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IF IT’S PHYSICAL, IT’S THERAPY
www. omt apt . com Phone : (630) 637-1693 NOVEMBER 2017
I would like to take a moment to wish you all a happy Thanksgiving! The holidays are right around the corner. The winter is approaching too. Do take your time to warm up your body before exercising, swimming, or playing any sports to avoid any injuries. The slip and fall injuries are common during the winter season. Strengthening the muscles of lower extremities will help you to avoid a fall, and working your leg muscles with weights will help you attain this goal. Also, practice single- leg stance while you are brushing your teeth, applying makeup, styling your hair, shaving, or washing dishes in the kitchen. Stay on a single leg for about a minute while you are near the sink. You can hold onto the sink if your balance is poor. Shift legs when you have done a minute. Being able to stay on a single leg while the other foot is off the ground will improve your balance dramatically. Research shows that, among the elderly, weak leg muscles combined with poor balance is the No. 1 cause of falls. We can avoid this by following the steps mentioned in the previous paragraph. Call us if you have any questions regarding your exercises and balance. We offer free injury screening to all our clients, and to their beloved family members and friends. FROM THE DESK OF Kaarthick Mani, DPT
THE ALL-AMERICAN DUO Football and Thanksgiving
In the 2009 hit film“The Blind Side,” Sandra Bullock’s character watches her family lounge around the TV, quietly enjoying a football game with their Thanksgiving turkey and stuffing. Realizing the need for family time on this holiday, she turns off the TV and orders everyone to the table. Her husband, played by Tim McGraw, protests, “But it’s Thanksgiving!” For many of us, that’s how Thanksgiving has always been. After the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and National Dog Show, it’s on to watching Lions, Cowboys, and Redskins (oh my!) play on the gridiron. It’s among the most American things about Thanksgiving. There were no pilgrims in tall hats and pantaloons suiting up for an annual Turkey Bowl, of course, but football on Thanksgiving is forever entwined with our history. Those holiday games have set the stage for some of the greatest moments in the history of sports. WHYWE PLAY FOOTBALL ON THANKSGIVING In 1934, radio executive George A. Richards moved his football team, the Portsmouth Spartans, to Detroit and renamed them the Lions. To give the team a bigger profile in a baseball-obsessed city, he organized a Thanksgiving Day game against the Chicago Bears and billed it as a major holiday event. The Lions lost, but the concept won. The game drew 11,000 more spectators than usual and was a nationwide radio hit. Thus, a tradition was born (and not just a tradition of the Lions losing.) As football viewership soared in the ’60s, other teams got on board. The owner of the struggling Dallas Cowboys added a Thanksgiving game to boost viewership. Now, as the world’s most valuable sports franchise (worth $4.2 billion) they don’t need the PR, but they still attract millions of viewers during their annual Turkey Day bout. Is it a coincidence
Yours truly,
–K. Mani
Continued on page 2 ...
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Cover story, continued ...
anyway, eventually giving Chicago that year’s championship. The All-Americans were not happy. In other moments, Bills running back O.J. Simpson set a rushing record by going 273 yards, but his team lost to — yes — the Lions. In 1993, a unconventionally snowy surface in Texas led to a bizarre field goal gaffe that cost the Cowboys the game. In 2012, Jet’s quarterback Mark Sanchez ran into the backside of his own offensive lineman so hard that he fumbled the football, which the Patriots recovered and ran for a touchdown. The play, now known as the “Butt Fumble,” has millions of views on YouTube. Will you be watching this year when the Lions take on the Vikings, the Cowboys face the Chargers, and the Redskins play the Giants, all for various trophies and treats? If Mom has something to say about it, tell her what we’ve told you: It’s a Thanksgiving tradition!
ceremoniously devouring a turkey leg on national television. FOX bestows the Galloping Gobbler, an inedible plaque that used to be a kitschy statuette of a turkey in a football helmet doing the Heisman Trophy pose. They discontinued that after an unimpressed Emmitt Smith tossed it in the trash.
that they had 20 straight winning seasons after their inaugural Thanksgiving game? You decide. Throughout history, other teams played regularly on Thanksgiving, including the Chicago Bears, Chicago Cardinals (now in Arizona), Frankford Yellow Jackets, Pottsville Maroons, Buffalo All-Americans, Canton Bulldogs, and the New York Giants. Now, every team except a couple of jungle cats — the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Carolina Panthers — have played on Thanksgiving, but the Lions and the Cowboys are the only teams that play every single year. Thanksgiving? Go around the table and say what you’re thankful for? Does grandma make a pumpkin pie that knocks you out? Thanksgiving football has also adopted its own set of traditions. Each game has its own prize. On CBS, the Turkey Leg Award features the winning team’s most valuable players IT’S TRADITION! What does your family do every
Other traditions include:
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Throwback jerseys
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Blackberry cobbler for the winners of the third game
• The Lions losing (their overall record is 36-38-2, but they’ve lost as many as nine in a row before) STUFFEDWITH ICONIC MOMENTS On Thanksgiving Day in 1921, the Chicago Staleys (later renamed the Bears) lost to the Buffalo All-Americans and demanded a rematch. Buffalo agreed, but only if the game was an off-the-record exhibition. The Staleys indeed avenged themselves, and the league decided to count the win
Sweat the Years Away THE LIFE-GIVING BENEFITS OF SAUNAS
feeling good and warming you up weren’t enough, a healthy mind is a great reason to sauna. And while the simplicity of the traditional sauna is part of what makes it great, some facilities have added a modern twist: infrared rays. Infrared saunas, already hot in NewYork City and Los Angeles, are starting to pop up everywhere. If you have trouble dealing with the heat of a typical sauna (average sauna temperatures are kept around 212 degrees F), this latest trend is for you. The average temperature of an infrared sauna is 150 degrees F, making it a more tolerable experience. One NewYork studio touts infrared’s ability to stimulate collagen production, an added anti-aging benefit. Need another bonus? Infrared saunas are said to release up to 20 percent more toxins from the body than traditional saunas. Whichever type of sauna you decide to visit, the potential health benefits speak for themselves. If you don’t get to escape to Miami or Cancun this winter (and even if you do), it’s a relaxing way to warmup and ease winter ailments. Treat your body and yourself to a sauna experience!
Colder weather is hard on our bodies for many reasons. The air dries and cracks our skin, freezing temperatures cause old injuries to flare up and joints to ache, and the conditions make it just plain hard to exercise. What’s a fair-weather bird to do? Head to the sauna! Sauna use has been popular in Finland for thousands of years, and there are compelling reasons why. Not only are there many bodily benefits, but science is telling us it may also protect the mind. We’ve known for a long time that saunas can help with blood circulation, stress relief, and cardiovascular health. Traditional saunas use heat to get your blood flowing and promote circulation, and the sweating that goes on during a sauna experience is said to rid your body of toxins. It’s a rejuvenating ritual that releases stress along with endorphins. Now, the health journal Age and Ageing has found evidence linking sauna use to a lowered risk for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Men aged 42–60 who participated in frequent sauna bathing sessions were found to have lowered rates of dementia and Alzheimer’s. If
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RECOVERY, PREVENTION, AND EDUCATION Physical Therapy Can Help Young Athletes
As athletics become a bigger commitment for children of all ages, injuries happen more frequently. Nobody wants their child to suffer an injury while playing sports, but when it does happen, you need to know that your kids have safe recovery options. Physical therapy offers many benefits to athletes dealing with pain, as well as those seeking to prevent injury in the first place. Young athletes aren’t just dealing with the strain of physical activity. They also have to cope with the fact that their bones and cartilage are growing, which increases the likelihood of tissue injuries. If your child is injured, physical therapy offers a safe, non-invasive path to recovery without the need for excessive medication. Physical therapy is a dynamic method, accounting for the unique needs of every individual. This adaptability allows for tailored treatment programs based on strength and flexibility training. In physical therapy, recovery and training techniques are coupled with education, limiting the risk of a repeat injury. This education also aids in injury prevention by teaching young athletes about body mechanics. If a child understands the tenets of safe, mechanically sound movement, they are less likely to end up on the sidelines. Sports medicine and physical therapy techniques increase range of motion, promote proper stretching, and help a child become more in tune with what their body is telling them.
If you are the parent of a young athlete, consider consulting a physical therapist as your child becomes more serious about their sport. It won’t just limit the risk of injury; it can also increase performance. Of course, some injuries are unavoidable. In those instances, physical therapy is often the safest road to getting your child back on the field and doing what they love most.
Take a Break
BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH SAUSAGE
Looking for an easy, delicious Thanksgiving side dish? This gem requires only a few ingredients.
Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons olive oil • 3.3 ounces fresh, hot Italian sausage
• 1½ pounds Brussels sprouts • ½ cup water • Salt and pepper
Directions
4. When sprouts are just about done, remove cover and raise heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring just once or twice, for a couple more minutes. The liquid should evaporate, and the sprouts should start to brown. 5. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot or warm.
1. Trim sprouts and cut in half. 2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, 3–5 minutes. 3. Add sprouts to skillet. Add
½ cup water. Add salt and pepper. Cover and cook 10 minutes or until just tender. Check them periodically and add a bit more water, if necessary.
Recipe courtesy of InTheKitchenWithKath.com.
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Phone: (630) 637-1693 Hours: M, W, F (10 AM - 8 PM) Saturday: 10AM - 3 PM www.omtapt.com
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE From the Desk of Kaarthick Mani PAGE 1 The All-American Duo: Football and Thanksgiving PAGE 1 How Saunas Will Change Your Winter Health PAGE 2 Physical Therapy Can Help Young Athletes PAGE 3 Take a Break! PAGE 3 Brussels Sprouts With Sausage PAGE 3 The Secrets of Turmeric PAGE 4
THE TRUTH ABOUT TURMERIC The Secrets of the Yellow Spice
ibuprofen). Of those compounds, six are COX-2 inhibitors. COX-2 is an enzyme that causes inflammation and pain in the body.
For thousands of years, sunny yellow turmeric has been a staple in curries as well as a spice renowned for its ability to treat a vast number of ailments. In recent years, this South Asian native has become a sort of “spice-of-all-trades.” Turmeric’s popularity has surged throughout North America. People are adding it to food and using it to treat everything from arthritis to heartburn. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the spice can treat just about every kind of inflammation, whether it’s joint pain or a headache. Have a stomachache or nausea? Try turmeric. Have a mild rash or burn on your skin? Try turmeric. Current studies are even looking into turmeric’s effectiveness as a treatment for diabetes and dementia. When one substance is purported to have near-magical healing powers, you have to remember to take it with an additional dose of skepticism. Can one spice really cure everything that ails you?
In short, these six compounds help block the enzymatic reaction that triggers inflammation. One of these compounds is called curcumin, which is often considered the active ingredient in turmeric. An article published in the medical journal Nutrition and Cancer found that, by weight, pure turmeric powder contains 3.14 percent curcumin. However, clinical trials of curcumin have produced less-than- stellar results. A comprehensive review of 120 studies of curcumin, published in 2017 in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, found no evidence that the compound produced positive results as an anti- inflammatory or antioxidant. In fact, researchers found curcumin to be an, “unstable, reactive, non-bioavailable compound.”
So what does this mean for people who use turmeric for its medicinal properties?
If it works for you, continue to use it. If you’ve thought about adding it to your diet, give it a try. It’s safe to use, and studies have shown virtually no toxicity, even in high doses.
Let’s ask science. Researchers have identified over 20 distinct compounds that work similar to NSAIDs (such as aspirin and
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