For some, back pain is a daily occurrence that dictates the way you live your life. Every movement, every motion is determined by the pain in your back. Standing, sitting, laying down, driving, walking, or running — the pain persists.
HEALTH & WELLNESS The Newsletter About Your Health and Caring for Your Body
LIVING LIFE WITHOUT BACK PAIN
GEORGIALINAPT.COM
HEALTH & WELLNESS The Newsletter About Your Health and Caring for Your Body INSIDE: It’s Time to Say Goodbye to Back Pain, Once and For All! • How Physical Therapy Helps • Healthy Recipe: Ratatouille Dip • Success Stories
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ONCE AND FOR ALL! SAY GOODBYE TO BACK PAIN
For some, back pain is a daily occurrence that dictates the way you live your life. Every movement, every motion is determined by the pain in your back. Standing, sitting, laying down, driving, walking, or running — the pain persists. In ages past, back pain was difficult to treat. If you experienced back pain, whether as a result of a work injury, trip-and-fall accident, or even just as a result of aging, the answer was almost always the same: head home, take a long rest, and give your back time to heal. This isn’t the way that things go anymore and for several reasons. To start, the world isn’t as forgiving. Heading home and taking a long rest until your back is healed may work for some, but not for most. With deadlines and carpools and work schedules to keep up with, there needs to be an alternate solution to dealing with back pain that doesn’t require you to completely remove yourself from your responsibilities. What’s more, recent research indicates that resting may not actually be the ideal solution for long-term back care. Spending too much time on the couch or off your feet can cause the back muscles to weaken and can even weaken bone strength. This could lead to more long-term issues with back pain —
not fewer. Exercise, in general, is shown to increase strength and flexibility, supporting healthy muscles and bones, and therefore supporting ideal back health. Physical Therapy for Back Pain While rest and relaxation can help you overcome the immediate pain of a back injury, and may even be recommended by your physician in the early days following an injury, it is not a long-term solution. Physical therapy offers a long-term solution to back pain by using targeted exercises that focus on the cause of the pain. Through a combination of strength and flexibility training that focuses on muscle development and joint movement, physical therapy can address the underlying cause of the pain and significantly improve your quality of life. Understanding the Why and How There are a lot of different reasons why back pain can develop. Even when you break down injuries, whether from overuse or athletic pursuits, there are different problems that can develop. Sprains and strains are common, but so are issues with the vertebrae, blood
flow, and even concerns regarding the spinal nerves. You might be amazed to discover the different factors that could be influencing your back health. Such as: • Your personal level of physical activity, including how often you exercise and the intensity of your typical workouts. • The types of shoes that you wear, in addition to how frequently you walk in different types of shoes, particularly shoes that lack support or those with high heels. • Prolonged engagement in sedentary behavior, including sitting at a desk for eight hours or more consecutive days of the week, or spending free time on the couch or otherwise relaxed. Aerobic activity and strength training exercises actually make it possible to reduce your risk of injury and to improve your ability to overcome back pain by strengthening the vertebrae and improving blood flow and nutrient disbursement throughout the back. When you are inactive, blood flow can actually become impeded, and this can have a negative effect on the overall health of your back and spine.
EXERC I SE ESSENT I ALS USE THIS EXERCISE TO RELIEVE BACK PAIN Sidelying Trunk Rotation While lying on your side with your arms out-stretched in front of your body, slowly twist your upper body to the side and rotate your spine. Your arms and head should also be rotating along with the spine as shown. Follow your hand with your eyes. Hold for 20 seconds repeat 3 times on each side. 2.Light. If your room lets in excessive amounts of light in the morning, it may be beneficial to invest in some blackout curtains. Keeping your room dark will help you stay asleep through the night, even as the sun is rising. It is a great way to gain as much sleep as you can before your alarm goes off in the morning. 3.Temperature. Have you ever woken up sweating, only to throw the blankets off andwake up freezing a couple of hours later? The temperature in which you keep your bedroom has a large effect on your sleep. Your body temperature naturally decreases as a way to initiate sleep, so keeping a cooler bedroom can help facilitate your slumber. According to The National Sleep Foundation, the optimum bedroom temperature for a good night’s sleep should be between 60-67 degrees Fahrenheit. If you feel cold, wearing socks, or keeping a hot water bottle by your feet can help dilate blood vessels and increase your internal thermostat. 4.Mattress. It may come as no surprise that what you actually sleep on also has a profound effect on the way you sleep. According to Tuck Sleep, mattresses with mid-level firmness ratings (4-6 out of 10) tend to help the most with alleviating pain, as they provide a balance between comfort and support. Mattresses that are too soft or too firm can actually increase pain levels during sleep, as they can create more pressure and target certain pain points. GET A GREAT NIGHTS SLEEP The environment inwhich you sleep is one of themost important factors in creating a good night’s sleep. This includes: 1.Noise. If you experience sleep sensitivity, it is important to make sure that any unexpected noises are limited in your bedroom. Sleeping with a white noisemachine or fan can help eliminate any additional environmental noises that may wake you up in the middle of the night.
KEEPING YOUR HEALTH IN MIND Georgialina Physical Therapy is committed to your health and wellbeing. In the wake of the recent spread of COVID-19, we are taking every precaution. Before and after every session, we are asking our clients and staff to wash or sanitize their hands. Additionally, we have increased the number of times per day that we sanitize our equipment and facilities. We ask that if you are demonstrating symptoms of coronavirus—coughing, fever, or trouble breathing—please stay home and contact your physician. If you have been exposed to someone who has a confirmed case of the virus, please notify us immediately, so we can take the necessary steps. You can help prevent the spread of coronavirus by: Anyone who has struggled with back pain can tell you plain and simple: When your back is hurting, there is no way to pretend that it isn’t. Simply going from sedentary activity to being active and healthy isn’t an option — at least not so easily. It takes time and effort, and when back pain is obstructing you from getting started, it requires help. Physical therapy can help you overcome back pain by giving you the knowledge and support necessary to help your back feel better, giving you the option to get off the couch and push yourself to reach new goals. Working with a licensed and experienced physical therapist ensures that you do not take on too much too quickly, but instead are guided through the process of healing with gradual steps. For more support in finding relief from back pain, talk to your physical therapist. HOW PHYSICAL THERAPY HELPS
Exercises copyright of
Always consult your physical therapist or physician before starting exercises you are unsure of.
Cleaning Hands Often
Avoid Touching Your Face
Staying Home If You Are Sick
GIVE US A CALL TODAY! 706-993-2260
TRY THIS HEALTHY RECIPE Ratatouille Dip
SUCCESS STORIES FROM OUR PATIENTS
I had no idea what to expect with PT. All I knew was that I had unbearable pain that I wanted to go away. From the very first day, Ashly and staff worked miracles to get me pain-free! I would highly recommend Georgialina PT. ” – T.H.
• 1small redbell pepper, chopped • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves • ½tspgarlicpowder • ½tspgroundpepper • ½cupgratedParmesan • 8ozpitachips
Ingredients • 1(14.5ounce) cancrushed tomatoes • 1small eggplant, cubed • 1small zucchini, cubed • 1small yellowsquash, cubed
My knee was hurting so bad that I was
unable to play my favorite sport basketball. I was doubtful that the therapy would help but after a few visits, I’m now 100% better with no pain. I would highly recommend Georgialina PT! ” – A.C.
Directions Stir together tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, and bell pepper in a 4-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on High for 1 hour. Stir in thyme, garlic powder, and ground pepper. Turn to Low and cook for 30 minutes more. Using a potato masher, crush the vegetable mixture to a chunky consistency. Stir in Parmesan. Stir occasionally while serving with pita chips.
WE HAVE MOVED! Our Martinez, GA location has moved just down the street to 415 Fury’s Ferry Rd. This newly constructed state-of-the-art Rehab facility was designed with patient care in mind and will offer specialized services such as Women’s Pelvic Floor Therapy and Aquatic Physical Therapy.
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