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Focus Physical Therapy Bi-Monthly Focuspt.net 949.709.8770
June/July 2019
Soaked, Freezing, and Flattened
MY EVENTFUL FIRST BACKPACKING TRIP
it along. At the end, we stood atop one of the highest peaks in the entirety of Southern California, and for the first time, I
These days, I feel like I know my way around a trail, but that definitely wasn’t always the case. When you hear about my first hiking experience, you may wonder why I stuck with it at all. It must have been my sophomore year of high school; as a curious, active kid, the thought of a February trek up Mount San Jacinto with the school backpacking club sounded awesome. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any gear, so my dad and I took to the newspaper classifieds, that ancient Craigslist, to rustle up something serviceable. Spirits were high at the beginning of my maiden voyage. The area was coated with a thick blanket of fresh snow, and after the hourlong bus trip from school to the hiking site, it was starting to get dark. Somehow, a few of the more experienced hikers and I found ourselves far behind the rest of the group. We knew they were ahead on the trail, but one of us caught a glimpse of the group across a wide, open meadow. We decided to use it as a shortcut. I guess we didn’t account for the three feet of snow we’d have to trudge through. By that time, it was pretty clear that I’d chosen the wrong gear. Though the air was bitterly cold, I was sweating like crazy. I realized the pack I’d picked up secondhand was more suited for traveling across Europe than hoofing it up a mountain. My sleeping bag was one of those bulky models every family seems to have lying around: heavy and impossible to pack properly. Now, it had decided to unfold itself across my neck. By the time we caught up to the campsite, I was completely drenched in sweat and chilled to the marrow. I woke up in the morning with the roof of my tent 6 inches from my head, dribbling moisture into my eyes. It was mishap after mishap, but the craziest thing was yet to come. One of the other guys had the bright idea of bringing a big inflatable raft along, with the goal of sledding down one of the huge mountains. We blew it up and decided to drag it up to the peak. Across something like 3–6 miles, we traded off tying the thing to our waist and hoisting
marvelled at what I’d accomplished, and the sheer scope of the beauty stretching in every direction.
Then I looked down at the long, steep, snow-covered slope down to our campground.
“We could go a lot faster if we took this raft back down,” somebody said. So all three of us piled into the raft and tied it to the guy in front to prevent it from sliding away when we inevatably capsized. We shoved off and held our breath. It didn’t take long for us to reach a speed so startling that we decided to bail out. The two of us in back had no problem leaping off, but the guy in front tied to the raft wasn’t so lucky. Like a scene from a cartoon, he’d jump, flip, bounce back onto the raft, and bounce back off the raft, on repeat for a good 100 yards. After inspecting our various aches and pains to ensure there was nothing serious, we hopped back onto the raft and zoomed down the mountain one last time, narrowly hurtling between an enormous boulder on one side and a towering tree on another. We survived, miraculously, and the rest of the trip went off without incident. Despite being soaked to the bone with sweat and snow, nearly frozen solid, and flattened against the face of a mountain, I knew I’d found something special. Little did I know that it’d be a passion that would follow me for the rest of my life. I’m just thrilled that I’ve been able to pass this incredible hobby along to my kids — without a deathtrap raft in tow and with the proper gear.
Focus Physical Therapy • Call 949.709.8770 • 1 –Julian Manrique
The World’s Best Exercise
Not all exercises are created equal. In fact, there is one form of exercise that is better than many others: walking. Harvard Medical School took a look at various exercises and concluded that walking is up there with swimming and tai chi in terms of health benefits. Regular walking can help maintain good cholesterol and blood pressure levels and keep your bones strong and healthy. One study showed that 40 minutes of walking every day helped people reduce blood pressure from hypertension to prehypertension, and then eventually to normal over several months. Walking can even keep many different kinds of diseases at bay, such as diabetes and heart disease. In addition to these physical benefits, walking daily can improve your mood and overall mental health. As simple and straightforward as walking is, it can be difficult for many people to find the time. Most experts agree that you need 30–60 minutes of physical activity per day, but the good news is that you can split those minutes up throughout your day. For example, you can take a brisk 20-minute walk in the morning before work, followed by another one at lunch and one more after dinner. Those 60 minutes also don’t have to be strenuous; they just need to happen.
However, the more time you invest in walking, the more you will get out of it. If you slowly increase your distance and speed, you’ll end up burning more calories and strengthening your legs over time. The great thing about walking is that it’s not particularly taxing on the knees, and you can move at your own pace. It doesn’t get any better than that! To get the most out of walking, schedule your walks for after mealtimes, especially the ones that come later in the day, like lunch and dinner. It’s a great way to aid digestion and burn calories — which can’t hurt your waistline!
SUCCESS STORIES
“When I came to Focus PT, I could not walk, stand, or do much of anything with my left foot. After rupturing my Achilles tendon, I was worried about ever doing the things I like to do, like walking around places or even continuing to do my part-time job. Now I can walk without pain and have returned to walking miles and my job, which requires hours of standing and moving around. The gang at Focus has been great and has encouraged me all along the way. I still need to do the exercises to build back the muscle, but I know I am going to be back to all I can do again. Thank you, Focus PT.”
Focus Physical Therapy patients ENTER TO WIN Find the misspelled word in this newsletter and call 949.709.8770 for your chance to win a $10 CALL 949.709.8770 Contest for past and present Focus Physical Therapy patients only. gift card.
–Don Cock
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Meet Laura Ward
A PT With a Passion for Learning
Growing up, Laura loved science and planned to become a vet, dentist, or forensic scientist. But when she got rear-ended
To be an effective physical therapist, it takes more than genuine care for the patients you serve. The job requires a dedication to staying abreast of the continuously shifting PT field, expanding your toolbox, and leveraging your expertise to provide patients with solutions to escape pain and return to the things they love. Laura Ward, the latest physical therapist to join the Focus PT team, is a prime example of this intelligent, inquisitive approach to treatment. From the start of her long career as a physical therapist, Laura has committed herself to learning all she can across a variety of PT disciplines. From studying at UC Irvine and Washington University — two of the top schools in the U.S. for PT — and honing her manual therapy techniques during a stint overseas in Australia to earning an intensive postgraduate orthopedic clinical specialist (OCS) certification and working years in the field, Laura is truly a boon for her patients. “As a movement specialist, I love the educational process,” she says. “To be able to guide people through therapy and to have them realize, ‘Oh! Now I’ve learned something new that allows me to live without pain!’ — it never gets old.”
and experienced serious whiplash, she found herself in physical therapy treatment. “I experienced the benefits firsthand,” she says. “I loved the way I was able to develop that one-on-one rapport with my therapist and how they were able to make a real impact on my lifestyle. That was the first time I realized PT could be such a rewarding career.” Soon after, she took her first step into the field and never looked back. Outside of Focus, Laura has her hands full with her 14-month-old son Zion, introducing him to as many outdoor activities as she can. She’s always searching for new things to learn and new interests to explore. Laura joined Focus Physical Therapy at the end of January, and she immediately fit right into the forward-thinking, personal-development atmosphere of the clinic. In just a few short months, she already feels like part of the family. We’re honored to have her on the team, and we are excited to see what she accomplishes next!
A SPECIAL THANKS to our clients who have referred us:
SHRIMP SAUSAGE SKEWERS
Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons paprika • 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder • 1/2 tablespoon onion powder • 1/2 tablespoon cayenne or chili powder • 1/4 tablespoon dried oregano • 1/4 tablespoon dried thyme Creole Seasoning Ingredients
• 1/2 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined • 1/2 pound cooked sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces • 2 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil • Wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
Carmen Avila Samia Sheikh Frank Miller Maria Seuy-Del Rio Anne Johnson Michelle Jackson Melinda Durham Derek Krebs
Directions
1. Heat your grill to medium-high. 2. In a bowl, combine all ingredients for creole seasoning. 3. In a large bowl, combine the shrimp, zucchini pieces, and sausage pieces, and cover them with the olive oil. 4. Add creole seasoning and mix well until all ingredients are covered. 5. Load up skewers with alternating pieces of shrimp, sausage, and zucchini until they’re full. 6. Grill skewers until shrimp are well-cooked (6–8 minutes).
Focus Physical Therapy • Call 949.709.8770 • 3
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SPECIALIZING IN: LOWER BACK PAIN • SCIATICA • NECK PAIN AND HEADACHES HIP PROBLEMS • SHOULDER PAIN, BURSITIS, AND TENDINITIS SPORTS PHYSICAL THERAPY • GOLF PERFORMANCE KNEE PAIN • PLANTAR FASCIITIS • DIZZINESS AND VERTIGO AQUATIC PHYSICAL THERAPY • AND OTHER CONDITIONS
Julian Manrique On His First Near- Death Hiking Trip What Is the World’s Best Exercise? Success Stories Meet Laura Ward, Our Newest PT! Shrimp Sausage Skewers INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1 2 2 3 3
Enjoying the Journey ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS WORTH VISITING
aliens, like some believe, but visitors of all ages will get a kick out of the illusions messing with their perception. Plus, the nearby hiking trails through the redwoods offer a free added experience. Dinosaur Land; White Post, Virginia It might not be Jurassic Park, but it’s still worth a look. Nestled in the greenery of Northern Virginia, this park has over 50 life-size statues of
The United States can be a weird place, and some landmarks definitely reflect that sentiment. Along almost every highway, bizarre landmarks draw road trippers of all ages. Sometimes tourist traps aren’t worth the price of admission, but when you’re taking your summer road trip this year and your family needs a place to stop and stretch, these are three roadside attractions worth checking out. The Lost Sea; Sweetwater, Tennessee The Lost Sea is the largest underground lake in the U.S. Lying 140 feet beneath the surface, it’s a fun escape from the summer heat, since it’s 58 degrees year-round. Kids and adults alike can learn about the history and geology of the area on a guided tour through forest above and lake below. And afterward, you can stop by the general store, ice cream parlor, or café. The Mystery Spot; Santa Cruz, California Advertising itself as a “gravitational anomaly,” this wacky spot in the middle of the redwood forest showcases a series of optical illusions such as balls rolling uphill and a cabin where visitors can lean toward the ground and appear to defy gravity. It might not be
dinosaurs of all kinds. Tours are self-guided, parking is free, and children (or adults) with dinosaur obsessions are sure to smile and point out their favorites. It’s certainly something to “rawr” home about. Whether these spots are your destinations or you’re just passing through on your summer road trip, visiting these roadside attractions and others like them will add some fun to your travels.
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