Sports injury medicine, physical rehab at NCH Outpatient Care Center at Harper College

If you’re a young athlete participating in weekend sports, the latest services at the NCH Outpatient Care Center at Harper College in Palatine are just right for you. The Outpatient Care Center now offers a specialized Sports Injury Clinic on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon. The clinic serves young athletes participating in school and park district sports programs who, if injured, can be evaluated and treated quickly without an appointment by Sports Medicine specialists trained to treat broken bones, torn ligaments, concussions and more.

Family Medicine/Sports Medicine Physician David Pohl, D.O. is one of four specialists working at the clinic on Saturdays.

“We believe this clinic offers a great opportunity to help our youth athletes receive prompt, specialized care for their injuries and help them return to their sports as soon (and as safely) as possible,” Dr. Pohl says. 

Other services, including physical therapy

The Outpatient Care Center is a state-of-the-art hybrid healthcare facility that brings together under one roof a physical therapy clinic, immediate care center and primary care physician offices along with labs, imaging, immunizations, student physicals and occupational health testing. It’s located on campus and open to anyone in the community. 

Physical Therapist Shivangi Potdar says a wide range of people with all types of orthopedic issues such as pain can be helped. Treatment is offered for patients with back, neck, shoulder, joint or knee pain; muscle, tendon or ligament sprains or ruptures; gait and balance disorders; weakness; nerve injuries such as sciatica, radiculopathy and neuropathy; headache related to neck pain or posture; and injuries from car accidents or work incidents, including worker’s compensation cases.

“Physical therapy is a program designed for each individual specific to their injury, pain level, posture, body type, strength, mobility, endurance, fitness level and most importantly, to each patient’s individual goal,” Shivangi says.

The Outpatient Care Center has access to an Olympic-sized pool, treadmill, stationary and arm bikes as well as ultrasound, electric stimulation, cervical and lumbar traction, stretching bands, foam pads and rollers, therapy balls, weights, a trampoline, parallel bars and more.

“We also do massage, joint mobilizations, taping (Kinesio tape, McConnell tape) and traction for pain relief,” Shivangi says.

Additionally, physical therapists treat people with vestibular (inner ear/balance disorders) such as vertigo and dizziness through positional and exercise-based treatment. 

The NCH Outpatient Care Center at Harper College is located in Building M and is open seven days a week.

For more information, call 847-618-0121 or visit nch.org/harper.

Physical therapy appointments can be made by calling 847-618-0170. Hours are Monday-Thursday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m. to noon. A prescription for physical therapy is no longer needed, as a new law allows patients to schedule an appointment without first having to visit a primary care physician for a referral.