MAY 2020
620 Old West Central Street, Franklin, MA 02038 • 508-528-6100 • www.ProPTinc.com
WE ARE OPEN FOR BUSINESS
Let’s Stay Safe and Healthy by Working Together
our office at this time but still need ongoing treatment. Some health insurance carriers are even making it easier for their customers to use telehealth by waiving copays for people who use it. Telehealth is a fairly new concept that can be confusing or overwhelming for those who’ve never used it or might be new to video calling, but we’re here to help you every step of the way. Professional Physical Therapy is fortunate to have a few savvy millennials manning the front desk, ready to walk you through setting up the entire process by phone. Read the insert included with this newsletter to learn more about how you can take advantage of telehealth. In the meantime, we can’t stress enough the importance of doing what you can not only to stay safe and healthy but also to try to stay positive and productive. It’s so important to find ways to come together and face adversity, and doing so takes grit. From my perspective, grit is a combination of passion and perseverance. It’s about finding a way to make the best of any situation and doing everything you possibly can to achieve that. In our office, we’re passionate about helping people get out of pain, avoid unnecessary medical procedures, stay out of at-risk medical facilities, and avoid self-medicating. What helps us persevere is the overwhelming gratitude and appreciation we’ve received from our patients. We couldn’t do it without them and their support. During these isolated times, try to find something you’re passionate about, then persevere in your mission to achieve it as best you can while following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines. It’s been amazing to see people’s passion for helping one another emerge through this hardship. We’ve had volunteers hand-making masks for our patients, running errands for those who can’t leave their homes, and preparing and donating meals to those in need. There are so many ways to come together, even when we’re physically unable to. You can always find help if you need it, and if you find yourself with a
The ripple effects of COVID-19 have been severe for so many, but Professional Physical Therapy is incredibly grateful to let people know that we’re still open and operating. As an essential medical service, we’ve been working hard to serve people who are in pain, have physical limitations, are postoperative patients, or have had surgeries canceled. The goal is to keep these people out of pain but also out of hospitals, urgent care facilities, and doctors’ offices, which have become high-risk facilities. Like nearly everywhere, we’re taking extra precautions to keep our patients safe when they visit us by wearing masks and gloves, disinfecting rooms and equipment thoroughly, and keeping distance between patients. Our administrative staff has even implemented a “no-touch” system so that there are no pens to touch or papers to sign during visits. We’re also excited to announce that we’ve started using telehealth services so our patients can get the care and
surplus of any kind, find ways to give to those less fortunate if possible. And through it all, please know that we at Professional Physical Therapy are here if you need us.
attention they need without leaving the safety of their homes. It’s an incredible system that allows patients to visit with their therapists via live video on a computer, laptop, smartphone, or tablet. We’re doing this for consultations, assessments, treatments, and progression of programs. Plus, it allows us to simply answer any questions as they come up. Telehealth is a great option for those who aren’t able to come to
– Dr . Stacey Raybuck Schatz
Professional Physical Therapy | 508-528-6100 • 1
The Benefits of Minimalism
A Perfect Lifestyle for Seniors
the junk drawer. Once you’ve taken this first step, move on to something bigger. Soon, you’ll find yourself making steady and rewarding progress throughout the rest of your home. In the process, pay attention to what you want to keep. Carefully select which objects mean the most to you and which ones are still useful. These are the belongings you should surround yourself with. THE BENEFIT OF MINIMALISM Minimalism will help you feel more comfortable in your home and open up other possibilities. You will have more room to invite guests and family over, and you’ll have a sense of space and freedom. Additionally, this lifestyle can also help with your finances. You’ll be less tempted to buy what you don’t need, and you may even rearrange spending priorities or downsize your living space (less rent!). If you surround yourself with meaningful and useful items, you will feel more at peace. Ultimately, minimalism encourages us to free ourselves from the many things that own us as much as we own them. Don’t allow accumulated objects to clutter up your home and life. Take the leap and start living a carefree, minimalist lifestyle.
As we get older, we tend to hang on to mementos that brought some type of meaning to our lives, even after time has diminished their value. Though we may be emotionally attached, this clutter can eventually overwhelm us, especially as seniors. If you find yourself drowning in items you no longer need or want, consider a minimalist lifestyle to free up your space — and your mind.
MINIMALISM Before taking on a minimalist lifestyle, it’s important to understand what it entails. When someone hears the word “minimalism,” they might think it means getting rid of their possessions one by one, but that’s not entirely true. Instead, minimalist living focuses on having less clutter in our lives but still keeping the things we truly value and enjoy. The idea is to get rid of things we no longer use or need.
MINIMALIST LIVING To embark on a minimalist lifestyle, focus more on the present and consider the value your personal belongings have in your life now . Sorting through hundreds of items with thousands of memories is a daunting task, so it is best to start by removing things that might not require emotional or physical strain, like old magazines, broken items, or clutter in
The Benefits of Video Chatting
3 Reasons You Should Start Today
GET HEALTHY Current circumstances have forced many medical facilities to get creative with continuing to help their patients. Telehealth, or virtual doctor visits via video chatting, is a great option in these unusual times. There’s a lot your doctor can show, teach, see, and diagnose by visual deduction alone. If you’re going through recovery or trying to manage pain, visiting with your doctors and therapists via video is much better than not visiting with them at all. GET SAVVY There’s no denying it — learning a new skill is useful! There’s certainly tech out there that might be too complicated for many of us, but video calling and other similar tech is so user-friendly that learning to use it is easy. And once you do, it’s a breeze when you want or need other video calling programs down the road. You also open yourself up to a better attitude about other fields of technology that could be useful to you in many ways. Don’t let social distancing keep you from having meaningful or helpful conversations. Explore video chatting and stay connected with the important people in your life. If you’re eager to try telehealth, call our office, and we’ll walk you through the setup so you can start learning how easy and useful video chatting really is.
It’s a common misconception that video chatting technology is reserved for younger generations. Research shows that the 65-plus age group is one of the fastest-growing groups to adopt a variety of digital technology, video chatting included. So don’t let your fear of the unknown keep you from making meaningful and useful connections, especially during a time when we need them the most. GET PERSONAL There’s no feeling quite like interacting with other people, but when circumstances make that difficult, video calls are a great alternative. They keep you personally connected with one another by allowing you to actually see each other while having conversations. Those conversations become more meaningful because you have facial expressions and body language to “read” when you talk, just as you would in person. A regular phone call just can’t provide that benefit.
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TELEHEALTH IS HERE! ButWhat Is It? Simply put, telehealth is a virtual doctor’s visit. It’s a live, face-to-face video interaction between a patient and their therapist. Professional Physical Therapy wants to make sure our patients can still get the care they need when it’s less safe to leave home, and our new telehealth service makes that happen. You can use telehealth on your:
• Desktop computer • Laptop computer
• Smartphone • Tablet
All your device needs is internet access, a camera, a microphone, and speakers. Most modern devices are already equipped with everything! We’re offering many regular services via telehealth, including: • Consultations • Assessments • Treatments • Progressions of programs Our office will help you get set up so that you don’t miss a single appointment during your recovery. Give us a call today.
Professional Physical Therapy 620 OldWest Central St. Franklin, MA 02038 508-528-6100 ProPTInc.com
How to set up telehealth: Call our office at 508-528-6100.
Our administrative team is standing by, ready to walk you through the process step by step. If you’ve never used telehealth or any video conferencing program before, then there’s no need to worry. Over the phone, our team will: • Answer any and all questions • Learn about your at-home setup and make suggestions • Walk you through the steps of setting telehealth up on your device • Initiate your first telehealth video call • Help you communicate with your insurance company about telehealth This is a great opportunity to learn something new! Contact our office today to get set up and back on your way to recovery.
Professional Physical Therapy 620 OldWest Central St. Franklin, MA 02038 508-528-6100 ProPTinc.com
TurnYour Home Into a Gym
Using Only Household Items
assuming the plank position, placing a towel under each foot, and sliding them in and out in a controlled manner.
Whether you’re stuck at home due to keeping our world as healthy and safe as possible or you just don’t feel like going outdoors, there’s no excuse to not have a great home workout. Here are some exercises you can do around your house — no fancy gym equipment needed! SURFACES • Walls: Every home has at least four! They provide stability when you’re stretching, or you can work your quads and glutes with wall-sits. • Stairs: Not every home has them, but if yours does, treat them like a StairMaster and get climbing for a great cardio workout and glute burn. • Countertops: Whether in your kitchen or bathroom, if your counter is big enough to place your hands on its ledge, you can use it for some pushups to build muscles in your arms and core.
• Containers: Treat heftier household items, like canned food, bottled liquids, and large detergent or cat litter containers, like dumbbells. Use them to do front raises, tricep kickbacks, or overhead presses. • Brooms: In addition to getting your floors clean, a broom can give your core, hips, and glutes a workout. Simply add some hip hinges and oblique twists in while you sweep. • Chairs: Use a sturdy chair, preferably one without wheels, to get a great leg workout. Stand over it to practice your squats, do leg raises, or use a second chair for tricep dips.
You don’t have to leave your home to get the exercise your body needs to stay healthy. So get creative and get your blood pumping!
ITEMS •
Towels: Use a large towel like a resistance band to aid in stretching or for a killer arm workout. You can even use them for your legs by
SUCCESS STORIES
“I had a rough ankle injury with screws and plates put in for repairing bone. Had a cast for over two months and started therapy stiff like a log! It’s been a long journey that would have been longer without the support of my family and Professional Physical Therapy’s staff. Stiff ankle, stiff toes, stiff knees — I had everything. Everyone gave me the extra mile when I asked for extra massage and toe pulling. Thanks for all your help; I’m back to normal!”
Grilled Prime Rib
Ingredients
– Cindy Rodriguez
• • •
1 1/2 lbs beef rib roast 1 tsp Himalayan salt 1/2 tsp black pepper
“I came in for physical therapy after really suffering with neck, shoulder, and upper arm pain for over four weeks. Sleeping and sitting for long periods at work were a struggle. After Dr. Patt’s assessment and prescribed plan of therapy, I had a rather remarkable improvement in mobility and pain. After just two weeks, everything was back to normal. Thank you to everyone at Professional PT for getting me back to normal.”
Directions 1. Take rib roast out of the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to grilling. 2. Season roast with salt and pepper and allow it to rest for 10 minutes while you heat a gas grill to 600 F. 3. Sear roast for 3–4 minutes on each side. 4. Turn off the grill but continue cooking the steak, flipping every 4–5 minutes, until it reaches an internal temperature of 125 F. Remove from grill. 5. Allow the roast to rest — its internal temperature will continue to climb — for 5–10 minutes. Slice and serve.
–John Phillips
Inspired by Primal Palate
Professional Physical Therapy | 508-528-6100 • 3
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
www.ProPTinc.com 620 Old West Central Street Franklin, MA 02038 508-528-6100
Thank you for being part of the Professional Physical Therapy family!
INSIDE THIS ISSUE We’re Open and Ready to Help You Through This Minimalist Living for Seniors Why You Should Be Video Chatting At-Home, Equipment-Free Workouts Grilled Prime Rib
Should You Skip Your Workout if You’re Sick?
Why Some Exercise Is Beneficial When You’re Sick SHOULD YOU SKIP YOUR WORKOUT IF YOU DON’T FEEL WELL?
much when you’re feeling under the weather, the effects of exercising while you’re sick are a bit more nuanced than you think. If you’re sick and trying to decide if you should try to get a workout in, assess where you feel your symptoms. Are they only above the neck? Or are they above and below the neck? Symptoms of a head cold, such as a runny nose, a mildly sore throat, and some congestion, shouldn’t keep you from exercising. At the very worst, you might just have to cut back the intensity of your workout. If you usually go for a run, try decreasing the time of your run or going for a walk instead. There’s actually evidence that exercise can help alleviate symptoms located above the neck when you’re sick. For instance, walking and jogging can help clear up congested nasal passages. Many runners will attest to the fact that their workout actually helps them feel better when they’re sick. There’s also evidence that yoga can boost your immune system and ease aches related to sinus issues. Saying “om” might even help too, as one study found humming could actually aid in opening clogged sinuses. If you have a fever or any type of stomach problem, however, you should skip your workout altogether. And if your workouts seem to exacerbate your sickness, take a break until the sickness subsides. That said, it’s nice to know that it takes more than a little case of the sniffles to throw off your workout routine!
Getting sick is terrible, especially if you’re trying to stick to a consistent workout routine. You may think sickness means more rest days — but in fact, depending on your symptoms, continuing to exercise could be a good thing. While it may seem like common sense to avoid exerting yourself too
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