Coming back from a torn anterior cruciate ligament is a daunting prospect for anyone.

Arranging timely, convenient and regular rehabilitation appointments with physical therapy can also seem equally unfavorable.

Except for clients of Silvy Keeler and Katie Russell, Naval Hospital Bremerton physical therapy assistants who provide direct hands-on care from their Physical Therapy Clinic tucked away in Naval Base Kitsap Bangor Fitness Complex.

For Navy Supply Fleet Logistics Center Command Master Chief Steven Bradsher, becoming a client of Silvy alleviated any worry he initially harbored about travel, access and location for his PT rehabilitation needs.

“I can’t say enough about the services provided. Being able to receive such expert PT care on Bangor is really appreciated,” stated Bradsher. “The location is close enough for me to not be away from work for a long time. That’s really valuable. I was thinking that I would have to go elsewhere and could lose up to half a day. That lost time can impact any warfighter and their command.”

Like others before, Bradsher has become one of a long line of satisfied physical therapy clients provided rehabilitation care over the course of 27 years by Keeler, who refers to those she helps as her clients, not patients.

“They invest in me. I invest in them,” explained Keeler, who is also a certified kinesio taping practitioner. “Being out here in the gym takes our clients into an atmosphere that encourages their desire and ability to be challenged to progress back to their optimal performance, both work and personal.”

Keeler and Russell offer a wide array of physical therapy services for thousands of active-duty personnel who work [and live] on Naval Base Kitsap Bangor, other adjoining installations and nearby surface, subsurface and squadron commands. Their goal(s) are to help their clients improve their mobility and function after injury and surgery. They evaluate, instruct and treat musculoskeletal ailments and disorders, and provide individually designed programs to help each client recover, recuperate and rehabilitate.

“Physical therapy means movement. All bodies must move,” exclaimed Keeler. “PT is about educating in correct mechanics while building a solid foundation so that better function, [and] decrease in pain from muscle/skeletal imbalance can be addressed.”

Bradsher affirms that his time invested working with Keeler is definitely assisting him come back from his injury sustained during a command physical training basketball game.

“Three times a week for a lot of weeks, each time adding different exercises, assessing strengths and weaknesses,” Bradsher said. “I can say my knee now feels a lot more stable than when I started. I’m hopeful to get back to where I want to me.”

According to Dr. Erin Patterson, Doctor of Physical Therapy at Navy Medicine Readiness Training Unit Bangor, there has been a physical therapy presence working out of the Bangor gym for the past 22 years.

“It’s not just the care they provide that’s invaluable. It is really hard to replicate elsewhere. The Bangor gym has a lot of resources and much more room to use than at our main hospital,” said Patterson.

But the biggest advantage, stresses Patterson, is the easy access and convenient availability which Keeler and Russell provide throughout the work week. Getting a fast turnaround in rehab recovery is critical for operational readiness.

“We keep the active-duty personnel stationed and living on base right there. They are able to walk right over to the gym and Physical Therapy, which saves a significant number of manhours and cuts down on lost time if having to go elsewhere,” Patterson said.

Along with their own clinic, Keely and Russel also have access to much of what the Bangor Fitness Complex offers, from functional and work strengthening work in the Navy Operational Fitness and Fueling System [NoFFS] center to pool rehabilitation.

They are able to simulate elements of the Marine Corps physical fitness test and combat fitness test, as well as the Navy physical fitness test.

They employ a wealth of experience, using a wide range of individualized techniques, augmented by a full array of equipment, which include isodynamic, isotonic, progressive resistive exercises, functional re-training, kinesiology-tape and soft tissue mobilization.

Russell attests that they deal with a lot of trauma and surgery cases, featuring a top three of shoulder, ankle and knee injuries. “Rotator cuff, ankle sprain/strain, ACL tear,” she cited.

Keeler and Russell advocate that when dealing with a clientele base of active duty Sailors and Marines, they tend to require more intense sport-specific programs, which the gym has readily available.

“The gym is the best place in getting them to build a strong foundation with an ongoing assessment to insure they are not overdoing things,” Russell said, noting that some of the advantages using the fitness facility include, using the NoFFs, outdoor track, circuit and progressive gym equipment for both training and testing as well as progressing in phases of rehabilitation. There is also aquatic access of the pool for appropriate decreased weight bearing progression of orthopedic/ankle rehabilitation and more complex pain patients.

Keeler has worked with clients as young as age seven and as elderly as 101. She has dealt with complex, multi-injury clients in acute care to those with neurological issues and those with orthopedic needs. She is known for her insight and involvement in helping her clients get the best care possible by addressing every detail during their PT process.

Patterson refers to them both as unsung heroes.

“When we read our Interactive Customer Evaluations comments, they are always highlighted as caring and compassionate providers that know how to push them hard to achieve their goals,” added Julianne Gordon, Navy Medicine Readiness Training Command Bremerton Doctor of Physical Therapy.

Keeler and Russell were surprised recently with being recognized as the command’s Five Star Team of the Quarter for 2023, by “demonstrating superior performance in the delivery of stellar customer service.”

“We are integral in returning our active duty to their readiness and in prevention of future musculoskeletal impairments,” stated Keeler.

When asked about the importance of physical therapy, Patterson replied, “By addressing injuries early, we help return Sailors and Marines back to 100 percent not only for the things they enjoy but also to stay on the job and maintain operational readiness.”