Vital Care PT - July 2018

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JULY 2018

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B ack to T radition

Vital Care Patients ENTER TO WIN Find the misspelled word in this newsletter and call (623) 544-0300 for your chance to win a $10 gift card! CALL (623) 544-0300 Contest is for past and present Vital Care PT patients only. For as long as my kids can remember, our family has spent Independence Day at my grandparents’ cabin in Forest Lakes. Although we’ve missed the last couple of years due to other vacations (and let me tell you, the kids were not happy about it), we joined my parents and my sisters’ families up there this year to continue the tradition. Forest Lakes is a tiny town on the Mogollon Rim near small lakes. It only consists of a library/ church, a fire department, a general store, one restaurant, a lodge, and some cabins. However, there is a bigger town called Heber nearby, which is where we go for food, activities, and to watch the fireworks. Every year, our family sits in an area behind the Heber high school that we’ve affectionately named “the junkyard.” The kids compete to find the coolest treasures. The first time we sat

in the junkyard, it was a little weird, but we’ve gotten used to it. Once it gets dark, we have to be careful where we step so that we don’t trip over anything. We’ve been setting up our chairs in the junkyard for as long as I can

remember, and in my opinion, it’s the best spot to watch the fireworks. I have always loved our trip to Forest Lakes. The

Each year, the fire department in Forest Lakes hosts a pancake breakfast that Saturday morning, and

community is small, the people are friendly, and there are so many things for us to do during the

our whole family attends. It’s only a few dollars to eat unlimited pancakes, and the money goes toward making sure the fire department has enough supplies to outlast the dry summer. They also host an ice cream social, which is a fun way to meet our neighbors. According to the kids, the best part of our trip is the Independence Day parade. Since the area is made up of dirt roads, most people get around on their ATVs. To celebrate Independence Day, people dress their ATVs up in festive gear, drive around Forest Lakes, and toss candy to eager children. The year we finally got to go to Hawaii for the first time, we had to miss out on our Forest Lakes Fourth of July trip. The kids were so disappointed that they were going to miss the parade. They couldn’t fathom Hawaii being better than the candy! Overall, it was a great trip, and we were happy to be with our family for the holiday. I hope you had a great Fourth of July. We look forward to seeing you soon. –Andrea McWhorter

“I have always loved our trip to Forest Lakes. The community is small, the people are friendly, and there are so many things for us to do during the weekend.” weekend. We spend a lot of time conversing around a fire pit, but we also barbecue, hike, go four-wheeling, canoe, and fish. We also play cornhole, ladder toss, and tetherball — or rather, the kids play tetherball. We dug out a go-kart track for the kids, which gets used on a daily basis, and there is an area for BB gun and archery target practice. There is no internet service, so we stay disconnected, with the exception of cellphones for emergencies and taking pictures only. My grandparents’ cabin sits on about an acre of land, so there’s plenty of room for activities and family softball games.

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S ourcing the S weet -S melling S tuff WHERE ESSENTIAL OILS

Call it a pseudoscientific fad or a medical revolution; either way, essential oils are more popular today than they have ever been. Though research on the efficacy of lavender, ginger, and the dozens of other sweet-smelling oils is conflicting at best, people are using them at an astonishing rate. In fact, according to Stratistics MRC, essential oils were a $5.91 billion industry in 2016 and are expected to reach $12.85 billion by 2023. Whether you’re an essential oil acolyte or fly into a rage at the faintest hint of bergamot, your mind is probably already made up about aromatherapy. The question remains, though: Where does all this delicious-smelling stuff come from? Most essential oils are derived from a process called steam distillation . Soon after harvest, the plants are placed on a mesh inside a sealed still, into which steam is injected. As the steam rises and envelops the plant, it breaks it down and lifts its constituent components up through a tube and into a condenser. The condenser cools the resulting vapor and collects it in liquid form at the bottom. Since essential oils do not mix with water, they float on the surface, where they’re siphoned off, bottled, and shipped off to a distributor.

There are other methods, such as expression (aka cold pressing), but because steam distillation is so easy to do, most essential oils you see on the shelf will have gone through this process. Lavender essential oil is harvested from sheaves of lavandula angustifolia , that purple herb you see all over gardens across the United States. There are lavender farms all over the world, from California to Japan to Brazil, but the biggest world producer of lavender is, interestingly, Bulgaria. Tea Tree oil comes from the leaves of melaleuca alternifolia , commonly known as narrow-leaved paperbark, a short, bushy tree that produces white, fluffy flowers in the spring. The trees are endemic to Australia, but today are usually farmed in New South Wales or Queensland. Bergamot is distilled from the peels of lime-green bergamot oranges, or citrus bergamia . Most of it comes from coastal areas around the Ionian Sea. Whatever you do with it, use it sparingly on your skin — it can amplify skin damage from the sun!

S uccess S tories OUR CLIENTS SAY IT BEST

S udoku

“Thank you very much for helping make my knee pain feel better! I am now able to resume normal activities with very little or no pain in the knee. You were highly recommended by friends of ours, and we agree with them and will recommend you to all of our other friends. All of your staff is very friendly and helpful, and your PT methods worked great on me. Thank you again.” -Larry B. “Before PT, I couldn’t even leave the house due to sharp pains in my leg and hip. I’d been suffering for several months. After six weeks of exercises with Kacey and four weeks of traction, I am 100 percent pain-free! The staff here is so friendly and caring. I appreciate each one. Especially Kacey, my therapist. Thank you!” -Marjorie P.

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COME FROM

TREATING AND PREVENTING PLANTAR FASCIITIS

Plantar fasciitis is a common foot condition that causes heel pain when the supporting arch in the foot (the plantar fascia) becomes inflamed or tears. When someone has plantar fasciitis, they experience pain in the heel, arch, or ball when they put weight on their foot. Thankfully, physical therapy is a great way to treat and prevent plantar fasciitis. People can develop plantar fasciitis for many reasons. If you have a job or play a sport that involves prolonged standing or weight-bearing activities, you could be more prone to developing this condition. Also, if you’ve recently begun a new running program or landed a job that requires more standing and walking than you’re accustomed to, your plantar fascia can become irritated. Plantar fasciitis affects people of all ages, athletes and nonathletes alike. If you have plantar fasciitis, you may feel a stabbing pain on the underside of your heel and tightness in your arch. You may experience pain in the morning, with prolonged standing, when standing up after sitting for a while, after running or other weight- bearing activities, when climbing stairs, or when walking barefoot. To diagnose plantar fasciitis, your physical therapist will massage and press on your heel, gently stretch your ankle to bend the top of the foot toward the leg, and gently press the toes toward the ankle. If these tests result in symptoms, you will work with your therapist to create your custom treatment plan. Your treatment plan may include the following:

B lue C heese B uffalo D ogs and C elery S law

• Stretching exercises to improve flexibility of your ankle and plantar fascia

INGREDIENTS

• Use of a night splint to maintain correct ankle and toe position

For Celery Slaw: • 4 celery stalks, very thinly sliced • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice • 1 teaspoon olive oil • Celery salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

• 1 package of your favorite hot dogs • 1 package hot dog buns • 1 bottle Frank’s RedHot sauce • 4 ounces crumbled blue cheese

• New footwear or inserts that minimize pronation

• Application of LaserTouchOne cold laser, heat, ice, or ultrasound to decrease pain and inflammation

• Soft tissue mobilization to the plantar fascia and surrounding ankle/leg musculature

DIRECTIONS

• Taping of the foot for short-term relief

1. For slaw, toss all ingredients together and season with celery salt and pepper. 2. Grill hot dogs and toast buns. 3. Assemble hot dogs, douse with hot sauce, and top with celery slaw. 4. Top with blue cheese, add another splash of hot sauce if you’re feeling extra spicy, and serve.

To prevent future episodes of plantar fasciitis, your therapist may recommend buying shoes with good arch support, replacing your shoes regularly, using a thick mat if you stand in one place most of the day, warming up effectively before exercise, stretching your calfes and feet before and after exercise, or maintaining a healthy body weight. If you are experiencing pain in your heel and the arch of your foot, call us today to start on the road to recovery.

Inspired by Bon Appetit magazine

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I nside 14545 W. Grand Ave., #108 Surprise, AZ 85374 Independence Day Traditions PAGE 1

THIS ISSUE

Where Do Essential Oils Come From? Success Stories PAGE 2 Blue Cheese Buffalo Dogs and Celery Slaw Physical Therapy for Heel and Arch Pain PAGE 3 Must-See Swimming Holes of the World PAGE 4

SECRET SWIMMING HOLES OF THE WORLD

Summertime is for swimming, but why settle for a community pool when you can have access to the most beautiful swimming locales in the world? These three exclusive, little-known spots are sure to take your breath away. Hali’i Falls, Hawaii With its spiral staircase of waterfalls, this remote jungle location offers up more than one unique spot to take a plunge. Visitors never fail to be awestruck by the deep blue-green hue of each pool created by the four cascading waterfalls. Hali’i means “to spread out,” which is precisely what each waterfall does, showcasing a serene experience unlike any other. But the beauty of this one-of-a-kind experience is only outdone by its exclusivity. To reach these pools, you’ll have to hike through dense forest, deep marshes, and wide-open pastures of sugar cane. Dos Ojos, Mexico The Spanish translation of the name for this magical system of caves is “two eyes,” and you’ll want to have yours checked after you see this

swimming hole. When limestone bedrock collapses, a sinkhole called a “cenote” is formed. The unearthed water from the natural aquifer balances a color palette of earth tones with the most majestic shades of blue you’ll ever behold. The calling cards for these bodies of water are the Blue Eye and the Black Eye. Both offer unforgettable experiences, but the price of entry is a hefty sense of adventure. You’ll need a full set of scuba gear to get to either hole. The Baths, Virgin Gorda A day in the Caribbean is like living every moment inside a beautiful pastel painting. The elegance of this location in the British Virgin Islands will make you feel like you’ve been transported into a cathedral. The large boulders and natural rock formations create shallow caves that will captivate your eyes as you wade through the water in wonder. When you exit, you’ll witness the sight that gives this beautiful spot its name. A handful of 40-foot granite boulders form private pools as if that was what they were made for.

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