Applied Physical Medicine: Effective Hip & Knee Pain Relief

WHO NEEDS PHYSICAL THERAPY?

Are you moving like you should be? Your hips and knees are essential to everyday movement; whether you are sitting, standing, walking or running, you need your hips and knees in great shape. Sometimes, when your hips and knees are in pain, it can cause you to change the way that you are moving, causing you to change the flow and pace of your gait, which is the way that you walk. Other times, prolonged pain can cause you to stop doing movements that are indicative of healthy joints. If you’ve experienced any hip or knee pain and are considering whether physical therapy is a good choice for your health needs, consider the following: • From a standing position, are you able to lean over and touch your toes? If so, then this indicates that you have proper hip and low back flexibility. If not, then you may need to improve your flexibility and joint range of motion, and physical therapy could be helpful. • In a sitting position, can you comfortably cross your legs, leaving your ankle to rest comfortably on the opposite knee? If this is painful, or one knee constantly must be lower than the other, then this may be indicative of knee concerns that could be addressed with physical therapy. • From a standing position, with your feet planted flat on the floor, can you push your body into a squatting position? You should be able to squat all the way down so that your buttocks are almost touching your heels. If you aren’t able to do this, then physical therapy may be helpful in improving your range of motion. • Standing near a wall or countertop, arrange your feet so that you are standing with the heel of one foot touching the toes of the other, as if on a balance beam, and see how long you can stand still. Can you balance

for 10 seconds? If not, then physical therapy may be able to improve balance and coordination. The goal of any physical therapy program is to restore range of motion and improve flexibility and strength while reducing the general experience of pain. Unfortunately, hip and knee injuries often tend to linger. Every movement relies so heavily on the hips and knees that it makes it difficult to allow these joints to actually rest following an injury. Physical therapy provides targeted exercises that support the joints with precise movements that help reinforce strength and range of motion. For more information, contact your physical therapist to learn more about options that will suit your health needs. For more information about overcoming hip or knee pain, contact us.

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CRUNCHY CHICKEN & MANGO SALAD

INGREDIENTS • ⅓ cup orange juice • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar • 3 tablespoons less-sodium soy sauce • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil • 2 teaspoons sambal oelek (optional) • 6 cups thinly sliced napa cabbage

• 2 cups sugar snap peas, thinly sliced diagonally • 2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast • 1 medium mango, sliced • ½ cup coarsely chopped fresh mint • ¼ cup sliced scallions • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

INSTRUCTIONS Whisk juice, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil and sambal oelek (if using) in a large bowl. Add cabbage, peas, chicken, mango, mint and scallions; toss gently to coat. Serve the salad sprinkled with sesame seeds.

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