February 2019
(318) 443-3311
www.elitephysicaltherapy.us
ELITE Physical Therapy Lagniappe
Choosing Kindness
Kindness is a really big part of what we do here at Elite PT. We strive to treat our patients with kindness from the minute they walk through the door. In fact, we go beyond that — we want our patients to be treated like family. We want to be here for you. It’s easy to take acts of kindness for granted, but they are not a given. Being kind is a choice we get to make. The day dedicated to it this month is a good reminder to choose kindness when we have so many other options. It’s something we get to choose in every situation. Kind acts don’t have to be elaborate. I’ve heard of running groups that pick up litter along their runs and people who “pay it forward” in a line at a coffee shop. I like to find small acts of kindness I can do throughout my day. At the grocery store, I like to push the carts from the parking lot to the store. I like to open doors for others. I enjoy speaking to strangers (I know this isn’t everyone’s thing) and hearing their stories.
When we heard Feb. 17 is Random Acts of Kindness Day, we started thinking about the ways we see kindness every day: Our spouses surprising us with coffee, a coworker or patient bringing in treats they baked, or a neighbor assisting an elderly person with the upkeep of their home. The Humane Society of Louisiana even sponsored a 1,000 Acts of Kindness campaign in December to encourage people to perform good deeds that month. Acts of kindness happened across the state in response. Then there are stories of kindness like one that went viral last year. A local grocery store clerk noticed that a young man with autism was fascinated with his task of restocking shelves, so the clerk patiently walked him through the activity. Seeing
the influence his actions had on their son, the young man’s parents returned the clerk’s act of kindness by starting a Go Fund Me campaign for his college tuition. They collected over $100,000 for his education. Stories like these make us feel good, and they no doubt have a profound impact on the recipients of the acts. in front of us at work every day. It’s the patients who tell their PTs what a difference they’ve made in their life, the PTs who go the extra mile to find an activity their patients love, or a coworker going out of their way to ask if everything’s okay when they can tell someone’s had a hard day. Often, the acts of kindness that impact us most are the ones happening right
What acts of kindness speak to you? We’d love to hear your stories.
–Bart Jones & Don Cassano
Elite PT • (318) 443-3311 • 1
Break the Monotony of Overplayed Board Games! Family Game Night
Family game night is a time when a family can forget about all of life’s commitments and bond over a good old-fashioned board game. But the old, tattered Monopoly box or worn-out UNO cards can leave something to be desired, and the classics might be getting a little dull. If you’re tired of playing the same board games over and over, it might be time to start looking for ways to change things up. Here are four tabletop games you might not have heard of that are perfect for spicing up family game night. MYSTERIUM Your family will love delving into this cooperative murder mystery game that is a mixture of Clue and Dixit. You can play as the ghost or as one of the mediums who enters the haunting. The ghost player gives each medium a clue or vision about a potential murderer, and the mediums have to guess which person, room, or weapon
was used to murder the ghost player. After each turn, the ghost reveals whether each of the mediums’ guesses are right or not. If all of the mediums succeed in guessing correctly by the seventh in-game hour, they work together to find the true murderer. LASER CHESS A classic game of chess is a great way to spend an evening, and it just got a little more interesting. Laser chess includes all the problem-solving skills a typical chess game offers but with a twist. At the end of each turn, a player fires a small laser beam that bounces off the mirrored chess pieces. If it hits the non-mirrored surface of a piece, that piece is taken by the player. A player wins when the opposing player’s king piece is illuminated.
compete against other seafarers in building settlements. Enjoy the 45–90-minute game as you and your family build roads, barter resources, and race for absolute supremacy on Catan. ONE NIGHT WEREWOLF Every night, werewolves prowl around the village, and it’s up to the villagers to find the werewolf once the sun rises — before it’s too late. Each person plays a unique role with different abilities to help find or conceal the werewolf. If the werewolf is caught, the villagers win the game, but if the werewolf manages to escape, the villagers lose. Now you can bring some exciting variety into your family game nights. Don’t miss out on these excellent tabletop games, and most importantly, have fun!
CATAN Welcome to the island of Catan! After a long voyage at sea, the people in your expedition
Client Testimonial
“To my team at Elite PT — Abby, Jayme, Kelsey, and Jessica — you guys made my success possible. Throughout my life, I have had back, knee, and foot surgeries, and your team is the best physical therapy team I have ever had the honor to work with. I can tell you are not just coworkers or a team; you are family, and you treat your patients the same. Thank you, and God Bless.“
––––– –Frank M. Schrader
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Addressing the Opioid Crisis Considering Alternative Treatments for Pain Pain, relief, withdrawal, addiction — the cycle isn’t that simple or straightforward, but addiction never is. What started as a way to help patients manage their pain has turned into a health crisis that’s killing them. Last month, the New York Times shared the National Safety Council’s distressing findings: For the first time in recorded history, Americans are more likely to die from an opioid overdose than from a car crash. What’s behind this recent rise? Opioids are a relatively new strategy for addressing chronic pain, and their addictive nature has led to a health crisis. For more on their history, look to Sam Quinones’ book “Dreamland.” At the root of the issue is pain treatment, and while opioids are one way of doing it, recent research suggests that taking opioids is not the most effective strategy. For lower back pain, for example, two studies from the University of Washington found that treatment plans consisting of decreased activity, opioids, and surgery aren’t successful for most patients. Instead, the studies found that physical therapy specifically focused on pain-coping and relaxation techniques is a more effective — and often less costly — way to treat pain. • • •
89 percent less likely to be prescribed opioids
28 percent less likely to need an MRI
15 percent less likely to visit the ER
Stemming from the current crisis, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recently issued a report that supported these findings. It concedes that “many nonpharmacologic therapies, including physical therapy […] can ameliorate chronic pain,” especially when pain stems from lower back pain, fibromyalgia, and hip and knee issues. Of course, there’s no single solution to the opioid crisis. But changing the way we think about and treat pain as a society is an important first step in putting an end to opioid abuse and resulting overdoses. Our lives depend on it. If you suffer from chronic pain, talk to us to find out if physical therapy might be a viable treatment. We are here for you. Call the number at the bottom of the page.
The studies looked at 150,000 insurance claims and discovered these findings about patients who saw a physical therapist first for lower back pain:
Have a Laugh!
Bistecca Alla Fiorentina
Ingredients •
Inspired by Saveur magazine
•
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
2 bone-in porterhouse steaks
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1/4 cup olive oil
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Lemon wedges, for serving
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2 sprigs rosemary
Directions 1. 30 minutes before cooking, remove steaks from fridge to bring them to room temperature.
2. Heat a grill or large cast-iron skillet to high. While heating, brush steaks with half the oil and season liberally with salt and pepper.
3. Place steaks on the hottest part of the grill or pan and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Flip steaks and baste with remaining oil, using rosemary sprigs as a brush. If cooking in a pan, place sprigs next to steaks after basting.
5. Cook for 5–6 minutes for medium-rare.
6. Let steaks sit for at least 5 minutes, slice against the grain, and serve with bone.
Elite PT • (318) 443-3311 • 3
3446 Masonic Drive Alexandria, LA 71301 (318) 443-3311
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www.elitephysicaltherapy.us
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• Contemplating Random Acts of Kindness • Bring Variety to Family Game Night Inside THIS ISSUE
• Hear From a Happy Client
• A Health Crisis
• Bistecca Alla Fiorentina
• The Most Iconic Super Bowl in NFL History
One for the Ages How Super Bowl XXXIV Made an Icon Out of a Grocery Store Clerk
Going into the 1999 NFL season, no one expected anything from the St. Louis Rams. When starting quarterback Trent Green went down with a gruesome knee injury in the preseason, ESPN The Magazine slated the Rams to be the worst team in the NFL that year. With few options, coach Vermeil named a virtually unknown player as his new starting quarterback, humbly stating in a press conference, “We will rally around Kurt Warner, and we’ll play good football.” Five years before his start, 22-year-old Kurt Warner was stocking shelves at a Hy-Vee grocery store in Cedar Falls, Iowa, for $5.50 an hour. However, he had amassed a whopping 16 snaps in the NFL prior to taking the reins for the 1999 season, and what proceeded to transpire on the field was utter pandemonium, giving the Rams
the nickname “The Greatest Show on Turf.” This improbable season and the resulting MVP award for Warner set the stage for one of the most dramatic games in Super Bowl history. After going up 16–0 against the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV, Warner and the Rams looked poised to coast on their way to the Lombardi Trophy, but the late Steve McNair and the Titans had different plans. The Georgia Dome was rocking after two Eddie George touchdown runs, and a field goal brought the Titans level at 16–16, with just over two minutes of play remaining. In response, Warner dropped back and found receiver Isaac Bruce for a 73- yard touchdown, bringing the score to 23–16 with 1:54 left on the clock. But the Titans weren’t done fighting.
Quickly moving the ball down the field, Titans quarterback Steve McNair found himself with a third and 5 inside the Rams 30-yard line with 22 seconds left. Scrambling around and fighting off two players trying to pull him down, McNair threw the ball to Kevin Dyson at the 10-yard line. A quick timeout left six seconds on the clock, and the Titans were one play away from tying the game. What proceeded was a play that will be forever known as “the tackle.” McNair found Dyson on a quick slant, and when he caught the ball at the 4-yard line, it appeared a touchdown was imminent. Suddenly, linebacker Mike Jones wrapped the receiver up at the hips. As he fell to the ground with the ball in his hand, Dyson extended his arm, but when he hit the AstroTurf, he was 1 yard short of the goal line. The Rams had pulled off the impossible, earning their first Super Bowl title ever.
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