Health and Wellness Newsletter by Drayer Physical Therapy Institute
Health & Wellness The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body
Life Is Good Without Neck Pain
Radiculopathy Pressure or irritation on or around the nerves of the neck can affect the nerves’ electrical signals. The pressure or irritation can be felt as numbness on the skin, weakness in themuscles or pain along the path of the nerve. Themost common causes are poor posture, herniated discs, stenosis or degenerative disc disease. If you are suffering from neck pain, our programs are ideal to quickly relieve your pain and prevent it from returning. Fromacute onset to long-term neck pain to recovering from a complicated surgery, we can relieve your neck pain quickly, restoring your natural mobility and strength. Our treatments are designed to help ease pain and to improve flexibility, strength, posture and function. We even teach you how to protect your neck in the years ahead. Look inside to learn more about our services and say good-bye to that aching neck!
Neck pain can be a constant ache or sharp pain withmovement, stopping you from enjoying life’s activities. Neck pain is very common, affecting approximately two-thirds of the population at one point or another. Most neck pain is mechanical in nature or comes from the spine and/or its supporting structures. It typically occurs when there is a loss of motion in the cervical spine joints or muscles in the spine are tense or weak, creating an imbalance. Pain can occur in the neck, but can also radiate into the shoulders or upper extremities. Typical conditions include: Degenerative Disc Disease The discs are the fluid-filled sacs between the vertebrae, the bones of your neck. The normal aging process and repeated stress causes wear and tear, resulting in thinner andmore fragile cartilage. When this happens, the disc loses its ability to absorb shock, which may cause rubbing and changes in the shape of the joints in your neck, which can cause stiffness and/or pain. Muscles Strain When there is an injury to the neck or you overuse the shoulder or neck muscles, a strain can occur. A strain is damage to the muscle or tendon, most often caused by whiplash.
drayerpt.com
Are You Hurting Your Neck While You Sleep?
We spend one third of our lives sleeping. Therefore, how you sleep and the bed you sleep on can have a dramatic effect on the support of your body. When you sleep you need to be aware of how your neck and spine are supported. There are many different types of beds on themarket today which can be very confusing for consumers. The best type of bed is the one that you try out and feel most comfortable using. Typically, a bed that is firm underneath, with a softer top helps to provide support as well as contour your body. If your mattress is old, then think about investing in a new one so that your neck and spine are supported well. The best positions to sleep in for your spine are on your back or sides. Avoid sleeping on your stomach since your spine ends up twisted, especially your neck. Over the hours of repetitive sleeping on your stomach, you can damage the joints of your spine and compress the nerves exiting your spine. If you like
to sleep on your back, place a pillow under the backs of your thighs and knees. This should place your knees in a slight, supported bend which takes pressure off your lower back. If you sleep on your side, be sure to put a pillow between your knees. This helps keep the alignment of your spine, and takes the pressure of your upper leg off the spine. The right pillow should keep your spine in a neutral position, or limit the amount of tilting of your head. There aremany choices; orthopedic, feather, cervical and even water-filled pillows. Pick a pillow that fills the space between your ears and themattress, while maintaining a neutral spine. If you are suffering with neck or back pain, call us today to learn more about how we can relieve your pain, returning you to a more active, pain-free life!
Come in for a complimentary* musculoskeletal injury screening! A 30-minute assessment, with a licensed therapist, of your musculoskeletal complaints and discussion on how they’re affecting your life. Your screen will: Identify if you are at risk for injury Identify the need for physical therapy, referral to physician or other services Provide education for minimizing the risk of injury FREE Musculoskeletal Injury Screening *In compliance with federal regulations: If you are a recipient of a federally funded health care program (including but not limited to Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, Federal Employee Benefits) you are not eligible to receive this offer. Call the center nearest you, mention this offer and schedule your free musculoskeletal screen!
Patient Success S P O T L I G H T
I am now functioning again! “Drayer in Mt. Joy is like family to me. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to anyone. Chad Kettler has beenmy primary therapist. He had treated me a number of years ago for another problem and after I had a stroke in January of 2016, I knew I wanted to go back to Drayer for therapy. Chad has helped me in so many ways and is very knowledgable. Even when I was feeling down, he and the staff at Drayer were encouraging and kind. I am now functioning fairly well on my own and I give thanks to God for leading me to the wonderful, experienced staff at Drayer.” - Jean S.
Text Neck: Is Smartphone Use Causing Your Neck Pain?
Virtually unheard of two years ago, “text neck” is a repetitive strain injury that’s becoming more common as more people hunch over smartphones. Aggravating muscle pain in the neck and shoulders, and sometimes lower back, is occurring even in teens and adolescents. A load of hurt How can using a smartphone or other mobile device cause so much hurt? It’s all in how you look at it. Literally. Looking down, dropping your head forward, changes the natural curvature of your neck. Over time, that misalignment can strain muscles and cause wear and tear on the structures of the neck. Three things happen when you drop your head: 1. Your neck moves forward. 2. Your shoulders round forward or lift up toward your ears. 3. Your neck and shoulder muscles spasm (contract). Neckmuscles, in their proper position, are designed to support the weight of your head, about 10 to 12 pounds. Research shows that for every inch you drop your head forward, you double the load on those muscles. Looking down at your smartphone, with your chin to your chest, can put about 60 pounds of force on your neck. Besidesmuscle pain, text neck can cause a host of other health concerns. Sitting in a slumped position restricts your lungs’ ability to expand, impairing your lung capacity. Inhaling less oxygenmeans your heart needs to pump harder to distribute more oxygen-carrying blood through your body.
3 Tricks To Nix Text Neck 1. Straighten up. Learn proper posture and neck alignment by peeking at your profile in a mirror. If you’re standing correctly, you should be able to draw a vertical line from your ear to your shoulder. 2. Arch back. If your posture isn’t perfect, try doing shoulder extensions. Arch your neck and upper back backward, pulling your shoulders into alignment under your ears. This simple stretch can alleviate stress and muscle pain. 3. Look forward. Rather than tilting your chin down to read your mobile device, raise the device to eye level. The same goes for your desktop computer. Your monitor screen should be at eye level so your head isn’t perpetually dropping and causing muscle strain.
By Chronic Conditions Team | 3/24/15 8:00 a.m. Cleveland Clinic
Have You Ever Had Whiplash?
Physical Therapy for Whiplash
Whiplash Associated Disorders Chart: Whiplash associated disorders can be classified into five grades as identified by the Quebec Task Force: Grade 0: No neck pain, stiffness, or any physical signs are noticed. Grade 1: Neck complaints of pain, stiffness or tenderness only but no physical signs are noted by the examining physician. Grade 2: Neck complaints and the examining physician finds decreased range of motion and point tenderness in the neck. Grade 3: Neck complaints plus neurological signs such as decreased deep tendon reflexes, weakness and sensory deficits. Grade 4: Neck complaints and fracture of dislocation, or injury to the spinal cord. Requiring further followup froma physician prior to physical therapy.
Whiplash is a traumatic injury to the structures of the cervical spine (the seven uppermost vertebrae). It involves muscles and ligaments and is caused by extremes in range of motion in the absence of severe bony injury such as fracture, dislocation or disc herniation. Sports injuries, physical abuse and other trauma can cause whiplash, but most often it results form rear-endmotor vehicle accidents. Symptoms can begin anywhere from a few hours to one day after an accident. Whiplash associated disorders (WAD) can be classified into five grades. Grades 3 and 4 are the most serious and require further follow-up with a physician prior to a patient starting a physical therapy program.
Grade 1 symptoms include neck pain, stiffness or tenderness; Grade 2 symptoms include neck pain with decreased range of motion and point tenderness. For these types of WAD, conservative care often is prescribed, with recommendations for “act as usual” care (no active treatment) or physical therapy. WAD can be pricey: 84.5 percent of the costs are incurred during the acute episode and can result in an absence fromwork of more than two months. For patients, pain reduction is the most common goal, in which case active physical therapy should be considered. For Grade 2 patients, active physical therapy should be recommended as the best option for achieving the best outcomes as far as therapy and cost.
Why Choose Drayer Physical Therapy Institute After an Auto Accident? Physical Therapy gets you back on your feet faster. Drayer Physical Therapy Institute will coordinate billing with all insurances including Auto, Medicare and private payers.
Physical Therapists are trained in the different stages of injury and will have the correct plan for each stage. The clinicians at Drayer Physical Therapy Institute will use gentle exercise to help you get pain-free.
Drayer Physical Therapy Institute provides you individualized care and tracks your progress.
*Please note: All services are not available at each location, visit the web or call your nearest center for details.
drayerpt.com
Exercise Essentials Try these exercises to keep you moving
SCAPULAR RETRACTION Stand tall, shoulders relaxed. Pull your shoulder blades back and down. Don’t hunch your shoulders. Keep the large muscles in the neck relaxed. Repeat 6 times.
LEVATOR SCAPULAE STRETCH Place your hand behind your back on the painful side and tilt your head downward into the armpit. Use your opposite hand to guide your head further into the stretch. Hold for 10 seconds repeat 6 times on both sides.
Good stretch if you sit at a computer all day
Helps decrease neck pain
Exercises copyright of
www.simpleset.net
Not all exercises are appropriate for every person. Please consult with a healthcare provider before starting.
Who do you know that needs our help?
Refer a Friend Do You Have Friends or Family Unable to Do The Following? 9 Move without pain 9 Bend and move freely 9 Balance confidently and securely 9 Sit for long periods comfortably 9 Walk for long distances 9 Live an active and healthy lifestyle If you know someone suffering with aches and pains give the gift of health. Refer them to Drayer Physical Therapy Institute today. Pass along this newsletter or have them call us directly to schedule an evaluation!
For more information or to request an appointment go to drayerpt.com/pennsylvania
drayerpt.com
Hershey 32 Northeast Drive, Suite 203 Hershey, PA 17033 P: 717-533-0215 F: 717-533-0218
Lancaster 2125 Noll Drive, Suite 100
Lebanon 840 Helen Drive, Suite 200 Lebanon, PA 17042 P: 717-270-5465 F: 717-270-5689
Mount Joy 755 East Main Street Mount Joy, PA 17552 P: 717-653-0323 F: 717-653-0527
East Petersburg 5665B Main Street East Petersburg, PA 17520 P: 717-406-3904 F: 717-406-3905
Hummelstown 8125 Adams Drive Hummelstown, PA 17036 P: 717-220-2020 F: 717-220-2010
Lancaster, PA 17603 P: 717-391-9920 F: 717-391-9925
For more information call your nearest Drayer Location! You’ll Feel Better With Physical Therapy!
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker