as curbs or stairs. Through basic therapy, Tysee has seen many patients lose their walkers and canes.
Robin Nelson, 58, has been going to MedEx for nine months. She initially went to Tysee for physical therapy on her back, and when her insurance ran out, she still wasn’t ready to finish.
“I hate gyms,” said Nelson. “You name it, I’ve been there. I’m the person who joins and goes for two weeks than quits. [MedEx] is completely different than a gym, they understand more comprehensively than a trainer how your body works and how to create a program that’s best for you.”
Nelson still goes to MedEx for her back because she thinks that it works and it feels good.
“It’s well worth the money, more so than any gym,” said Nelson.
Tysee hopes that MedEx will make a big difference for members of the local community, especially seniors.
“Yeah, we’re going to collect your money,” said Tysee. “But we’re going to make sure you get better.”
To learn more about MedEx visit www.redondopt.com or call 310-376-9222.
