LifeInMotion_Hand Therapy

Since April is Occupational Therapy month, we thought it would be appropriate to introduce you to our one-and-only occupational/hand therapist - Adrienne Riveros. We asked our patients what they wanted to know. You may find some surprises in her answers, so read all the way through!

March/April 2019

Newsletter The Newsletter That Helps You Return To A Life In Motion FREE FROM HAND PAIN You Can Live A Life

www.lifeinmotion-therapy.com

March/April 2019

Newsletter The Newsletter That Helps You Return To A Life In Motion

APRIL IS

MONTH

For the Love of Occupational Therapy! Feature Article

SinceApril isOccupationalTherapymonth,we thought it would be appropriate to introduce you to our one- and-only occupational/hand therapist - Adrienne Riveros. We asked our patients what they wanted to know. You may find some surprises in her answers, so read all the way through! (Continued Inside)

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For the Love of Occupational Therapy! (Continued)

My experience here at Life in Motion has been heartwarming. As a licensed massage therapist, I always taught my clients how to properly take care of themselves. Coming here for my injury, it was my turn. The staff reminded me how important time and patience is and it goes a long way.The staff is always cheerful and inspiring, even the patients as well!The atmosphere and environment was and always will be positive. My therapist, Adrienne, always put my concerns, injury and issues first. When she asked “What’s new?”, you can tell she asks whole heartedly. Everyone here is such an incredible group that will always make you feel at home. I highly recommend this gem of a clinic to friends and family. Thank you so much Life In Motion for helping me improve on my injury and taking care of me as if I were family.” -Jessica W. “Thank you so much Life In Motion for helping me improve on my injury and taking care of me as if I were family.” How did you get into OT? When I started college at the University of Florida, I pretty much knew that I wanted to go into the medical field, but didn’t exactly know which part. Occupational therapy and physical therapy were the prime contenders, but I also considered physician assistant... and architect for a bit. It turned out that I also had an interest in entrepreneurship, which I didn’t know the significance of until later (wink, wink). I finally decided on occupational therapy and originally wanted to work with children who had autism. How did you turn into a hand therapist? I turned into a hand therapist because my clinical instructor fell and broke both of her arms while I was an intern during my optional specialty rotation. Yes, this really happened. I was interested in hand therapy, so I was assigned to location and a particular clinical instructor. Well, during the first week I was there, the head therapist was working out and fell. She had to have surgery on both arms. She came back to work right away - and it was sink or swim for both of us. I was her hands for everything for a while. In a very short time, I had to become knowledgeable and competent. It turned out that I liked the science of hand therapy just as much as the art. It was a perfect combination for me. So... here I am, 10 years later. What is your favorite food? At the top of my list of classic favorites is... CHOCOLATE! Currently, Patient Success Spotlight

another favorite is the Hawaii roll at Saki in Clearwater. YUM! That could just be pregnancy, though. Don’t worry... it is cooked. No raw sushi for me! Yuck! How do you determine goals for your patients and what do you hope to see when they leave? Many of the goals for a patient are determined at their first visit. The most important thing to focus on is what is most important to them. You may have two people with similar injuries and, yes, you may work on general things such as motion and strength for both, but therapy becomes more tailored after that. Everyone’s goals are different - some want to play with their grandchildren, some want to write and some have to get back to high-intensity jobs. Everything is relative to what the person wants and needs. When they walk out of Life In Motion, I hope to see someone that was able to return to the activities that they love and hold dear, whatever those activities may be. What is the intension/mission of Life In Motion? When we started out, we wanted a place where people could come and have quality care and get back to the things that were important to them with less pain and better function. Simple. As time has passed, this remains true, but we’ve expanded on this. We are now also striving to be educators and ambassadors for our field. We help teach patients how to be advocates for their own health. We teach students/ observers/volunteers more than just the therapy side of things - they

Share Your Thoughts

If you’ve had a positive experience with LIM that you’d like to share, we’d like to invite you to leave a review on our website. The gift of sincere, heartfelt reviews helps guide others who are looking for a therapy home...and it warms our hearts to hear your stories! Go to www.lifeinmotion-therapy.com and click on “Review Us.” Click on the clinic you attended.

Feature Article

are the future of our profession and we have a responsibility to lead and guide them. We teach the public, through community workshops, about therapy topics that are sometimes hard to understand without help. All in all, our mission is focused on... helping people return to life. What is it like working with your husband, Carlos, every day? Eventful. He is always up to some kind of shenanigan. One of my favorite things, though, is seeing how much his patients love him. I wouldn’t have my days go any other way. Oh yes! Our son is 2 and we are working on fine motor tasks. I am teaching him to change his own diaper! Ha! Just kidding. I wish. The thing about being an OT and being trained in child development is that you notice every single milestone. You just soak it in because you understand all that is happening in order to coordinate a tiny little grasp around a crayon or what it takes to jump from step to step. It is just... absolutely fascinating. Thanks for reading! We hope you learned something fun! Now, flip on over to the insert to learn more about Occupational Therapy Month! Is there anything particular about OT that carries over into mommy-life?

If you check out the “About” section of the Life In Motion website, you will see that we have quite a few core values - one of them is Education. We believe in educating the public on the value of conservative care and we believe in empowering our patients, through Sciatica and Shoulder/Rotator Cuff workshops. More topics will be added soon, so keep an eye out! Check your newsletters or check our website at www. lifeinmotion-therapy.com for upcoming dates! Remember - registration is required - online or by phone. INFORMATIONAL WORKSHOP SERIES education, to be advocates for their own health. The therapists of Life In Motion are currently putting on workshops every two weeks that are open to the public. We alternate between Lower Back Pain/

May 11th: Shoulder and Rotator Cuff May 25th: Lower Back Pain & Sciatica June 8th: Shoulder and Rotator Cuff June 22nd: Lower Back Pain & Sciatica July 6th: Shoulder and Rotator Cuff

SEMINOLE LOCATION ONLY - (727) 369-6355

Helpful Tips

Having pain in your hands can have a significant impact on the activities you do everyday. Below are some helpful tips that can help you address pain and perhaps prevent it altogether!

Contrast Baths

The contrast bath technique is a useful way to decrease swelling in non- acute injuries.The theory behind this exercise is that the “pumping” action helps the lymph system to move stagnant fluid away from the affected area. It will also help to decrease pain and increase range of motion. This exercise can be performed by filling two basins with water – one with hot water to your tolerance and one with cold water to your tolerance – you may even add ice. Put a wash cloth (easier) or sponge (harder) in each basin if instructed to do so by your therapist. Start in the hot water and gently move/squeeze. Then, move to the cold water and do the same. Follow the time sequence below alternating between hot and cold. Always respect your pain. If you need to stop squeezing and just gently move or rest in the water, do so. Start and end in the hot water.

HOT WATER 3 minutes 2 minutes 2 minutes End in hot for 3 minutes COLD WATER 1 minute 1 minute 1 minute Do this activity daily in the AM / PM or as needed.

Joint Protection Procedures Take breaks - When performing prolonged activity, make sure that you take ample breaks to avoid soreness. Example: When gardening, take small periods of rest to break up the activity.

electric one. Instead of struggling with a jar lid that doesn’t open easily, use a piece of dycem or tacky shelf paper to help. Handheld jar openers are also readily available. Respect your pain - If an activity is causing pain, listen to your body. Change the activity so that it does not hurt. Forgoing activity all together can cause stiffness in the joints, so finding a different way to do the activities that you love is more ideal. If you have questions about your hand pain and feel like you could use additional help to return to the activities you love, give us a call at (727) 369-6355! We are here to help!

Use larger, stronger joints - By using joints that are larger and stronger to perform an activity, you can reduce the strain on your smaller joints, especially in your hands. Example: Instead of carrying grocery bags with your hand, move them up to your elbow instead. Use adaptive tools - Instead of performing a necessary activity that is painful, such as opening a jar or lid, try to use an adaptive device to help. Example: Instead of using a manual can opener, use an

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Hand Therapy: Why is it Important?

Hand therapy is a form of occupational therapy. While the title only specifies hands, this form of therapy focuses on the upper extremity as a whole, which also includes the wrist, forearm, elbow, upper arm and shoulder. Hand therapists will treat injuries and ailments that affect the upper extremity and work toward returning the affected area to its highest level of function. At Life In Motion Physical & Hand Therapy, occupational therapy is important to us. We have an outstanding occupational therapist, Adrienne Riveros, who will be able to aid you in the recovery and rehabilitation of any upper extremity injury you may experience. If you are suffering from pain in the upper extremity, or if you have been living with a chronic condition that has been affecting the upper extremity, don’t hesitate to call us today! We will schedule an appointment for you and figure out the best steps for your treatment plan. Hand therapy can treat a vast variety of conditions. Some of the most common include: • Strains/Sprains • Fractures and dislocations • Tendon/nerve repairs • Tendinitis • Arthritis • Burns • Nerve compression syndromes • Joint replacements The upper extremity is used countless times throughout the day. Just think of your morning routine: you get out of bed, brush your teeth, shower, get dressed, make breakfast, and commute to work. In just that small portion of the day, you have already used your hands, wrists, forearms, elbows, arms, and shoulders hundreds of times. If you are suffering from one of the above conditions, or from a generalized pain that you can’t figure out, it can make completing even simple activities (such as your morning routine) difficult. Hand therapy can help with that. It can relieve pain and get you back to comfortably performing your daily activities. In fact, according to the American Society of Hand Therapists, your hand therapist can provide faster recovery results and decreased medical costs. They also work to ensure a faster return to work and productive lifestyle. Benefits of hand therapy:

treatments, patients can find significant improvement - sometimes after just one session! In some cases, additional techniques, such as ice and heat therapies, paraffin wax and use of the Class 4 Light Laser may also be used as part of your treatment plan, in order to enhance the healing process. Perhaps one of the biggest roles of a hand therapist, however, is prescribing targeted stretches and exercises. These will be dependent upon your diagnosis and will focus on improving your range of motion, strength, and overall function, so you can safely and comfortably perform your daily activities once again. A large part of hand therapy is helping patients regain their independence in day-to-day tasks and improving their quality of life. If you have been suffering from upper extremity pain, contact Life In Motion Physical & Hand Therapy. We’ll help you schedule a consultation with Adrienne so she can evaluate the extent of your condition and create a personalized hand therapy treatment plan for you. Your upper extremities are important aspects of your everyday life – find relief for them today. What now?

But how exactly does it work?

A hand therapist typically uses manual techniques to manipulate the affected area, in order to release tension, swelling, and pain. Through the use of soft tissue mobilizations and hands-on

Call Today (727) 369-6355!

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