Amanda Hodel, physical therapist, sees patients for orthopedic concerns, physical rehabilitation, injury recovery and pelvic health therapy.
Amanda Hodel, physical therapist, knew from experiences in high school that her career was going to involve helping and caring for people.
“I was in athletics and had a few injuries. I worked through those injuries and went through athletic training and physical therapy," Amanda said. “I knew I wanted to do something in health care, and wanted to get to know people and see them throughout the course of their care."
Amanda received her bachelor's degree in athletic training and her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. In 2014, she received her board certified orthopedic specialist certification (OCS).
She sees patients for orthopedic therapy, injury recovery and pelvic health therapy, which includes therapy for females and males with urinary symptoms, pelvic pain, prolapse, before or after prostate surgery as well as generalized symptoms during pregnancy and postpartum, such as back pain, pelvic pain, urinary symptoms or pregnancy-related pain.
“There are so many factors in life that play into how people feel, like how they're doing physically, mentally and emotionally. I try to understand where the person is coming from, but also educate on how all those things are vital in their recovery process," she said.
As a physical therapist, her goal is to get to know her patients and learn what they want to achieve through therapy. She also wants her patients to be part of their decision-making.
“I want them to play an active role in their care. Part of their care is doing their exercises, but it's also creating that care plan and deciding what we want to focus on together," she said.
Amanda appreciates the variety in her day and wants to provide the best course of care to each of her patients through individualized treatment plans.
“Even if I have patients coming in with the exact same diagnosis, the course of care is going to be different and customized to that patient," she said. “I want to find out what my patients want to get back to and how to achieve that, and that looks very different to each person."
When not at work, Amanda loves spending time with her family – her husband and three sons. She also enjoys being outdoors, being on the water, spending time with her family at their cabin, skiing, fishing and playing hockey.