Debut prize awarded to Michigan physical therapist


(Calabasas, Calif. – August 5, 2006) – PTPN, the country’s first and largest network of independent rehabilitation therapists, has given its first ACE Award for Achievement in Clinical Excellence to a Michigan physical therapist.

Paul J. Roubal, Ph.D., PT, OCS, earned the award for his innovative work in treating adhesive capsulitis, informally known as “frozen shoulder,” characterized by stiffness, pain and limited range of movement in the shoulder that may follow an injury. The tissues around the joint stiffen, scar tissue forms, and shoulder movements become difficult and painful.

In Roubal’s treatment, the shoulder is manipulated under local anesthesia, to allow the provider to therapeutically work the joint while the patient is relaxed and free from pain. This combination of local anesthesia and optimal manipulation leads to improvement and better functioning, Roubal’s experience and research show.

Roubal said he developed the technique in part because of his frustration with traditional methods of treating frozen shoulders, which can take as long as two to three years for improvement and allow the development of arthritis over that time. “I got tired of treating people for months on end without seeing significant improvement,” he said. “With manipulation under anesthesia, we can protect the bones and soft tissue from injury, prevent bruising, and more completely deal with the adhesions, leading to better and faster results.”

Roubal, who has been a physical therapist for three decades, opened Physical Therapy Specialists in 1977. The clinic, located in Troy, Mich., now employs seven therapists, including Roubal, and a staff of physical therapy assistants and other support personnel. The 10,000-square-foot site includes a state-of-the-art fitness center and hydrotherapy whirlpool. The clinic has been part of PTPN’s network of independent rehab offices since 1989, and Roubal currently serves on the Board of Directors of PTPN’s Great Lakes region.

Roubal said his clinic staff is highly trained and focused on ongoing education. “We have more orthopedic board certified specialists in our clinic than any other single location in the Midwest,” he said. “We stay abreast of the most current developments in clinical procedures for testing and evaluation, as well as for treatment.” The clinic also serves as a training site for undergraduate and graduate physical therapists from Oakland University, Wayne State University and University of Michigan-Flint.

PTPN Director of Quality Assurance Mitch Kaye, PT, said PTPN’s ACE Award was created to recognize and encourage PTPN providers’ groundbreaking clinical success in the fields of physical, occupational and speech therapy. “The award allows us to honor the important clinical work individual PTPN providers are doing, and to help advance the practice of physical therapy by educating other therapists,” he said.

The winner was selected by a judging committee made up of PTPN member therapists from across the country. Roubal’s award includes a cash prize and a free online clinical education course. This is the first year PTPN has given out the ACE Award.

About PTPN:PTPN is the nation’s first and largest network of rehabilitation therapists in independent practice. It has led the rehabilitation industry in pioneering national contracting and quality assurance programs since 1985. The network has more than 1,300 provider offices (including physical, occupational and speech therapists) in 23 states. PTPN contracts with most major managed care organizations including insurers, workers’ compensation companies, PPOs, HMOs, medical groups, and IPAs. Only offices that are owned and operated by rehabilitation therapists can be members of the network.
For more information about PTPN, contact Stephen Moore at (818) 737-0246 or smoore@ptpn.com, or visit PTPN on the Internet at: ptpn.com.