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MRC News

FLOWOOD, Miss.—Can a pack throw your back out of whack?

That depends on what it weighs and how you wear it, says Susan Geiger, a physical therapist at Methodist Outpatient Rehabilitation in Flowood.

A backpack that doesn’t fit properly or is too heavy can lead to injury, she said.

“One problem with ill-fitting or overstuffed backpacks is they can lead kids to arch their backs or lean forward or sideways,” Geiger said. “These harmful postures can cause spinal compression, improper alignment and disc problems.”

FLOWOOD, Miss.—When Nell Smith of Jackson rings up purchases at Methodist Rehabilitation Center’s gift shop, it’s more than a routine act of retailing.

It’s also an opportunity to advance neuroscience research. Every sale benefits the Wilson Research Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to fostering better recoveries for people who have suffered strokes or brain or spinal cord injuries.

FLOWOOD, Miss.—When Robby Scucchi recently became Mississippi’s first volunteer director to be certified by the Southeastern Directors of Volunteer Services in Healthcare Organizations, the honor didn’t surprise co-workers at Methodist Specialty Care Center in Flowood.

The Jackson resident has a reputation for being innovative, a trait that has enhanced opportunities for residents of the long-term care facility for the severely disabled.

Flowood, Miss.—After having her first baby, Risa Nakase-Richardson of Flowood expected to experience sleep deprivation, stretch marks or maybe even a bout of postpartum blues.

But deQuervain’s tendinitis?

The painful condition is caused by tendon inflammation along the thumb side of the wrist, and Richardson was surprised to learn that it’s as common as undereye circles among new moms.

JACKSON, Miss.—The Wilson Research Foundation in Jackson has donated $457,866 to advance neuroscience research at Methodist Rehabilitation Center in Jackson.

“As we look to the future, we’re committed to the hospital’s vision for rehabilitation and research,” said Ginny Mounger of Jackson, board chairman of the Wilson Research Foundation and daughter of the late Earl R. Wilson, one of Methodist Rehab’s founders. “The greatness of a hospital should be reflected through the value and quality of its research.”

MERIDIAN, Miss.--Methodist Orthotics & Prosthetics, a division of Methodist Rehabilitation Center in Jackson, will host two days of open house activities for its new clinic at 1600 14th Street in Meridian.

Healthcare professionals are invited to tour the facility and learn more about the clinic’s capabilities from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sept. 14. Hourly presentations from noon to 6 p.m. will focus on topics such as computer-aided design and manufacturing and advances in orthotic and prosthetic components.

JACKSON, Miss.—“A cascade of little miracles.”

That’s how Debbie Pitzer of D’Iberville describes the series of events that helped her husband Steve survive a massive heart attack on a Gulf Shores golf course.

She knows so many things could have gone dead wrong.

The electrical engineer could have suffered the attack while alone in his hotel room. Instead, he was in a crowd of co-workers from Coast Electric Power Association. The group included company safety director Clement Ladner, whose CPR skills kept Steve alive until an ambulance arrived.

JACKSON, Miss.—Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest won’t have the corner on exciting swordplay this week. On Friday and Saturday, Methodist Rehabilitation Center will introduce wheelchair fencing to Mississippi.

Pete Collman, an internationally ranked competitor and captain of the Shepherd Swords wheelchair fencing team from Atlanta, will demonstrate the Paralympic sport at 3:30 p.m. Friday in the Jackson hospital’s first floor atrium. He’ll also conduct a free clinic from 1 until 5 p.m. Saturday in the hospital’s second floor conference room.

JACKSON, Miss.—During her fight to survive a virulent form of breast cancer, Toni Gary endured high-dose chemotherapy, rounds of radiation and a double mastectomy.

It saved her life, but the price was unrelenting back pain.

“It felt like someone was twisting a big two-by-four under my shoulder blade,” said Gary, a psychology instructor at Mississippi Delta Community College in Moorhead. “It was so bad last June that I was almost suicidal.”

JACKSON, Miss.—Imagine a basketball court filled with soccer players chasing an oversized ball.

Now put those same players in power wheelchairs and you’ll have conjured one of the latest crazes in adaptive sports—Power Soccer.

The Jackson area will get a taste of the fast-paced game on May 30 when members of the Tampa Thunder Power Soccer team conduct a free clinic at the Downtown YMCA in Jackson.

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