Millions of Americans deal with the aches and pains of arthritis on a daily basis. In fact, of the 40 million people in the United States who suffer from this class of diseases, one-third say that it limits their leisure activities and daily tasks. 25% also say they are in chronic, debilitating pain on a daily basis.
N E W S L E T T E R Y O U R H E A L T H I S O U R P R I O R I T Y
E M P O W E R P H Y S I C A L T H E R A P Y
APRIL-JUNE 2020
RELIEF FOR ARTHRITIS, WITHOUT HARMFUL DRUGS May is National Arthritis Awareness Month, and movement is the best medicine to fight joint pain.
ALSO INSIDE: • Won’t Exercise Increase My Pain? • 4 Easy Tricks To Relieve A Headache • Exercise Essential • Meet Our New Providers • Earn Movie Tickets And Starbucks Gift Cards
EMPOWERALASKA.COM
N E W S L E T T E R Y O U R H E A L T H I S O U R P R I O R I T Y
E M P O W E R P H Y S I C A L T H E R A P Y
APRIL-JUNE 2020
EMPOWERALASKA.COM
RELIEF FOR ARTHRITIS, WITHOUT HARMFUL DRUGS
of blood clots, heart attack, or stroke. With corticosteroids, you run the risk of cataracts, high blood sugar levels, and bone loss. Luckily, there is a much safer and healthier alternative to treating arthritis: physical therapy. A physical therapist’s main goal when treating arthritis is reducing stress on the joints, increasing strength, and preserving range of motion. Some benefits to working with a physical therapist include: • Stretching/exercise. Light exercises and stretching will help to increase range of motion in the affected areas. • Properposture. Posture work will help to reduce stress on your joints. • Weightcontrol. Yourphysical therapistwillworkwithyou tocontrolyour weight through exercise and diet. Controlling your weight helps to prevent added stress on weight-bearing joints. • Rest. Yourtherapistwillalsorecommendaschedule forrestandsleep to complement your exercises. This helps the body to heal and will hopefully reduce your amount of arthritic inflammation and pain.
Millions of Americans deal with the aches and pains of arthritis on a daily basis. In fact, of the 40 million people in the United States who suffer from this class of diseases, one-third say that it limits their leisure activities and daily tasks. 25% also say they are in chronic, debilitating pain on a daily basis. Whilethereareseveralmedicationsonthemarketthat limitpain,there are none that can treat the physical issue that is occurring within your joints.Fortunately,physical therapycan. Ifyouare looking to findrelief for your arthritis by treating it at the source – without the risks of side effects fromharmfuldrugs–contactEmpowerPhysicalTherapy today. Why isphysical therapybetter thanmedication? A common treatment for arthritis is medication, usually for pain manageability. Your physician may prescribe NSAID pain relievers, corticosteroids, antirheumatic drugs, or antibiotics for your arthritis treatment. Medication is easy - you pop it in your mouth, chase it with water, and your pain subsides shortly afterward. However, they can also cause some unfavorable side effects, and in some cases they can be habit-forming. With NSAIDs, you run the risk
MEET OUR NEW PROVIDERS
Ryan grew up in Pocatello Idaho and was very active in team sports, such as basketball and soccer. He attended Idaho State University for his undergraduate studies where he earned his Bachelor’s degree Ryan Pope
WON’T EXERCISE INCREASE MY PAIN?
in Exercise Science. Ryan then attended Duke University and earned his Doctorate of Physical Therapy. While at Duke, he completedclinicalrotations inthecardiacunitofDukeHospital, an outpatient neurologic clinic, and an outpatient orthopedic clinic inVirginiawhereheworkedwithcollegiateathletes from RadfordUniversity.Followinggraduation,Ryanstartedworking as a traveling Physical Therapist. As a traveler, he has worked in outpatient clinics and skilled nursing facilities in various states including Mississippi, Arizona, and Oregon. Regardless of the condition, Ryan’s true passion is helping others and he is looking forward to working with the Alaskan community!
To put it simply – no! Your physical therapist will prescribe gentle, targeted exercises that will help your joints move freely, and will add in periods of rest during your sessions. While many people believe that the aches and pains of arthritis are best treated with sedentary activities and rest, that is not necessarily the case – exercise keeps the body limber and warms up muscles, which prevents stiffness that can become exacerbated by arthritis. Extended “rest” can also lead tomuscle atrophy, or deterioration of muscle tissue. While arthritis generally affects the joints of the body, muscle loss increases stress on the joints, allows them to move in ways that are unhealthy and causes more pain. By doing gentle exercises under the discretion of your physical therapist, you can actually ease your arthritic aches and pains! Low-impact exercises also contain several benefits that are not necessarily associated with the painful symptoms of arthritis. For example, feelings of fatigue that are so common in arthritis patients can be greatly reduced by low impact exercise. After just 30 minutes of gentle physical activity, the brain is flooded by the feel-good hormones called endorphins that block pain, minimize any discomfort associated with exercise, and even create a feeling of euphoria. Furthermore, exercise increases flexibility in stiff joints and makes it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep at night. How can I get started on treatments? Every treatment regimen is different based on your body’s needs and your particular type of arthritis. The best way to get started on a natural, safe, and healthy treatment through physical therapy is by calling and scheduling a consultation with one of our physical therapists today. Your physical therapist will examine your symptoms, severity of pain, and location of the arthritis, in order to determine the best individualized treatment plan for your specific needs. If you are living with arthritis, or you think youmay be experiencing arthritic symptoms, don’t hesitate to contact Empower Physical Therapy. We’ll get you feeling comfortable again in no time – without the need for pain management drugs!
Katieattended IdahoStateUniversity inherhome townofPocatello Idaho, where she earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Exercise Science and her Doctorate of Physical Therapy. KatiehadmovedtoNorthCarolinato Katie Swore
completeherclinicalrotationsandcontinuedonasapermanent employee followinggraduation.KatiedevelopedaPelvichealth program at the private practice that served women of all ages, stages of life, and activity levels for pelvic health diagnoses. She has completed 2 of the 3 courses for pelvic health through HermanandWallacePelvicRehabilitation Instituteandcanalso treat men for pelvic health dysfunction. Katie is excited to be part of the Empower family and to bring her unique skill set to the Alaskan community.
ATTENTION PATIENTS
We want to send you to Starbucks or the Movies on us! Did you knowwe have a new refer-a-friend program? We are now rewarding anyone who helps us to Empower the community! If you send a friend or family member our way and they become a new patient, we will give you a $25 dollar gift card to the movie theatre! Also, if you leave us a Google review, we will give you a $5 dollar Starbucks gift card! We thank you in advance for helping us to fill our new providers’ schedules!
“They combine tried and true physical therapy with newer techniques”
“The therapists and staff are knowledgeable, friendly, and awesome to work with. They are vested in helping you get better and graduated out of PT. They combine tried and true physical therapy with newer techniques for a balanced, thorough, and well-rounded healing session every time.” - T.B.
WHAT OUR PATIENTS SAY
4 EASY TRICKS TO RELIEVE A HEADACHE 1.Regularexercise.
your headaches. Ifyousuffer frommigrainesonaregularbasis, consider making one small switch to your diet: more nuts. Nuts can work as both a pain relieverandapreventativemethod tostaveoff future onsets. Many varieties of nuts contain an important“ingredient”calledsalicin.Salicin isapainblockingagent that’spresent inmany of today’s medications. Though youmay want to reach for an over the counter pain reliever whenmigrainesstrike,choosenuts—theyoffer the same important ingredients. Holdyourshouldersbackandyourhead level, parallel to the ground, instead of hunching forward. This technique helps improve headaches most frequent during work. “Exercise Can Help You Beat Headaches.” EverydayHealth.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 June 2016. 4.Workon improvingyourposture.
Migraine patients are at a slightly increased risk of stroke, and lack of exercise is a risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. Vigorous, regular exercise can help reduce these risks. Gettingenoughsleeponaregularbasis ispart of the migraine hygiene you should practice to keep your headaches at ease. Sleep also includes darkness. Light is painful when you’re suffering from a minimal headache, a hangover, and especially a migraine. Its brightness can trigger an even greater head pain, so don’t be afraid to turn things down a bit. 2.Adequatesleep.
3.Balanceddiet.
Eating regular meals, avoiding foods that trigger headaches, and staying hydrated will also help reduce the pain and frequency of
EXERC I SE ESSENT I AL TRYTHISMOVEMENTIFYOU’REEXPERIENCINGLESSMOBILITY.
Helps Balance & Mobility
www.simpleset.net
SINGLE LEG STANCE (FORWARD) 1. Stand on one leg and maintain your balance. 2. Hold your leg out in front of your body for 10 seconds.
3. Return to original position. 4. Switch legs and repeat 6 times. 5. Be sure to maintain a slightly bent knee on the stance side.
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