PAP == 'Prepare and Prevent' with Physical Therapy

If you are reading this, you probably have already encountered a reason to see a Physical Therapist. For those of you that have never had to, the question you might ask yourself is, when is the right time to see a Physical Therapist?

It wouldn't surprise you that many initiate PT because of an injury, painful condition or neurological disorder. On the other hand, it might be surprising to know that physical therapy can be essential to resolving other conditions like vertigo, TMJ dysfunction, headaches or bowel and bladder dysfunction.

Accidents do happen and physical issues arise, seemingly from nowhere, and when they do, care is certainly needed. A visit to a physical therapist can open up a world of possibilities when we step away from the disease model and embrace a prevention approach to PT.

Too often, resources are used to recover and not prevent! What if those same visits for treatment of acute back pain were used to learn how easy it is to practice good posture (if you know that's not one of your strong points) or to find out specifically, what muscle imbalances you might be developing and what to do about them.

What if those nagging aches or pains that have slowly changed your lifestyle were addressed BEFORE they reached "injury level" and you discovered what you needed to do for physical longevity, BEFORE, you started making those lifestyle changes?

Many of us have an annual medical exam to follow the progress of our overall health. We are all used to practicing good dental hygiene because our dentists have done a good job of teaching us how to take care of our teeth and see them once or twice a year for....Yes That's Right...PREVENTION!

Those 32 bones in our mouth tend to be well taken care of, but what about the other 108 bones you use to sleep, sit, stand, walk, climb stairs and do everything else? Now wouldn't it be novel to have a physical therapist consultation from time to time, to find out specific ways to keep your body supporting all those activities throughout all the stages of your life?

So to start to answer the question we started with, the right time to see a physical therapist can come for many reasons, but the message here is that knowing specifically how to improve or maintain your body and feeling the results of doing so can contribute significantly to your quality of life.

Sara Lewis, PT

Duffy and Bracken Physical Therapy

Daylight Saving == Spring Into Action

If you enjoy your sleep as much as I do, I am sure you cringed yesterday as you set your clock ahead an hour for Daylight Savings Time. Thankfully, springing forward allows us an extra hour of daylight that we can use to enjoy the outdoors and make the most of our days. Here at Duffy and Bracken we encourage everyone to use this time to 'Spring Into Action'. We know that keeping active and moving can have a positive impact on our overall health.

A little can go a long way, so here are some simple tips to keep you moving

forward:

• Take the stairs instead of the elevator
• Get up and walk around your office
• Enjoy a leisure walk for lunch
• On the weekends spend a half hour outdoors
• Safely diet by combining good nutrition and exercise

Here's some tips from the women at Duffy and Bracken on how to keep healthy and active outdoors:

Renuka: ‘Run outdoors! Use body weight exercises to stay in shape instead of a closed gym environment.’

Sara: ‘Now that it's not so cold, get off the train one stop early and walk ten more blocks. Get away from the hustle and bustle of the city by walking in the park.’

Ann: ‘People who walk after dinner live longer, so go out for a 20 minute walk or walk-run on your own for some peace or with family or friends.’

Helen: ‘Transition to outdoor activities after being sedentary all winter! If resuming an outdoors-only sport that hasn't been touched for months (golf, baseball, tennis) to prevent injuries a proper, supervised pre-hab is necessary.’

By the Therapists at Duffy and Bracken Physical Therapy:

Ann Duffy

Renuka Pinto

Helen Nam

Sara Lewis

LEAP >>>>>>Into Better HEALTH!!!

This week we have that extra day in February --- yes I’m talking about the leap year 2012…. It’s a day that comes around once every 4 years --- this week is that week!

Rather than looking at it as just another Wednesday --- Perhaps we should look at it as an extra day that comes around --- It’s a bonus day --- a day for those of us who are planners should go unaccounted for.

So here’s my challenge to you this Wednesday --- take a five minutes of the day --- to take Stock on your health status --- check all the portfolios --- blood pressure, optimal heart rate, body fat, BMI, waist size, diet habits, exercise routine.

--- Take mental notes…then answer the question

“ IS THIS THE OPTIMAL YOU?”

If the answer is yes; then I urge you to celebrate this bonus day that comes once every four years around…. Celebrate it with a smile, celebrate it someone dear to you, celebrate it because --- its your life!

If the answer is no; then perhaps you can use this bonus day to make the commit towards improving the not so optimal you… get into an exercise based program, find a exercise buddy, make that long awaited trip to the dietitian or just make that promise to yourself.

And if you don’t know where to go…..

Come to us here at Duffy and Bracken

We have programs to meet your needs at an individual level………..

Whether its our Wellness program—for those with chronic illness like hypertension, diabetes, arthritis

Or

Functional Program---for those who need to get through their work week

Or

Sports program – for those weekend athletes who need the extra edge

Or

Fitness Program—for those looking to shed those extra pounds

Let us be your springboard as you make that LEAP!!!

By

Musings of a Physical Therapist

Renuka Pinto, Director

Don't make your Swoosh..............a "FOOSH" !!!!

The Winter is here, and even though Mother Nature hasn't given us too much to be excited about (in terms of snow), many of us will hit the slopes this year, some for the first time.  When strapping into that snowboard for the first time it's important to know one of the most prevalent hazards that awaits you........... Wrist injury. 

 

Most studies on ski/snowboard injuries show that the incidence of fractures is twice as high amongst snowboarders compared to skiers - (approximately 25% of all injuries in boarders are fractures compared to 12.5% in skiers).

 

The most common snowboard injury is when the rider instinctively outstretches a hand in order to try and break their fall. This mechanism is known as a 'FOOSH' amongst emergency department staff (standing for Fall Onto an Out Stretched Hand).

 

This injury is especially common if you are a beginner, the group spending most of their time on their butts (and their wrists). 

 

So how do you prevent a trip from the mountain to the doctor's office?

Two things:

• Learn how to fall properly
• Invest in gloves with built in wrist guards.

Falling properly is something taught in all entry level snowboard classes.  If your going down, bending  at the knees and "sitting down" onto the butt before rolling on your back ; or bending at the knees and slowly falling forward onto your knees and elbows are both proven ways to lessen the chances of injury from a fall. 

Wrist Guards may seem un cool and unnecessary, but most gloves with built in guards are unrecognizable to the outside eye and they have been proven to reduce injury rates when experiencing a FOOSH.  A study collating information from over 7000 snowboard injuries,  demonstrated that first time snowboarders wearing wrist guards were half as likely to injure their wrists as snowboarders not wearing guards.

I know that this is the furthest thing from your mind, as it should be, when you set out to learn a new and amazing sport. Just do me a favor and keep these simple tips in the back of your head, they'll help keep you out of the emergency room!

 

Just some points to think about when hitting the slopes!  Have fun and stay off those wrists! 

 

Greg Minnis, DPT

Snowboarder

 

 References:

1.. Idzikowski JR, Janes PC, Abbott PJ. Upper extremity snowboarding injuries. Ten-year results from he Colorado Snowboard Injury Survey. Am J Sports Med. 28(6): 825-832, 2001 2.. Sasaki K, Takagi M, Ida H et al. Severity of upper limb injuries in snowboarding. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg 1999; 119: 292-295

3. O'Neill DF. Wrist injuries in guarded versus unguarded first time snowboarders. Clin Orthop. 2003; 1(409): 91-95

The "SAG" of Sports

Hollywood has started this year with a flurry of award ceremonies. The Golden Globes were awarded earlier this month and the celebrities have now walked the red carpet and claimed their awards at the SAG this weekend --- a precursor to the much-awaited Oscars!!!

In the recreational world we can draw a similar comparison the SAG a precursor to all other sports.

SAG = Swimming; Athletics; Gymnastics are the corner stones the foundation to all other sports. Lets look at each one individually…

Swimming—repetitive single symmetrical motion in an unchanging medium viz. water. The rhythmic constant roll of the trunk on the surface of water while the arms and legs work; both over and under the surface to allow for a good cardiac and endurance muscle work load.

Athletics—is the big umbrella for track and field activities-- with the key element running. Running a symmetrical repetitive motion of trunk in the transverse plane with the arms and legs in the frontal plane. Single arm throws like the discus, javelin, and hammer – all distance throws find its way into modern day baseball and football

Gymnastics—now here there is 3 dimensional movement in the vertical plane in addition to the horizontal and frontal planes. The base for all sports that involve jumping movements. And you thought the backward flips on the football field were a coincidence!! What about slam dunk that happens at the hoops at MSG?

Like everything in life, a solid strong base is essential for the pyramid on top to balance. Good side to side agility is important for tennis, good stop and start or braking is important for basketball, a good squat position is essential for downhill skiing…. the list is endless.

Your performance in any sport is only as good as the foundation both in technical skill and physical prowess.

So come on over to see us here where I can teach you to challenge yourself in our studio be on the gravity training system, sliding board, hurdles or medicine ball.

What are you waiting for --- come claim your own award!!

Renuka Pinto, MPT, CSCS, CES

Sports and Musculoskeletal Therapist

PT at Beijing Olympics 2008