With the colder months come the big fluffy sweaters and the cozy blankets with cups of cocoa and twinkling lights. But what's also coming our way is the snow, ice, and cold dry air. Make sure your joints are well protected from the elements and all they bring with them this winter season.
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NEWSLETTER The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body
GOING BACK INTO WINTER WITH A HEALTHY SPINE
INSIDE: -The Shoveling Technique That Will Save Your Back - When You Hurt More Than Your Pride Slipping On The Ice - Body Gears News - Exercise of The Month - Patient Success Spotlight Make sure your joints are well protected from the elements and all they bring with them this winter season. With the colder months come the big fluffy sweaters and the cozy blankets with cups of cocoa and twinkling lights. But what's also coming our way is the snow, ice, and cold dry air.
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NEWSLETTER The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body
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THE SHOVELING TECHNIQUE THAT WILL SAVE YOUR BACK
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2. Keep to the Plan The best way to clear snow is by plopping the shovel down and walking with it in front of you. Use both hands on the handle ensuring your core muscles are engaged to prevent your lower back from arching and to increase your strength. When you allow your hips and your shoulders to face the same direction, your back is much happier. Now, the plan is to clear straight lines of snow so you need to map out the area you're shoveling for maximum efficiency. If it's a standard driveway, first clear one long strip down the middle then flip your shovel over and spread this pile of snow out along the end of the drive. Next, clear the left side of the driveway by walking from the middle strip to the left edge of the driveway and simply pushing your shovel forward to dump the snow over the edge. Repeat this until you get to the end of the driveway then use the same technique to clear the right side.
Possibly the most dreaded of the winter chores is shoveling snow. For some, it’s synonymous with back pain, but it doesn't have to be! By keeping these three easy concepts in mind, you can clear the driveway pain-free. 1. Get Warm Don't shock the body! With shoveling, you're introducing freezing temperatures and heavy loads at the same time. Start with walking a few laps around your home with your jacket on to get the blood flowing and warmth built up. If you're already seeing a physical therapist, perform your home exercises before you go out. If you don't have a tailored exercise routine, consult with a physical therapist to get some core activation exercises that will save your back and make the job easier.
Shoveling shorter strips like this should prevent this problem, but if the snow is deep and starts to spill over the edge of the shovel onto the part you've already cleared, then start by using only half the width of your shovel to clear the snow so that the other half can collect the snow as it spills over. 3. No Need for Throwing Snow! Notice in the instructions above, there’s no mention of lifting a shovel full of snow and tossing it anywhere. If you’re used to doing weighted motions like this from your workout routine, then you’ll be equipped to handle lifting and throwing snow from your shovel. On the other hand, if your back is prone to being sore, then just remember that tossing snow from your shovel is not necessary to get the job done. If you need to be able to lift a shovel full of snow pain-free, then email info@bodygears. com to request help from a physical therapist.
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When You Hurt More Than Your Pride Slipping on the Ice
Whetheryou're iceskatingor justwalkingdown the sidewalk, slipping and falling becomes muchmorecommonplace in thewintermonths. While most people become instantly aware of major injuries, it's possible for other injuries to fly under the radar. The most notable of these is falling on your tailbone and changing its regular resting orientation. Known by PTs as thecoccyx, your tailbone isan anchor point for the protective sheath around your spinal cord and various muscles, including
those of the pelvic floor and the glute max. Forthosewho injuretheirtailbonesafterslipping and falling, this storyline is not uncommon: a bit of bottom soreness for a few days that eventually resolves but is followed by an onset of hip or lower back pain several weeks or even months later as unfamiliar tension created by the coccyx affects the neural sheath and muscle function. Some people have even been known to end up with foot or neck problems all from landing on their tailbones.
Suffice it to say, if you fall on your bottom, don't ignore that soreness! Get it checked out by a well-trained physical therapist before it develops into something worse. If you slip on the ice this winter, take advantage of a FREE injury screen with one of our physical therapists.Justvisitourwebsiteoremail info@ bodygears.com to make a request. ®
www.bodygears.com Exercise of theMonth Try this movement to improve your balance and core strength
Staff Spotlight
Dr. Lindsay Jana, PT, DPT, Lindsay earned her Doctor of PhysicalTherapy degree from Long Island University inBrooklyn,NY.ShealsohasaBachelorof Science Degree with a double major in Psychology and Human Services from Loyola University Chicago. Lindsay is a manual orthopedic physical therapist who is experienced with Functional Dry
Needling. She is also a Women’s Health Therapist experienced with pelvic floor rehabilitation and is able to help women with a variety of pelvic health issues as well as prenatal and postpartum needs. Certifications and Training: • Doctor of Physical Therapy • Licensed Physical Therapist by the State of Illinois • APTA/IPTA Member • Women’s Health Therapist • Functional Dry Needling, Level 1 and Functional Therapeutics
Speed Skater
Standing Hip Extension with Theraband: Place a Theraband around your ankles and stand with your feet hip distance apart. Ensure both sides of your pelvis stay facing forward by keeping your core engaged as you bring one leg behind you without arching your back. Give your glute muscles a squeeze and try building your way up to 3 sets of 10 reps on each leg.
Education: Long Island University 2012-2015 • Doctorate in Physical Therapy Loyola University 2008-2012 • Bachelor of Psychology and Human Services
Patient Success Spotlight
Body Gears News
You asked and we listened! In case you haven't heard, each clinic now has their own direct phone number:
West Loop: 312-728-3030 Lincoln Park: 312-739-3030 Wheaton: 630-937-3030 Oak Brook: 630-912-6040 Oak Park: 708-607-6040 Winnetka: 847-447-6040
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How to watch your waistline this holiday season
The holiday season means lots of parties and dinners to attend! Join Body Gears founder April Oury and Registered Dietitian Kristen Marias as they discuss how to watch your waistline while still joining in on the feast this holiday season! Find us on SoundCloud @BodyGearsPT
These guys fixed me. I had a snowboard injury 3 years ago that left me with pain in my ribs and hip. Within a few weeks, Garrett and the Body Gears team fixed me. I highly recommend Body Gears and Garrett for any physical therapy needs. My only regret is waiting so long before I went to see these guys." - Dragos (Body Gears Graduate) "These guys fixed me"
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Schedule Your FreeDiscovery Session www.BodyGears.com | 877-709-1090 VISITOURWEBSITEORGIVEUS ACALL: Whether you’re recovering from an injury, training for a competition, or you’re striving for better health, wellness and freedom of movement, Body Gears can help you achieve your optimum self. This 20-minute appointment will allow you to meet a physical therapist, share your story, and complete a mini-assessment. The purpose of this screening is to answer two questions: 1. Which techniques will help you change your story? 2. How can Body Gears help you achieve your functional goals? Our physical therapists will be able to quickly provide you the information you need to take the next step. We hope it's with us! ®
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en3re family, or even ge>ng down on the ground to play with the grandkids, make sure to give your loved ones the GiA of Healing this year so they can do the things they love without pain.
Whether it’s traveling to an exotic beach to escape the snow, or cooking those holiday meals for the entire family, or even getting down on the ground to play with the grandkids, make sure to give your loved ones the Gift of Healing this year so they can do the things they love without pain.
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HOW TO SLEEP WITH LOWER BACK PAIN: 3 EASY STEPS
As the weather gets colder our beds get warmer and for most people, it’ll be our favorite place for the next few months. Sadly, if you’re struggling with back pain, it might be your least favorite place and you might not be able to get out of your bed fast enough in the mornings. Because everyone should get to enjoy snuggling under blankets pain-free, we’re sharing with you our expert knowledge of how to sleep comfortably if you’ve got lower back pain. First: Why me?! If you’re experiencing lower back pain when you lie down to go to sleep, it’s likely because structures which are used to being held in a certain posture (good or bad) are no longer being supported as your muscles begin to relax and the pull of gravity changes (muscles unwilling to relax could also be the culprit). It could be that your bed or pillow isn’t providing enough support where you need it or those structures might need their range of mobility restored. The quickest and easiest thing you can do is to replace active muscle support with passive pillow support to achieve a mid-range posture where nothing is overstretched and nothing is over compressed. No matter what your preferred sleep position is, there’s a universal principle to guide sleep positioning which we’ve outlined below in 3 Easy Steps.
Step 1: Find Your Peaks These are the natural high points of your body when you’re lying down. In side-lying, it’s your shoulders and hips. On your back, your head and face obviously extend closest to the ceiling but note the curve in your lower back still remains, which means your lower back is a peak compared to your hips and upper back. Step 2: Find Your Valleys These are the natural low points of your body when you’re lying down. In side-lying, it’s your neck, waist, and legs. Not only are the structures in the valleys bowing from the pull of gravity (cue neck and lower back pain), but they’re yanking on your body’s peaks from both sides (cue hip and shoulder pain). Luckily, there’s an easy answer to help relieve any pulling sensations. Step 3: Support Your Valleys In side-lying, the most important valley to support to ease lower back pain is your waist. Start with a hand towel folded over a few times and ensure it fits between your ribs and your pelvis (if the towel extends under either one, it won’t offer the same level of support). Your waist will never reach the same height as your shoulder but what you are looking for is that your spine becomes more level from your lower back to your upper back. Depending on your mattress and body type, some people may require two towels or even a cushion while
others need only fold the towel over once. The towel should never feel “pokey” or painful, just supportive. On your back, the most important valley to support to ease lower back pain is your legs. Since the goal is to have your lower back and your upper back resting level on the mattress so they are evenly supported, then creating a bit of hip flexion through leg support will eliminate the peak in your lower back. The trick is to ensure the entirety of both legs are supported. Most people make the mistake of simply placing a pillow under their knees but this is insufficient support for your body’s largest limbs. There’s a better way…. Need More Help? We could write about sleep positioning for days, so we did! Email social@bodygears. com to receive your FREE copy of our digital Sleep E-Book that gives clear instructions for each sleep position, explains why you should never roll a towel support, and details how to ensure both legs are comfortably supported to eliminate lower back pain while lying on your back.
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