November 2026 Newsletter · Walking & Mobility
Physical Therapy Can Help You Walk Again
Main Feature
Have you sustained an injury to your leg(s) that has affected your ability to walk? Are you afraid of falling and prefer the safety of your wheelchair to get around? At Fairfield Universal Therapy, our physical therapists can make sure your wheelchair fits you properly and work with you to improve your balance and gait so you can leave the chair behind!
Many of us take our ability to walk for granted, assuming that we’ll always be able to do it without pain or limitations, but those that struggle with walking know firsthand how limited life can be when you can’t walk.
Impairments in walking can take a considerable toll on a person’s physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing, especially for those forced to begin relying on a wheelchair to get around. The good news is that there are options available to you if you are currently a wheelchair user and trying to regain your ability to walk.
Physical therapy at Fairfield Universal Therapy offers many solutions for our patients in need, and our treatment plans can also help prevent you from needing to rely on a wheelchair.
Call our clinic today to schedule an appointment.
Physical therapy can prevent the need for a wheelchair
Wheelchair users make up about 1% of the population, and the vast majority have some form of neurological disorder (i.e., spinal cord injury, brain trauma, stroke, etc.) It is rare for someone to need a wheelchair permanently for an orthopedic condition, but with an aging population, the use of wheelchairs has become more common.
One of the main specialties of physical therapy at Fairfield Universal Therapy is helping people to walk normally. We work with you to improve your mobility and strength to be active and less likely to need to use a wheelchair.
Physical therapy takes a thorough evaluation of your range of motion, strength, walking patterns, balance, and coordination. By discovering in what area you have difficulties, your therapist can prescribe appropriate exercises to help your muscles get stronger and, therefore, better support you.
In many cases, the result of treatment is walking without the need for an assistive device or wheelchair!
From there, we implement an extensive treatment plan to address any limitations you may have with your range of motion, coordination, balance, and gait. Often the progress from wheelchairs starts by using assistive devices like walkers and/or canes. In many cases, the result of treatment is walking without the need for an assistive device or wheelchair!
What to expect in physical therapy
The goal of physical therapy is to improve the function of your legs to allow you to walk independently. Suppose you’re already using a wheelchair due to a degenerative condition, recent surgery, or some type of injury that has rendered you unable to walk. In that case, a physical therapist can help in various ways.
Our physical therapists are movement experts and highly skilled at helping our patients walk again. After performing a comprehensive evaluation of your joint range of motion and muscle strength, we can safely evaluate your ability to stand independently. Provided you have the components necessary to walk, we will progress you through a series of exercises to restore your function.
Safety is a prime concern because impairments affecting your ability to walk also make you a high risk for falling. We use assistive devices, including gait belts and other equipment, to help you learn the process of walking again.
As you gain strength and endurance in your treatment, your therapist will begin to work with you on your gait and balance with gait training activities and exercises. This is how they will train your legs to walk independently again.
With persistence, you will learn how to walk again and progress your tolerance so you can stay out of the wheelchair and resume an active lifestyle!
Are you ready to walk safely and comfortably again?
At Fairfield Universal Therapy, our therapists will do everything they can to help retrain your legs to walk again so that you can avoid having to use a wheelchair.
Call today to learn more about how our skilled team of movement specialists can help you safely walk again.
Recipe of the Month
Crispy, Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Fries
For sweet potato fries that actually stay crisp, all you need is your oven and a clever cornstarch trick.
Ingredients
For the Fries:
- Cooking spray
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup water
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons white rice flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 (12 ounces each) sweet potatoes, trimmed, cut in half crosswise, and cut into 1/2-inch thick sticks
Seasoned Salt:
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning; for table salt, use half as much by volume
- 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Fry Sauce (optional):
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 425°F. Spray rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Add oil to prepared sheet and tilt sheet until surface is evenly coated with oil. In a small bowl, combine salt, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne; set aside.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, whisk water and cornstarch, making sure no lumps of cornstarch remain on bottom of bowl. Microwave, stirring every 20 seconds, until mixture begins to thicken, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove from microwave and continue stirring until mixture thickens to a thin yogurt-like consistency. (If necessary, after microwaving, add up to 3 tablespoons additional water to achieve correct consistency.)
- Add rice flour and baking soda to cornstarch mixture and whisk to combine. Add cut sweet potato sticks and toss until each is evenly coated. Transfer fries to prepared baking sheet, arranging them in a single layer with one flat cut side down, and space between each piece. (Some cornstarch mixture will remain in bowl.)
- Bake until bottoms are beginning to brown and fries easily release from pan, about 20 minutes. Remove sheet from oven and, using a thin spatula, loosen the fries and carefully flip taking care not to tear. Rotate pan and return to oven to continue to bake until second sides are golden brown, about 15 minutes.
- For the Fry Sauce: While fries bake, in a small bowl, whisk together mayo, ketchup, sriracha, vinegar, and garlic powder.
- Sprinkle fries with prepared salt mixture and toss fries to distribute seasoning evenly. Transfer fries to paper towel–lined platter and let cool about 5 minutes. Serve fries with prepared sauce, if desired.
You Have the Choice Where You Go for PT, so Choose Fairfield Universal!
Game of the Month
November Word Scramble
Unscramble these November-inspired words, then tap a tile to check your answer.
Exercise to Do at Home
ANKLE ALPHABETS
Start by sitting up straight in a chair. Raise one leg out in front of you. Slowly write the letters of the alphabet with your foot, only moving at your ankle joint.
3 Sets, 10 Reps. (Materials needed: chair)
Patient Success Story
Recovery Worth Celebrating
"Universal Therapy has exceptional therapists with lots of knowledge. They never pressure you. They always include you in the activity that you need. They are very caring people."
Rebecca G. · Verified Physical Therapy Patient
★★★★★
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Fairfield Universal Therapy · 1401 S Main St. Suite 104, Fairfield, IA 52556 · (641) 575-0821
