Rue & Primavera Nov 2017

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Diabetes Patients According to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 100 million Americans have diabetes or prediabetes. While there is no cure for diabetes, physical therapy can help patients dealing with the condition improve their quality of life and ability to perform daily tasks with less pain. Physical therapy can also alleviate the skin issues that often accompany diabetes. If you suffering from diabetes, alert your therapist from the first visit. They will conduct an assessment that takes into account your condition, including factors like blood glucose levels. From this testing, they will develop a customized program that meets your treatment needs. Training will include movements that can improve strength, raise endurance levels, and increase flexibility and range of motion. A stronger and more limber body leads to less pain on a daily basis. As your treatment progresses, you may also find a greater sense of balance and coordination, which helps to prevent falls. Physical activity has been shown to reduce blood glucose levels. In order to help heal sores, a therapist can apply bandages and wraps. Skin checks will help to prevent new sores from forming. Your therapist won’t just help you during your office visits. They will provide safe exercises for you to perform at home so you can improve between visits. It’s important to follow prescribed routines in order to avoid overexerting yourself. Over the course of treatment, you should consult with your therapist so exercises can be tailored as you grow stronger and more flexible. The plan will include safe exercises designed with your current movement and strength levels in mind.

for Thanksgiving

Unless you have a child auditioning for “MasterChef Junior,” you’re probably not going to let the little ones cook the turkey this Thanksgiving. Just because the kitchen might be off limits, though, doesn’t mean you can’t find a few creative ways to make the holiday extra special for your kids. Spice up Thanksgiving with these fun, family friendly activities.

COLORING-BOOK TABLECLOTHS

If you have a big family, you are probably familiar with the Thanksgiving tradition of the kids’ table. It may be smaller than the grown-ups’ seating arrangement, but it doesn’t have to be any less special. Turn your kids’ table into a canvas for a colorful, creative dining experience. To do this, use craft or art paper to cover the table. Tape everything down tightly and provide crayons and colored pencils for every place setting. If you want to add some extra holiday spirit, put the drawing supplies in empty cranberry sauce and pumpkin cans.

GRATITUDE MOBILES

Of course, Thanksgiving isn’t just about delicious food. It’s also about reflecting on the parts of our lives we are grateful for. Teaching kids about gratitude is the most valuable Thanksgiving lesson. Bring that concept to life with a gratitude mobile. Grab some colored paper circles — or cut them out — and have your children write down things that they are thankful for. A silver Sharpie is great for this. Punch holes in the tops of the circles and run string through them. Tie the other end of the string to a coat hanger or embroidery hoop and hang it from the ceiling. Want to get the kids outside so you can get to work in the kitchen? Create a Thanksgiving-themed game for them to play outside while you prep the stuffing and put the turkey in the oven. To create a holiday-themed “Stuff the Turkey” game, all you need is a few paper bags. We’ll bet you have some left over from shopping. Use two small bags stuffed with scrap paper to create legs and glue them to a larger bag folded to look like the body of a turkey. Now that you have your turkey, you need some balls to stuff it with. Anything soft and baseball-sized will work, even some balled-up paper. Kids will take turns trying to toss the balls into the turkey, scoring points for every shot made. STUFF THE TURKEY GAME

Diabetes is a serious condition, but physical therapy can be part of a treatment plan that minimizes the impact it has on your life.

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