MADISON, Miss.—Laura McKinley used to arrive for physical therapy sessions in tears.

Sitting aggravates the herniated disk in her lower back, making the long commute from her Madison home to a Jackson clinic unbearably painful.

“It was really hard on me,” she said. So it was with great relief that she discovered Madison-Ridgeland Physical Therapy in the Beaver Creek shopping center on U.S. 51 in Madison.

“I was looking for something closer to home because I was defeating the purpose driving to Jackson,” she said.

The Madison resident is one of hundreds of people who have discovered the small clinic that is a part of Methodist Rehabilitation Center. “Our size is really one of the best things about us,” said Mark Carmichael, physical therapist and manager for the clinic. “We’re close to home and can offer individualized attention, while having the resources and the reputation that Methodist is known for in physical rehabilitation.”

McKinley visits the clinic a couple times a week for physical therapy, which includes walking on a treadmill while in a harness to support her back. “It’s called lumbar unloading,” Carmichael explains. “It decompresses the spine and facilitates nutrition to the spine. It’s a good combination because it’s a cardio workout and is good for the back. If you can get two or three benefits out of one exercise, you can really get the patient involved in the rehabilitation process.”

The reception in the Madison-Ridgeland community has been great in the five years since the clinic opened, said Joe Jacobson, outpatient rehabilitation services director for Methodist Rehab. “We really wanted to have a presence in Madison County, and we were seeing a lot of referrals from that area and wanted to offer something more convenient for our patients.”

The Madison-Ridgeland clinic focuses on orthopedic rehabilitation and sports medicine and offers physical therapy only. The clinic takes walk-ins. For more information about the Madison-Ridgeland clinic, call 601-856-5493.