Life Care Center of Valparaiso gets knee replacement patient walking

Christina Behagel came to Life Care Center of Valparaiso, Indiana, on March 15, 2017, after a bilateral total knee replacement.

When she arrived, Behagel needed assistance to walk and transfer from one surface to another (such as a bed to a wheelchair). She also needed extensive assistance to get dressed.

Therapy changed all that. Behagel worked with physical and occupational therapists six days a week, using the SCIFIT^® and Omnicycle^™ exercise machines to regain strength, endurance and range of motion, and her ability to take care of herself. Therapists also used the OmniVR^™ with her, a video gaming system specifically developed to help patients practice functional motions.

"I love my therapy girls," said Behagel. "Therapy helps me walk by myself and do the stairs."

"Christina was a hard-working lady and had amazing family support to achieve her goals," said Spardha Sharma, physical therapist.

Behagel returned home on May 12 and continued therapy as an outpatient until July 17. She can now walk independently with the use of a walker and take care of her activities of daily living on her own.