Next Step_Back Pain and Difficutly Walking

Relying on pain medications to help you overcome back pain will leave you disappointed. While pain medications are frequently helpful at alleviating the discomfort of your back pain for a short period of time, they are not capable of resolving the issue that is causing your pain to develop in the first place. The only thing that can actually fix your back pain is addressing the issue that is causing your pain head on. Physical therapy is a great resource for addressing your back pain and can be a helpful tool in getting you back on your feet.

NEWSLETTER The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

This year, in addition to visiting my in-laws in St. Louis, Missouri (as we always do each summer), we also went to Branson, Missouri. It’s about a 4-hour drive from St. Louis in the direction of Arkansas (for those of you who are geographically inclined). We had heard that there was a lot to do there for families, so we wanted to check it out. Between mini-golf and go-cart racing and laser tag (all within walking distance from our hotel), it was more difficult trying to fit everything in as opposed to finding something to do. Not to mention, there was also a Tanger Outlet Mall next to us. I would say that the two major highlights of the trip were the amusement park we went to and one of the dinners we had one night. Silver Dollar City is a great amusement park, similar to a Six Flags like we have in Jersey – lots of rides and several monster roller coasters. We had a blast and literally spent the entire day there. When we finally got to the car that night I checkedmy phone to see howmany steps I had taken that day… almost 18,000! The other day’s highlight was Dolly Parton’s Stampede. This is similar to what I’ve seen in the past called Medieval Times – where you eat all your food by hand as you cheer for your knight to beat all the other knights in a competition. In this case, it was a horse competition where half of the group was “The North” and half of the audience was “The South.” You cheer your team’s horses and their riders as they do tricks and races. We were fortunate enough to get front row seats. While we definitely got dirt sprayed on us from a horse (not fortunate) my kids also got the victory flowers thrown to them by our team’s riders when they won a competition. All in all, I thought Branson was a great little town, and I would recommend checking it out during the summer if you happen to be in that neck of the woods. There’s way more to do than I even mentioned, including some lake activities and boating. I would say Branson is one of those places most of us from New York have never heard of or know to visit but could be a great change-of- pace summer vacation for those looking for someplace that you have never been to before. Summer Vacation 2019

INSIDE : • Fixing Your Stride

• Healthy Recipe: Fruit & Yogurt Ice Pops • Patient Success Spotlight www.nextsteppt.com

• Relieve Leg Pain In Minutes

NEWSLETTER The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

BACK PAIN & DIFFICULTY WALKING

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Relying on pain medications to help you overcome back pain will leave you disappointed. While pain medications are frequently helpful at alleviating the discomfort of your back pain for a short period of time, they are not capable of resolving the issue that is causing your pain to develop in the first place. The only thing that can actually fix your back pain is addressing the issue that is causing your pain head on. Physical therapy is a great resource for addressing your back pain and can be a helpful tool in getting you back on your feet.

physical therapy could be the answer to helping you enjoy life free of back pain. And the secret to success is learning to approach recovery one step at a time. Walking your Way Pain Free Walking isagreat formofexercise,butmore than that, it is a necessity of life. When you can’t walk, even basic tasks become complicated. Getting out of bed in the morning, getting to and from work, moving your way around the office, and even spending time with family on the weekends all rely heavily on your ability to walk. When your back pain begins to interfere with your ability to

move around freely, then you know it is time to start doing something about it. Conveniently, walking is more than a goal when it comes to back pain, it could be part of the solution. Working with a physical therapist to develop improved strategies and techniques with your walking could help you to get back on your feet even sooner than you thought possible. What’s more, for those who are able to walk, getting on your feet more often with targeted exercises could help you find relief from back pain even sooner than expected.

So, whether it is following a sudden injury or a chronic issue that has developed over time,

SERVICES & THERAPIES :

• Wrist / Hand Pain • Wellness / Balance Problems • Ankle / Foot Pain

• Knee Pain • Sports Injuries • Shoulder Pain

• Physical Therapy • Low Back Pain • Neck Pain

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Fixing Your Stride

When you are experiencing regular back pain— especially if you are experiencing back pain while walking—you should consider ways that you can reduce back pain by taking small steps to support your back. There are several things that you can do at home to improve your stride, which can make a significant difference when it comes to managing back pain day-to-day. Here are several ways that you can start taking care of your back with each step you take: 1.Make sure that you are wearing the right types of shoes. While the golden rule for walking is to wear sneakers, not all sneakers are created equally. You need to wear a sneaker that is going to provide you with the arch support that meets your individual needs. This may mean upgrading from your minimal support sneaker to something more athletically designed. 2.Try a custom insert in your shoe. Of course, you can’t wear sneakers all the time. When you are at the office, professional footwear matters. You may find it helpful to have

custom orthotics made for your work shoes so that you can have more arch support around the clock. 3. Work on improving your posture. If you are slouching when you walk, then that may be impacting the way that your back feels. Take a few minutes in the morning and again in the afternoon to stretch your back, and then make a point of keeping your shoulders square and your back straight as you walk. Simply standing tall may alleviate some of your back pain. Another way that walking can help alleviate back pain is by encouraging weight loss. Being overweight puts added pressure on your back, and this can contribute to increased back pain. Working with a physical therapist to improve your walking technique can help you to overcome back pain one step at a time. Is back pain keeping you from the life you love? Call today to learn more about how physical therapy at Rebound Physical Therapy can get you back on the path with a pain-free stride.

Relieve Leg Pain In Minutes Try this simple exercise to keep you moving

Tasty Recipe: Fruit &Yogurt Ice Pops

INGREDIENTS • 2 cups fresh blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and sliced bananas, mixed • 2 cups plain or vanilla yogurt • 1/4 cup sugar (optional) • 8 small paper cups • 8 popsicle sticks INSTRUCTIONS Place the mixed blueberries, raspberries, strawberries,slicedbananas,yogurt,and sugar intoablender.Cover,andblenduntil fruit is chunky or smooth, as desired. Fill paper cups 3/4 full with fruit mixture. Cover the top of each cup with a strip of aluminum foil. Poke a popsicle stick through the center of the foil on each cup. Place the cups in the freezer for at least 5 hours. To serve, remove foil and peel off the paper cup.

Relieves Leg Pain

HAMSTRING STRETCH

Stand with one leg on a medium sized stool or stable platform at the height shown. Keeping your back and leg straight, slowly lean forwards from the hips. Hold for 15-30 seconds. Repeat exercise with the alternate leg. This exercise can be repeated multiple times per day for extra relief.

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What’s New?

Patient Success Spotlight

Summer’s over and school is back in session (collective sigh of relief to all the parents out there). August was filled with lots of patients and lots of vacations - I even took one! Our rotator cuff workshop has really been picking up steam and its getting so busy that we might need to host it in the library. Anna has finished her clinical residency with us and we will miss her and all of the energy she brought to the practice. With that said we should have some really exciting news but due to the timing it will have to wait until next month’s newsletter. Enjoy this month’s production and we’ll talk soon. Chris Ostling

“I can even lift boxes and change the winter and summer clothes without pain.” “Before P.T. I couldn’t walk or stand without back pain. Now, after a few weeks of therapy I can do all of those. I can even lift boxes and change the winter and summer clothes without pain. Next Step P.T. is excellent.” -Madeline

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