G3 PT. Don't Ignore Your Back Pain

The back is one of the most vulnerable parts of the body. You rely on it so heavily — whether it is to shoulder your emotional stresses or to physically lift something that you need to carry with you. Your back is constantly at risk. It is at risk when you drive, being one of the body parts likely to take the biggest impact in case of an accident. It is at risk when you are safely at home on your couch or at the office, where you are likely scrunched over and not caring one bit about your posture. It is at risk when you run, when you play sports, and even when you find yourself sick and are coughing so heavily that your back begins to hurt.

The Newsletter About Caring for Your Health Physical Therapy & Wellness

Don’t Ignore Your Back Pain! What Is Your Back Pain Trying To Tell You? A L S O I N S I D E : Patient Success Story • Meet The Staff • Take Part In G3 Events! • Exercise Essentials Letter From The Owner • Healthy Recipe • Stretch Your Brain!

Monica at Montana De Oro

Don’t Ignore Your Back Pain! What Is Your Back Pain Trying To Tell You?

The back is one of the most vulnerable parts of the body. You rely on itsoheavily—whether it is toshoulderyouremotionalstresses or to physically lift something that you need to carry with you. Your back is constantly at risk. It is at risk when you drive, being one of the body parts likely to take the biggest impact in case of an accident. It is at risk when you are safely at home on your couch or at the office, where you are likely scrunched over and not caring onebitaboutyourposture. It isatriskwhenyourun,whenyouplay sports, and even when you find yourself sick and are coughing so heavily that your back begins to hurt. It is no wonder that so many people experience back injuries every year. What is a big wonder is that so many people choose to ignore their back injuries year after year! When you break an arm or get a cut on your leg, you are likely to do something about it right away. The sight of blood leaving your body or the realization that a bone isn’t sitting right is something that not many people are going to deal with for too long before seeking medical attention. Yet when pain begins in the back, it is almost normal to ignore it. Everyone develops back pain, time to time, right? There is no reason to stress about it or overreact, right? Absolutely wrong! Understanding Back Pain Back pain may be common, but it is absolutely not normal. There are actually a lot of serious conditions that can cause your back to begin to hurt, and it is smart to have your back looked at by a physician early on so that you know exactly what is going on with your body from the get-go. Once the cause of your back pain is determined, your physical therapistwillbeable to identify thebest treatmentoptions foryour body’s needs. This will likely include the following: • Targetedexercisesthatarespecializedtotheregionoftheback that isexperiencingthemostpain.Theseexercisesaredesigned to help build strength and support the surrounding muscles. • Guided stretching designed to improve range of motion and flexibility. This will take into account the health and vivacity

of vertebrae and any potential stretches that may support optimal back health. • Support and guidance with an exercise routine and habit formation, especially with cardiovascular activity that can stimulate improved blood circulation to the affected areas of the back, as well as strength-building activities. Attempting to undertake any of these changes on your own after you’ve experienced a back injury is both dangerous and not recommended. Working with a licensed and experienced physical therapist can provide you with the guidance and ongoing support that you need to ensure that you do not experience any further injury as you attempt to heal the cause of your back pain. Getting to the Bottom of Back Pain There are a lot of different reasons as to why you may be experiencing back pain, and ignoring any of them is not a good idea. Some of the most common issues that cause back pain to linger include: These concerns can develop as a result of a myriad of environmental issues, such as having poor posture, prolonged sedentary activity, car crash, sporting accident, stress, heavy lifting, and so on. When It Comes to Back Pain, Don’t Wait! When you experience an injury to your back, or realize that you are experiencing regular pain as a result of an ongoing injury or overuse, it is important to find out the cause of your back pain as quickly as possible. Back pain can quickly become chronic, as a potentially small issue can become complicated when it is not addressed early on. Working with a physical therapist can help you to identify the difference between environmental causes and something more medically based. To get started with putting an end to your back pain, contact us. • Muscle sprain or strain • Slipped vertebrae or disc • Arthritis • Tear or hyperextension to the supporting muscles or tendons

Call G3 Physical Therapy & Wellness at 760.452.2640 or visit g3.life to schedule your appointment today!

Brianna Introcaso, PT, DPT

Take Part In G3 Events! Free Lower Back Pain & Sciatica Workshop Saturday, August 17 • 10 am - 11 am Have you missed work due to lower back pain or sciatica? Have you skipped out on family vacations or activities you love because your back pain is too much? Has your pain, numbness or discomfort prevented you from living life to the fullest? Have you tried EVERYTHING just to get back to normal? We have a free workshop event just for you! Find out how you can relieve years of low back pain and sciatica with natural methods without the use of medications, injections, or surgery. Whole Body Core Class will resume on September 21! Contact G3 Physical Therapy & Wellness at 760.452.2640 or email info@g3.life to register! Patient Success Story “I came to visit my daughter in Encinitas, and while I was there, I hurt my back somehow. She had to take me to Emergency at Scripps because I couldn’t walk. After the emergency visit, we researched places for PT and found G3 Physical Therapy & Wellness. Thank goodness!! When I walked in I could hardly walk– that same day Alex took care of me, and I walked out of G3 like nothing had ever happened to me . Then on my next appointment Alex was not available, and I was helped by Monica. She was amazing. Between the both of them I was 100% well!” - Nora M.

Meet The Staff Brianna“Brie”,originally fromNewJersey,receivedherBachelorofScience in Exercise and Movement Science and her Doctor of Physical Therapy from the UniversityofVermont.Shehasbeen living inSanDiegosinceJune2017.Brie’s interest in Applied Functional Science (AFS) stems from her having a clinical background in manual therapy, as she was trained on how to treat patients using a biomechanical approach during PT school. Once she discovered AFS, she realized AFS is the best treatment approach and most practical way to get patients to return to an optimal level of function. In her spare time, Brie enjoys hiking, snowboarding, practicing yoga, running, and cooking.

Exercise Essentials

Shoulder Hangs • Loop a towel or strap over an open door • Grab both ends of the towel andsink intoyourknees/hips. • Feel a stretch in your shoulders and upper back • Stickyourbuttocksoutso that your spine is parallel to the floor.

Perform this stretch to relieve back pain!

• Stop if you have pain.

On A Personal Note

Letter From The Owner

Happy summer, everyone!!

While many members of my midwestern family maintain we have only one season (and it’s not winter!), I believe we have changes of seasons, enough so that many of my activities change as the seasons change. Historically, summer used to mean triathlon season for me. For the better part of 25 years, I regularly participated in triathlons of varying lengths--mostly in the “international distance” (1 mile swim, 25 mile bike, 10K run), but occasionally a longer race (half Ironman distance--1 Ironman distance).

Congratulations to Holly and Aaron on their recent wedding!

We are so happy for you both! All of us at G3 wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

My older daughter is a competitive swimmer. In spite of over 30 years of swim training, I’m definitely not a competitive swimmer. The difference between our two versions of swimming is amazingly different. One of my dreams has been for the two of us to participate in the same triathlon when she is old enough to enter an adult race. Well, she turns 13 in mid-September, the minimum age for many adult triathlons, and we’re going to do a sprint triathlon together at the end of September. This is a long way of saying, I got back in the pool today for the first time in over 5 years. And after 2 shoulder injuries and 1 heart attack, it was brutal!! Though it was painful, ugly, and tiring, I loved it!! I’ve started on my journey to reach a goal that’s super important to me and my family. Which takes me to my message: in order for me to reach a very important functional goal, I’m going to have to be happy taking small, consistent, frequent “baby steps.” No big, sexy, dramatic steps will be in the cards for me for the next 2+ months as I get myself ready to be able to complete the triathlon. To reach my goal, I’m going to embrace the process, work within my limits, be consistent, and look for, and be happy with, small little “victories” along the way.

Stretch Your Brain!

Sound familiar? Just trying to practice what we preach.

Hope everyone has a great rest of the summer!!

Be the first to answer all questions correctly, and you’ll win a $5 Starbucks Gift Card! Email your answers to info@g3.life !

- Mike Van Gilder, PT, DPT

1. What is the capital city of Peru? 2. What is the largest bone in the human body? 3. Who was the first baseball player to have his number retired? 4. What is the largest two digit prime number? 5. Which U.S. president served the shortest time in office? 6. Which pop album is the best selling of all time? 7. Which is the most populous U.S. state?

Healthy Recipe Roasted Pomegranate Brussel Sprouts • 1 1/4 lbs organic brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved • 2 tbsp organic canola oil Ingredients

• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped toasted organic hazelnuts • Finely grated zest of 1 organic lime • 1 tbsp organic finely grated orange zest

• Salt & freshly ground pepper • 3 tbsp organic pomegranate molasses • Seeds from 1 organic pomegranate

Instructions Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Put the Brussels sprouts in a medium roasting pan; toss with the canola oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven until light golden brown and a knife inserted into the centers goes in without any resistance, about 45 minutes. Transfer the sprouts to a large bowl and add the pomegranate molasses, pomegranate seeds, hazelnuts, and lime and orange zests. Season with salt as needed. Recipe courtesy of Bobby Flay

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