Newsletter by Balance Rehabilitation
N E W S L E T T E R
Can You Rely On Your Balance This Season?
See Inside • Balance & Vertigo:
Answers to Your Most Dizzying Questions
• How are Dizziness, Balance Problems & Vertigo Treated? • 5 Health Tips For the New Year • Healthy Recipe
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N E W S L E T T E R
Balance & Vertigo: Answers to Your Most Dizzying Questions
How are poor balance, dizziness and vertigo diagnosed? People with balance problems or vertigo often experience a long and frustrating cycle of physician referrals, diagnostic tests and medical treatments without any real resolution to their problem. In fact, the entire diagnostic process is usually focused on what is not causing someone’s vertigo. Ear, Nose and Throat specialists will check for abnormalities in the ear, neurologists will test for neurological diseases like Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease, and chiropractors will manipulate the spine in an effort to relieve vertigo symptoms. The key to diagnosing the root cause of vertigo is actually found in the physical therapist’s office. Armed with the latest technology to diagnose and treat vertigo, physical therapists have programs to identify and treat the source of a patient’s balance or dizziness problems. Using specialized equipment, these non-invasive tests end the treadmill of specialists and expensive diagnostics. What do I do if I am dizzy or experiencing vertigo? If you are dizzy or experiencing vertigo, safety should be your number one concern. Every year, millions of adults fall, with one in five leading to a serious injury. In fact, with each decade after 65-years-old, the percentage of people falling jumps from 40 percent to 65 percent to 82 percent. Even if a fall does not result in a broken bone or fracture, pain resulting from a fall can make it difficult to reclaim your quality of life. If you feel dizzy or the room begins to spin, sit down in the nearest chair or lay down on the couch until the dizziness passes. If it does not subside or if the vertigo goes away but you are still unsteady, you may need medical attention.
Dizziness, a loss of balance and vertigo affect nearly 70 percent of all people over the age of 65. However, these conditions are not exclusive to the elderly. Those with vertigo and dizziness can experience a loss of balance, a fall, serious injury, or a withdrawal from daily activities. Yet for all its frequency, most people have questions about balance and vertigo that go unanswered. What is vertigo? Vertigo is a sense that the world is spinning, rocking or rotating even though you are standing, sitting or laying still. Young children often spin in circles then stop in an attempt to experience the exhilaration of the room spinning, but vertigo in adults often leaves them disconcerted,especiallywhen ithappenssuddenly.While it issometimesa first warning sign of an impending stroke or other neurological condition, vertigo is also a side effect of some medications and the result of a problem with your inner ear. What does your inner ear have to do with your sense of balance? Everything. While your inner ear is responsible for transmitting sound waves from the movement of bones in the middle ear to the auditory nerve in the brain, the semi-circular canals act as a sort of gyroscope in the body. These canals are filled with fluid and millions of hair cells called cilia that respond to your body’s position in space. When something disrupts the ability of these hair cells to react, vertigo is the result. This interference can be caused by concussion or other head injuries, infection or simple aging.
Call us today to setup an initial consultation and see just how well you can feel with physical therapy.
HOW ARE DIZZINESS, BALANCE PROBLEMS & VERTIGO TREATED?
ORANGE CRANBERRY BREAD Healthy Recipe
Once they have ruled out virulent underlying causes, physicians usually treat balance problems with medications designed to combat nausea and reduce the sensation that the world is spinning. While medications are an important aspect of treating a person’s vertigo, especially if the underlying cause is an infection, itdoesnotaddressother problems that may be contributing to balance issues. Maintaining your balance while standing and walking isacomplex function.Notonlydoyou needa functioningbrainandnervous system, you also need good vision, a healthy inner ear, strong muscles, healthy feet, and mobile joints. If any one of these aspects of balance is compromised, the whole system is affected. Medicating the symptom (dizziness) does nothing to address theothersystems thatmaybeatplay. What can physical therapy do for balance? Physical therapists are experts in movement. Not only can they diagnose movement and balanceproblems, theycanprescribe apersonalized therapeutic treatment plan that can help you feel more steady, experience less dizziness and lower your risk of a fall. •Alleviatea fearof falling. Aphysical therapist can assess your footwear andanyhazards that increaseyour risk of falling. They are also trained to address physical limitation that
could lead toa fall.Asyoucomplete your treatment plan, you will experience greater confidence and better balance. • Mobility leads to balance which leads to strength. Using targeted exercises, your physical therapist will help you regain your ability to move about with confidence and ease.By teachingyouexercises that will improve balance as you stand still (static balance) and exercises for balance as you move (dynamic balance) you will improve muscle strength as well as your overall ability to move. • Flexibility & Posture. People with balance issues also tend to experience joint stiffness and postureproblems thatcontribute to dizzinessandvertigo.Yourphysical therapist will work with you to stretch tight muscles, improve flexibility in your joints and retrain your posture which will, in turn, improve your balance. Vertigo is an unsettling experience. Fortunately, treatment is possible. Withthehelpofaphysicaltherapist, you can set the world right and reclaim your life. Sources https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pubmed/24018742 http://www.enttoday.org/article/vertigo-in-the-
Ingredients • 2 cups white whole wheat flour • 1/2 cup sugar • 1 teaspoon baking powder • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda • 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup fresh cranberries • 1 teaspoon orange zest • 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted • 3/4 cup fresh orange juice • 1 egg
Instructions Grease an 8×4 inch loaf pan. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, add white whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cranberries, and orange zest. Gently stir. In a separate medium-sized bowl, add coconut oil, fresh orange juice, and an egg. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Stir to combine everything together. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
https://www.joyfulhealthyeats.com/moist-orange-cranberry-bread/
elderly-what-does-it-mean/ http://vestibular.org/node/10 http://www.apta.org/BalanceFalls/
STAFF SPOTLIGHTS MichelleFecteau,PT. Michelle Fecteau is a physical therapist and certified in Manual Orthopedics through the Institute of Graduate Heatlh Sciences/ Stanley Paris in 1994.
with falls, balance issues, COPD, vertigo, vestibular hypofunction and CHF. She has advanced her manual skills to include Trigger Point Dry Needling with Balance Physical Therapy. Michelle’s goal is to help people to heal and encourage them along the way so they can reach their highest potential.
Cathy Schilling, PT. A graduate of Northeastern University Boston Bouve College with a degree in Physical Therapy since 1980, Cathy Schilling has spent her professional career developing a specialty in orthopedics. With extensive coursework and practice in treatment of the musculoskeletal system, she enjoys helping people with injuries,
Michelle has been working as a physical therapist for over 30 years and was the Orthopedic Clinical Specialist at Northeast Rehabilitation Hospital, where she instructed physical therapists and student clinical development, consulted inpatient and outpatient therapists on orthopedic treatments, and treated aquatic therapy, orthopedic and neurological patients. Michelle has gained vast experience in different roles within the physical therapy community including inpatient & outpatient, orthopedic private practice, acute care, rehab, nursing home, day rehab, and homecare. She has treated neurological patients with diagnoses of spinal cord injuries, CVAs, Parkinsons, MS, geriatrics
pain, and disabilities return to their optimum level of functionality and independence. Cathy excels at head and neck pain treatments (including TMJ dysfunction), sprain and strain treatments, joint replacement rehabilitation and is also certified in the Graston Technique.
Call Balance Rehab at 603.890.8844 , or visit our website at balance-rehab.com to schedule your appointment today!
5 HEALTH TIPS FOR THE NEW YEAR
Toy/Game Drive ThisamazinggroupofWindhamKidsareworking tobringaspecialChristmas to local families in need with a Toy/Game Drive to Support Windham’s Helping Hands! Give your child the gift of giving by shopping together for a new toy or game and dropping it off at one of our 11 local business locations which Balance is proud to be a part of!
1. Shop Well For Yourself. It is more important then ever to stock your kitchen with healthy foods. Have healthy snacks handy. The more convenient they are, the more likely you are to eat them. Instead of thinking about what you shouldn’t eat, promise to eat your 3 to 5 servings of vegetables each day. 2. Schedule Your Exercise. Schedule your workouts just as you would any other appointment. It’s okay if you can’t make it to class, but make sure that you get some activity in at least three days per week. 3. Just Say No. You probably aren’t aware how much extra food you consume just from people offering it to you. Just think twice before you take that food and decide if you really want it. 4. Skip the Baking. Do you make baked goods for giving? Chances are you eat much of what you bake. Instead make non-food gifts, or prepare ingredients for baked goods and put them in pretty jars—this year, let your gift recipient bake it up. 5. Hydrate. Keep your water bottle with you at all times. You should be drinking eight, 8-ounce glasses of water each day.
Balance Physical Therapy is seeking physical therapists to join our fun and dynamic practice! At Balance, we maintain a high standard of clinical expertise with a friendly, relaxed, and patient-focused approach. Our services include physical rehabilitation, post-operative care, sports medicine, injury prevention, orthopedic manual therapy, spinal rehabilitation and so much more! To expand our team-oriented staff, we are looking for a hard working and reliable therapist who is outgoing, friendly, self-motivated, and fitness-conscious. The qualified therapist should be able to work independently and also be adaptable to a variety of patient types. Professional Qualifications: The eligible candidate will be a graduate of an APTA accredited Physical Therapy Programand licensed by the State of NewHampshire. Candidate should have manual therapy skills & certifications with advanced problem solving skills. Five years + experience in outpatient orthopedics preferred. We will consider new grads. Job Description: Thehiredphysical therapistwilleffectivelymanageacaseloadofpatients, providing one-on-one care for 40-minute treatments while maintaining documentation of all patient notes using our EHR system (WebPT). This position will have defined evening hours. Salary dependent on experience; Health insurance, Simple IRAmatching, Vacation included in compensation.
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