Wood Associates Physical Therapy Newsletter
THE NEWSLETTER ABOUT YOUR HEALTH AND CARING FOR YOUR BODY NEWSLET TER PUTTING AN END TO YOUR ACHES AND PAINS
Everyone develops aches and pains from time to time. After a long day out in the sun, or after an afternoon of trying to keep up with household chores, sometimes the tasks that we expect of our bodies can get the best of us. (continued inside)
DETAILS INSIDE DIRECT ACCESS TO PHYSICAL THERAPY
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THE NEWSLETTER ABOUT YOUR HEALTH AND CARING FOR YOUR BODY NEWSLET TER
PUTTING AN END TO YOUR ACHES AND PAINS
INSIDE : • Fixing Your Stride
• Exercise Of The Month • Practice News
• 5 Popular New Year’s Resolutions
20 minutes at a time during the first 24-72 hours after the pain develops. After that, consider soaking in hot water, such as taking a warm bath, to further soothe your muscles. 2. Don’t underestimate the power of resting! Your body relies on sleep just as much as your brain. You need to get plenty of sleep to keep your stress level at a minimum—and that includes your physical stress level. Aim to sleep between 7-9 hours every night. The more activity you engage in, the more sleep you need. 3. Keep your body in good shape with regular exercise. It may seem counterintuitive to cut down on pain by moving more, but exercise is a really good way to reduce aches and pains. When you exercise every day, you are able to train your muscles for more movement, and thereby reduce aches and pains. Keeping active, staying rested, and being smart with hot and cold therapy create a trifecta for healthy management of aches and pains, but they aren’t going to solve the bigger problems. When aches and pains start to grow severe, or chronic, then it is time to reach out to a professional for support. Physical therapy is the best way to reduce aches and pains because it takes into account a combination of active and passive strategies to help tackle the cause of your pain.
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Whether it is a lingering ache in your back, feet that feel swollen and tired after a long day in your shoes, or a crick in your neck that just won’t go away, dealing with aches and pains can really take a toll on your overall feeling of wellbeing. If you stopped and asked around, you’d be amazed to see how many people are struggling with aches and pains, just like you. What may surprise you even more is how many people are coping with those pains without doing anything productive about it. How to Deal with Aches and Pains Pain medications can reduce the severity of aches and pains for a little while, but they don’t do anything to resolve the issue. There are things that you can do at home that can alleviate your aches and pains, helping to reduce the severity of your discomfort while also reducing the likelihood that the pain will return. Don’t just complain about those aches and pains. Start doing something about them. Here is a quick rundown of things that you can do at home that can reduce your daily pain: 1. Use hot and cold therapy appropriately to reduce inflammation. After a good workout or a day of doing chores out in the yard, your muscles will likely feel sore. Apply ice directly to the area that hurts on and off for
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GLUTE STRETCH Sit with good posture with one foot on top of the opposite knee as shown. Execute by gently pushing knee downward. To increase the stretch, lean slightly forward. You should feel a stretch in hip/glute area. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat 3-5 times. Helps Flexibility www.simpleset.net Try this movement if you are experiencing aches & pains. EXERCISE OF THE MONTH
Why Physical Therapy Will Help
There are a lot of different reasons as to why you may start feeling aches and pains. Muscle pain will occur whenever your muscles start to grow. To build more muscle mass, your muscles have to stretch, and lactic acid can pour into the lining of your muscles to cause a burning sensation. More movement will push that acid out, helping you to experience relief, and in time your muscles will develop increased elasticity, and the burning won’t be so severe. Build-up of tension from stress or overuse, and muscle pain from poor posture can also contribute to regular pain. A physical therapist can take a comprehensive assessment to help determine what may be the primary cause behind your aches and pains. Working with a physical therapist can help you develop a new approach to managing your aches and pains. Your physical therapy program will likely take into account strategies like hydrotherapy, deep tissue massage, guided stretching and targeted movements to help you experience ongoing relief from regular discomfort. Contact Wood Associates Physical Therapy today to schedule a consultation and get started on the first steps toward back pain relief!
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Practice News
5 POPULAR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS 1. Get in shape. The most common New Year’s resolutions have to do with getting in shape. If you’re resolving to hit the gym to improve your health or just your physique, you can avoid falling off the fitness cliff come February by enlisting a friend to exercise with you, or joining a regular class where you’ll be missed if you skip a session or two. Need additional motivation? Use fitness technology to stay on track. “Fitbits will tell you when you’ve been sitting too long and you need to move. Food apps will tell you when you’ve eaten too much and you need to stop. Exercise apps will tell you how many calories you’ve burned. 2. Lose weight. Spend any amount of time on Instagram and you won’t be able to avoid the avalanche of products and schemes promising quick weight loss. And while the thought of shrinking a dress size or five by Christmas morning is a gift in itself, there really aren’t any shortcuts when it comes to dropping pounds. While we’ve long heard the message that the key to weight loss lies in diet and exercise, the latest research suggests that, while exercise is important for overall health and keeping weight off, it isn’t actually that useful for weight loss. The bottom line: If you want to lose weight, focus on cutting calories. 3. Spend less, save more. If your bank account is looking a little low after the holiday gifts have all been purchased, you may be one of the many people who resolve to get their financial house in order in 2020. Buy and sell clothes at consignment stores, consider refurbished electronics, buy produce when it’s on sale, and bundle your car, home, and life insurance. Paying separately for auto, life, and home insurance can get expensive. Ask your insurance agent if you will receive a discount for bundling policies. 4. Spend more time with family and friends. Spending time with loved ones is great for your health and well-being, so it’s not surprising that many people resolve to put more effort into nurturing their connections with family and friends. Set aside time each week to either call or meet up with a friend or family member. Take turns hosting dinner, or just get together for a walk. Friends far away? Set up a weekly Skype chat instead. 5. Get organized. Getting organized is a noble goal. But in order to make this resolution stick, you’re going to need some concrete strategies. Avoid impulse purchases so you don’t end up with more clutter, setting aside 10 minutes each day to filed and delete old emails, and setting up files to keep track of paperwork, such as medical bills, taxes and home maintenance documents.
Did you know that the State of Massachusetts is one of many states that allow direct access to physical therapy? You do not need a prescription or referral to start physical therapy. This was done to help combat the opiod crisis and encourage the use of physical therapy as the safe and effective alternative for treatment of acute and chronic pain and injuries. A PHYSICIAN REFERRAL IS NOT NEEDED FOR PHYSICAL THERAPY IN THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS! Direct Access To Physical Therapy WE WISH YOU A HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SAFE HOLIDAY SEASON! - LAURA & PAT
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