Newsletter for Superior Physical Therapy
COMEBACKTOPHYSICALTHERAPY TO FIND RELIEF FROM YOUR NECK PAIN
INSIDE:
• Life Doesn’t Have To Be A Pain In The Neck
• Staff Spotlight • Sudoku
AUGUST 2021
INSIDE: • HEAD PAIN 101 • STAFF SPOTLIGHT • SPAGHETTI WITH ASPARAGUS • EXERCISE ESSENTIALS
LIFE DOESN’T HAVE TO BE A PAIN IN THE NECK
Head and neck pain is not the type of pain that you can push through and deal with for too long. For one thing, chronic pain in the head or neck is often associated with some sort of chronic health concern — one that you need to deal with, not ignore. Secondly, when you are dealing with constant pain in your head or neck, it becomes difficult to concentrate. This can have a negative effect on your personal relationships, your career and more. The most common cause of neck or head pain is a muscle or joint problem. Working with a physical therapist can help you to identify the cause of the trouble and begin taking steps to correct the issue, allowing you to find relief from the pain without having to commit to long-term pain management — which often includes the use of pain medications that are potentially harmful
to your health and not likely to work as well over time. Unlike pain medications that become less helpful the longer they are used, physical therapy provides long-term relief from pain by correcting the joint or muscle concern with targeted therapies like flexibility exercises, muscle strengthening techniques, and guided stretches that target core joints and muscles. Of course, not all neck or head pain is the same, so understanding the basics of what you are dealing with is the first step to achieving relief.
We will get you back to living life free from pain. Call us or visit us at www.superiorphysicaltherapy.org
Do you feel the need for a natural solution to your pain? Call us or visit us at www.superiorphysicaltherapy.org
HEALTHY RECIPE SPAGHE T T I WI TH ASPARAGUS
BENEFITS OF MSKUS
• ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes • 8 large basil leaves • 2 lemons, halved • 2 oz. Parmesan, finely grated (about 1 cup), plus more for serving
• 1 lb. spaghetti • ⅔ cup extra-virgin olive oil • 1 large bunch asparagus, trimmed, thinly sliced on a deep diagonal • 4 garlic cloves, smashed • 4 3”-long strips lemon zest
MSKUS, or Musculoskeletal Ultrasound, offers a number of important advantages in terms of safety and effectiveness. Musculoskeletal ultrasound simply uses sonicwaves, and there is no exposure to radiation. Ultrasound is noninvasive and offers real-time imaging. This ability to capture the movement of musculoskeletal components, differentiates it from other imaging modalities, and can permit more accurate diagnoses. We can “see your pain” and help create an effective and individualized plan of care unique to you.
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1½ cups pasta cooking liquid. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high until shimmering. Add asparagus, season with salt, and cook, stirring often, until just beginning to take on color, about 1 minute. Add garlic, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and let sit until pasta is done. Add pasta and basil to pot with asparagus mixture and return to medium-high heat. Squeeze juice from both lemons into pot and add 2 oz. Parmesan and 1 cup reserved pasta cooking liquid. Cook, tossing vigorously and adding more pasta cooking liquid if needed, until sauce is creamy and emulsified and pasta is coated, about 1 minute. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Remove and discard garlic. Divide pasta among bowls, placing a lemon strip in each, and top with more Parmesan. https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/spaghetti-al-limone-with-asparagus
EXERCISE ESSENTIALS T RY T H I S MOV EMENT TO S T R E TCH YOUR NE CK .
STAFF SPOTL IGHT
FORWARD NECK TUCK Sit with good posture then place one hand behind your head and slowly pull your head in the direction of your armpit. Hold for 15 seconds and repeat on each side as needed.
MARC I AL L EMOS , PTA Marcial Rodrigo Lemos, “Rigo” grew up in Aberdeen, Idaho and later moved to Pocatello to pursue his education in physical therapy. He attended Idaho State University and graduated with a Physical
exercises copyright of
Therapist Assistant degree. Rigo loves fitness/working out and helping people. Outside of work, Rigo enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife, camping, hiking, running and snowboarding.
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Always consult your physical therapist or physician before starting exercises you are unsure of doing.
YOU CAN BE FREE OF YOUR NECK PAIN! CALL TODAY OR VISIT US AT WWW.SUPERIORPHYSICALTHERAPY.ORG
HEAD PAIN 101
One of my favorite accomplishments as a physical therapist is to treat the problem and not just the symptoms. Just a few weeks ago, I was evaluating a patient with low back pain that reported multiple surgeries over the past 3 years. He started 10 years ago with “just a low back strain at work.” Then, over the 2 years that followed, he suffered with a similar injury every couple of months. Eventually, his pain was all the way down his left leg and he could no longer function in his job. He addressed his problem with ibuprofen and “tried to make the pain go away”, but with each episode the pain worsened and took longer to resolve. After 10 years of chronic back pain and surgeries, he wished he had tried PT first in order to truly fix the problem rather than just mask the symptoms. PT is the number one option for taking care of back pain quickly and completely. Instead of just masking the pain, we, at Superior PT, treat the problem. We get to the root of the pain, correct postural issues, body mechanics, and reduce nerve compression that causes sciatica pain. Phase one of treatment is reducing the pain with hands on manual treatment, and restoring pain- free motion. Phase two includes the core strengthening, weight loss and functional improvements necessary to maintain a healthy back. Don’t get stuck in just masking your low back pain. Come see a Superior Physical Therapist today and make a difference for life. Sincerely, Bart McDonald, PT, MPT, ECS, FMSK CEO Superior PT A NOT E FROM OUR CEO
There are a lot of different types of headaches that you may experience, and each can be caused by its own different reason. For example, migraines can be caused by environmental factors, food allergies or even as a result of stress. There are headaches that can develop due to sinus pain and headaches that will develop when you are dehydrated. There are also headaches that will develop when you are exposed too long to loud noises. There is no singular fix for each of these different types of headaches, which is why attempting to treat every headache you experience with the same medication frequently doesn’t work.
One of the most common causes of headaches that are easily treatable with physical therapy is radiating headaches, which are caused by stress in the joints and muscles of the neck. This causes pain to radiate from the top of the neck into the head, especially surrounding the ears. There are a lot of reasons why radiating headaches could develop, including as a result of lack of movement and stiffness in the neck. This buildup of irritation can be treated with regular physical therapy, especially through the use of massage and flexibility exercises that target the muscles in the neck. NE CK PA I N 101 In many situations, pain that develops in the neck can be associated with one of two major problems. The first is upper-back pain that begins to radiate into the neck. The second is arthritis. Physical therapy can be used to address both types of neck pain. Cervical arthritis causes frequent aches in the neck and shoulders. This pain is generally worse when there are sudden changes in weather or at the end of the day, and while over-the-counter medication may make the pain less severe, it won’t eliminate the pain entirely. The biggest problem posed by cervical arthritis is that the pain will typically cause a loss of range of motion in the neck, which actually increases your risk of injury as a result of a sudden movement and causes regular discomfort and frustration as you are not able to utilize your neck in the way you normally could. There are plenty of situations in which pain in the neck as a result of cervical arthritis grows so severe that it can cause chronic poor posture and even a reduction in height. ADDR E SS I NG T H E C OR E PROB L EM The majority of neck and head pain can be helped with one simple strategy: strength building. It frequently happens that the absolute cause of the start of a pain in the neck or head is a result of poor posture or quickened motion, and building core strength, as well as strength in the neck, can make a huge difference in your ability to handle tasks without experiencing chronic pain. Keep in mind that the neck and head are sensitive areas, so attempting to treat the pain at home can be dangerous and may not be effective. Working with a physical therapist is the safe way to ensure that you are practicing positive techniques to find relief from your aches and pains.
You can find relief from your pain. Call Today or visit us at www.superiorphysicaltherapy.org We can help you live your life again, pain-free!
www.superiorphysicaltherapy.org
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