Pittman_Life Doesn't have to be a pain in the neck

Having frequent headaches and neck pain can literally be a pain in the neck, make you less happy and less productive in life. Why do you have that pain in your neck? More often than not it is caused by a muscle or joint problem. Poor posture in the upper neck area can often contribute to headaches, migraines and neck pain. When you look in the mirror, do you notice that you have a forward head posture or does your head look a little shifted off to the side, not in alignment with your neck?

The Pittman CONNECTION The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

Moving day is both exciting and frightening for most people. We moved my little girl to San Antonio, Texas for graduate school recently. I say little girl, but she earned a Neuroscience degree with honors from UAB. My wife and I are very proud of the young woman she has become. We moved her to Birmingham for school, but it was only 3 and a half hours away. San Antonio is 11 and a half hours away. I’ll start with the day I rented a truck. I asked for a 12 foot truck, which was overkill for the items we were taking. As I was about to leave, I noticed the gas cap had a lock on it and I did not have a key. About an hour and a half later I left with a 16 foot truck. We loaded the boxes and totes that were ready to go. After work the next day, the truck was loaded except for the last minute items to take and to leave at home. We ended up leaving at 9:30 PM. We stopped MOVING DAY!

in Little Rock as thunderstorms started rolling in. We got a few hours sleep before starting again, as we had to be in San Antonio before 5:00 PM when the leasing office closed. The truck had a governor that limited speed to 75 MPH. I sent my wife and daughter ahead to get the key. They made it with 40 minutes to spare. We unloaded our suitcases and a few blankets from the truck. That sleep on the floor was much better than the hotel because we were exhausted. Luckily the next morning there was shade on the side of the building where we were unloading. I think the temperature was 104 degrees that day. Later, we had everything put away and went to the store to line her shelves with food. Even the best laid plans have to change sometimes, but with hard work the results turned out the same. - By Brad, PTA

Brad joined the Pittman Physical Therapy team in 2017. He worked in the airline industry for 30 years, but after multiple knee surgeries a career change was necessary. He became interested in physical therapy after his first knee surgery in 2011. Brad went back to school at Southwest Tennessee Community College and graduated from their Physical Therapy Assistant program in 2017. He has been married to his wife Vicki for 26 years, has 2 children, Ellen and James, and granddaughter Victoria.

Life doesn’t have to be a PAIN IN THE NECK pittmanpt.com The Pittman CONNECTION The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

Having frequent headaches and neck pain can literally be a pain in the neck, make you less happy and less productive in life. Why do you have that pain in your neck? More often than not it is caused by a muscle or joint problem. Poor posture in the upper neck area can often contribute to headaches, migraines and neck pain. When you look in the mirror, do you notice that you have a forward head posture or does your head look a little shifted off to the side, not in alignment with your neck? Where Radiating Headaches Come From Different problems with the neck movement will cause pain to be felt in different areas. For example, did you know that if your pain radiates to the forehead or behind the eyes, this can be from “stuck” joints at the top of your neck? Poor movement causes stresses and strains on surrounding muscle and tissue causing irritation that affects the nerves in the area. The next level down, called C2, will often radiate pain to the side of the face / head and back scalp area. Finding the Root of the Problem To narrow the source of the problem, it is important to find out if your pain worsens towards the end of the day or is first thing in themorning. Pain at the end of the day and a complaynt of a “heavy head” feeling is an indicator of spinal muscle weakness and spine instability. The neck and shoulder muscles just can’t tolerate the weight of the head (about the weight of a bowling ball) with daily activities, tiring quickly. Pain in themorning that may radiate to the shoulders or down the arms can be associated with the discs between your neck bones (vertebrae), especially if that pain is radiating. What is the best course of action? The best solution if you have neck pain or headaches is to see a physical therapist. Our physical therapists are experts in evaluating your neck joints and muscles. We help you return the normal movement of your neck joints and muscles gently and safely, relieving your pain.

If you are having headaches or neck pain, discover our SPINE Program today and learn more about quickly relieving your pain.

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Exercise Essentials Try these exercises to help maintain a healthy body

CERVICAL SIDE BEND Tilt your head towards the side, then return back to looking straight ahead. (Be sure to keep your eyes and nose pointed straight ahead the entire time.) Repeat 10 times on both sides.

CERVICAL CHIN TUCK SUPINE WITH TOWEL While lying on your back with a small rolled up towel under the curve of your neck, tuck your chin towards your chest. Maintain contact of your head with the surface you are lying on the entire time. Repeat 10 times.

Exercises copyright of

Not all exercises are appropriate for every person. Please consult with a healthcare provider before starting.

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Who do you know that needs our help?

Refer a Friend Do You Have Friends or Family Unable to Do The Following? 9 Move without pain 9 Bend and move freely 9 Balance confidently and securely 9 Sit for long periods comfortably 9 Walk for long distances 9 Live an active and healthy lifestyle WIN A $20 GIFT CARD If you know someone suffering with aches and pains give the gift of health. Refer them to Pittman Physical Therapy today. Pass along this newsletter or have them call us directly to schedule an evaluation! You will get your name in our next newsletter and you could win a $20 gift card!

Referral Club: Thanks to our patients for referring a friend or family member!

Alice Thomas Erin Ramirez Cindy Workman Chris Finch

Traci Skinner Marcia Nanney Malbry Selden Jasen Feyerherm

Lisa McMahan McKrell Baier Frank Basile

Recover FasterWithLaser Therapy Heel Pain Workshop - Thursday, September 6, @ 6 p.m. https://pittmanpt.com/heel-pain/ Shoulder Pain Workshop - Thursday, September 20, @ 6 p.m. https://pittmanpt.com/rotator-cuff-fb/ Back Pain Workshop - Saturday, October 20, @ 10 a.m. https://pittmanpt.com/cville-backpain-ws/ You Should Only Attend These Workshops If: 1.) You or a loved one suffer from heel, shoulder or back pain. 2.) You are aged 40+ and have suffered with pain for longer than you feel you should have 3.) You are currently seeing a doctor or thinking about it How Do I Register For These Workshops? Call Pittman Physical Therapy at 901-850-5246 We only have 25 seats available for each event due to the interactive nature of this workshop. So if you would like to attend, be sure to register now Call 901-850-5246 How Much Is It To Attend The Workshop? Nothing... the event is absolutely FREE but call 901-850-5246 now to register as we are taking only 25 attendees. COMPLIMENTARY WORKSHOPS You are invited to our

Laser therapy allows your body to utilize its own healing powers by inducing a series of healing responses in your body. During treatment you will feel soothing warmth that identifies the beginning of an 18-24 hour process of modulated cellular activity leading to decreased pain and inflammation. Call today if you would like more information: 901-850-5246. • Foot and Ankle Conditions • And Much More! Laser Therapy Relieves Pain and Inflammation Associated With • Strains and Sprains • Soft Tissue Injury • Post Surgical Rehabilitation • Sports Injuries • Tendonitis & Tendonosis • Shoulder and Knee Pain • Hand and Wrist Injuries

Patient Success Spotlights

“Straight and to the point!” “Before I started with Pittman, I had lower back pain. My pain was especially bad when I would walk for hours at a time (going to the flea market or shopping). The pain seems to have lessened considerably. I thank the staff for being so professional, but fun at the same time. Good job guys!” - Gayle Nelson

“I am virtually pain free” “I came to Pittman because I had intense hip pain playing tennis. Jeff dry needled me the first visit which decreased my pain 70% overnight and made it much more pleasant to continue my home strengthening exercises. Helen helped me get stronger with each visit and encouraged me to keep exercising and stretching at home. Krista is great too! After four weeks I am virtually pain free and back to playing tennis several times a week. The entire staff is very friendly and helpful. Thank you!” - Sheryl Carmack

“I have almost full range of motion!”

“Now I am pain free!” “Before coming to Pittman PT, I had trouble sitting and standing without pain in my lower back and right hip. Over the past few weeks, Helen and Mitch worked with me, and helped me regain my strength in those areas. Now I am pain free and ready to continue on with my normal everyday activities. Thank you!” - Nora Lenderman

“When I came in the first time, I was having extreme shoulder pain. The pain was so bad I could not lift my arm. Since working with the staff, I have almost full range of motion. I really enjoyed being here because we could all laugh together, patients and staff alike. Thank you!!” -Karen Schmulbach

ANYONE COULD SUFFER WITH ARTHRITIS IN THE NECK

Try this simple test See if you have restricted cervical joints. Stand with your back against the wall. Can you touch the back of your head to the wall while keeping your chin level? If you cannot, then your neck joints are limited and you need physical therapy to restore the range of motion. Is your neck pain affecting your balance? Have you ever seen a person with their head protruding forward and their body bent over? This can be subtle or quite noticeable. With neck pain, limited neck posture results in loss of balance. Just pull anyone by their nose and you will see they will falter forward. This is because the normal lines of gravity through the body change when the spine posture changes. If you or someone you know has poor balance, it could be a problem with their posture.

Do you find yourself feeling frequent neck or shoulder aches and pains? You could be suffering from cervical (neck) arthritis. Arthritis in the neck is very common as we age. With arthritis in the neck, people often complain of pain radiating into the lower neck, shoulders, or even down into the arm. The problem with arthritis is the loss of range of motion in the neck joints. As bone wears on bone, the surface of the bones actually start to change shape. This thins the bones in the neck in some parts leading to a loss of height between the bones. Due to abnormal wear and tear, new bone forms where it shouldn’t, creeping into the holes where the spinal cord passes through. In addition, it can rub on the nerves out to your neck, shoulders, arms and even hands. This can lead to a condition called cervical spinal stenosis, which can be quite painful. What can be done to help neck arthritis? While painmedications can help control pain, they don’t address the root cause of the pain, which is poor strength and lack of normal movement. The neck joints on the side of the spine normally experience wear and tear over the years. However, when this wear and tear is accelerated due to poor posture, weakness or injury, this can lead to limited, painful range of motion. In addition, with neck arthritis, the smaller muscles that guide the motions of the neck become weaker, eventually leading tomore rubbing and arthritis. By gently stretching these tight and restricted joints with specific hands on therapy and exercises, range of motion can be returned. While physical therapy cannot restore the cartilage or change the bony structure, it can certainly help your neck move better, become stronger, reduce pain and give you the power to stay healthier longer.

Get your neck moving and feeling better. Call us to learn more about our SPINE Program today!

Call Pittman Physical Therapy if: You have back pain at the end of the day You have trouble enjoying time with family due to pain You have limited mobility at work

Get Answers For Back Pain. Call: 901-850-5246

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