For five decades, Joe Eastman has dedicated himself to the care of others, serving his community as a physical therapist. Over that time, he’s worked in small and large hospitals, intensive care units, wound care, pediatrics, orthopedics, ergonomics and more. But in every environment, he brings his secret ingredient to a fulfilling career: curiosity.
“Joe is an inspiration,” said Lisa Hughes the clinical manager of physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy services at Total Health. “You see his face light up when he talks about what he does. He’s always looking to improve and get better.”
Eastman says he fell into physical therapy when a friend at school had chosen it as a major. Eastman had a lot of interests in the classroom, but after taking a few introductory courses, he was hooked. He completed his education in physical therapy and graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1974. But he says his education only took him so far. Once he started working one-on-one with patients, he discovered just how multifaceted this profession was.
“At a basic level, we really are teachers,” Eastman said. “People come in with pain and difficulties. We work with them to relieve that pain and show them how to integrate what they’re learning into their lifestyle. It’s all about changing their habits, and we help them understand how they can do that.”
Eastman has been working at Stillwater Medical Center for 45 years. One of the greatest shifts in his career came about 15 years ago when his interests and continued training led him to the forefront of a new field, visceral manipulation. This groundbreaking technique evaluates and treats the dynamics of motion and suspension in relation to organs, membranes, fascia, and ligaments, as taught by the Barral Institute.
He then added training in craniosacral therapy treatments from the Upledger Institute, which is having groundbreaking success in the treatment of both athletes with concussion syndromes as well as soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder.
“The field is constantly changing, and we’re discovering new things all the time. The way I practice techniques today is so different from when I started,” Eastman said.
Each patient is unique and so no two treatment plans are identical. This gives Eastman and the therapists at Total Health a lot of variety in their work. It also creates space for them to specialize in techniques and work together to treat patients. Each of the 17 therapists at Total Health uses their strengths to enhance the quality of care provided.
Zach Collett has worked with Eastman for the past 10 years as a physical therapist. Collett has special interests in mechanical diagnosis and therapy, sports and orthopedic physical therapy, and – like Eastman – enjoys the diverse patient population at Total Health.
“Joe is always continuing to learn. He and I co-treat different conditions and are able to tag back-and-forth to provide the best care for the patient. Seeing people like him continue to strive to do better inspires me in my own professional development,” Collett said.
Eastman insists there’s nothing special about him. He’s just doing his job. And yet, his coworkers agree his passion for his work, his willingness to learn new things and his commitment to excellence are anything but ordinary.
He has no plans to retire, but has cut back on the number of days he works, recognizing it does take a toll on his body at 73. He said the greatest lesson he’s learned from his patients has been the importance of listening. When he listens at a deeper level, he’s able to make better-informed decisions and provide the best treatment possible.
“There are more options out there than people realize,” Eastman said. “Finding the cause of pain and using different modalities to treat it, we can make significant improvements in a patient’s daily life.”
