The Chronicle by Synergy Healthcare
The Chronicle Getting You Back on Track
“Has Pain Caused You to Become Less Active?” MOVE FREELY, FEEL YOUNGER, &WALK FARTHER
Put the Spring Back in Your Step Do you find it harder to walk, run, or exercise? Is hip, knee, or leg pain keeping you from being active? If so, understanding how your body walks and moves can be the key to putting the spring back in your step.
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Inside This Newsletter • Staff Spotlight • Patient Success Spotlights • Find Out If You Are Moving Like You Should
The Chronicle Getting You Back on Track
FREQUENCYSPECIFICMICROCURRENT FORSAFEANDSPEEDYHEALING
By Kevin Brick
Frequency Specific Microcurrent (FSM) is a relatively new form of electrical stimulation being utilized by osteopaths, nurse practitioners and physical and occupational therapists worldwide because of its wide range of applications for both acute and chronic injuries and conditions. This innovative intervention works on the basis that every tissue in the body has a unique electrical frequency. Healthy tissue vibrates at a particular frequency. Once tissue is injured or diseased, the intensity or strengthofthehealthyfrequencycandecrease, inadvertentlyencouraging a downward slide in health. FSM works by utilizing the body’s ability to respond to health-promoting frequencies delivered through the sensory nerves via state-of-the-art microcurrent technology. While FSM is especially effective at treating nerve and muscle pain, inflammation, and scar tissue, many psychological and emotional conditions often show an immediate response to FSM as well. FSM has been effective in decreasing hypertonicity (high muscle tone) due to traumatic brain injury and strokes. Patients with Parkinson’s disease and other progressive neurological conditions often report increased muscle coordination and strength. Concussions and decreased thought processes are addressed using frequencies which stimulate—or inhibit—targeted brain components and neural pathways. Inflammation, a physiological response in many diagnoses, is significantly reduced using acute or chronic settings. Healing orthopedic injuries including fractures and torn or inflamed tendons are addressed utilizing frequencies specific to the target tissue and facilitating the healing functions of that tissue. This treatment also has an immediate effect on the pain from shingles, a viral condition, which can reappear years after the initial encounter. The effectiveness of treatment varies from provisional to complete healing. This often depends on the patients’ compliance with therapeutic recommendations and efficacy of the target tissues. Generally, effects on inflammation and joint laxity are often immediate and may last weeks to months or longer. Using FSM as a therapeutic tool allows patients who may not be able to tolerate surgical or other medical/rehabilitation interventions programs to decrease their pain and increase function with fewer medications. FSM is the least restrictive intervention which presents with no adverse side effects and is very effective in helping patients return to a higher quality of life.
FSM treatments are further enhanced when combined with other modalities such as CranioSacral Therapy, Visceral Manipulation, or The Feldenkrais Method. Incremental lifestyle changes can also complement treatment interventions, encouraging the permanency of progress and expediting positive changes. Kevin Brick, MS, OT, is with Synergy Healthcare in Spokane. For more information, visit SynergySpokane.com or FrequencySpecific.com.
synergyspokane.com
FIND OUT IF YOU ARE MOVING LIKE YOU SHOULD
Can you do these simple tests to see if your hips and legs are as flexible and strong as they should be? Try them for yourself and let us know how you did. Use caution and common sense when attempting these tests; do not continue if they cause pain or discomfort. Do not attempt if you have had a hip replacement. • From standing, can you touch your toes? This indicates hip and low back flexibility. • In sitting can you comfortably cross your legs so that your ankle is resting on the other knee? Does one knee go further down than the other? This indicates hip flexibility. If one hip is tighter than the other, it can wreak havoc with your walking and even cause knee pain. • Keeping your feet flat on the floor and holding onto something solid, how far can you squat down? You should be able to squat all the way down so your buttocks almost touch your heels. Don’t let your heels pop up! If you favor movement to one side, you probably have hip weakness on that side or limited motion in the hip joint. • Standing near a counter top, put one foot in front of the other so that you are touching heel to toe. Without putting your hands down, see if you can balance for 10 seconds, keeping yourself steady. If you cannot, then you have trouble with the coordination of your balance from the nerve endings in your hip, knees, ankles, and feet.
Restoring Normal Pain-Free Motion Restoring normal motion is key to alleviating pain and allowing you to do the activities you love to do safely. Physical therapy is the key to restoring normal joint and muscle motion. Our medical experts pinpoint the key problem areas that you may not even be aware of and focus on a custom treatment plan that will restore your normal pain-free motion. Performing at Your Best Whether you are just out for a walk or are an avid athlete, we can help you walk, run, and play better. With our motion analysis, strength testing, coordination testing, and more, we can spot your muscles and joints that need flexibility, strength, or coordination. A specific training and treatment plan is then put together to help you reach your peak movement with the least effort.
“Don’t Let Pain Postpone Your Adventures!” EFFECTIVEHIP&KNEE PAINRELIEF
The Remedy The simple solution is to put the spring back in your step. This is accomplished by first analyzing how you walk. There are slight changes in the way that you walk and move that our trained medical experts can pick up on. This analysis tells us just what joints or muscles are stiff, stuck, or weak. By pinpointing the exact areas of your body that are not moving as they should, we can make a plan to increase motion, strength, and improve coordination.
Think of your body as a big spring that stores and releases energy with every step. The efficiency of your walk comes from the effectiveness of your flexibility, strength and balance. When any one of these is off, it affects your ability to walk efficiently and takes a lot of energy. This results in strain to different joints and makes muscles work much harder than they need to.This leads to possible pain in the back, hips, and knees. It also causes fatigue after walking, even for a little while. If you are experiencing pain again after therapy, it might be because muscles or joints have tightened or became weak again.
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Patient Success Spotlight
“I have highly recommended Synergy to my friends!”
“Dear Shauna and staff,
Thankyoufortheexcellentpersonalcarethat Ihave received this past year. It has been a tremendous blessing! Iam trulygrateful forShauna’sknowledge and training on concussions and super thankful she shut down my vestibular vertigo. I had it for fourteen months. It was such a great relief to feel I could live my life again. I appreciate how patient and kind the entire staff has been...now helping me with a knee injury. I have highly recommended Synergy to my friends. I am grateful for the hope to recover and get moving again. ” -Lori U.
Always learning…Always growing…
ATTENTION, PAIN SUFFERERS! Do you want a natural solution to your pain?
Staff Spotlight
Hello my name is Lana Pigeon, OTR/L. I am a certified occupational therapist with 24 years of experience in the areas of pediatrics, school systems, adult rehabilitation, geriatric rehabilitation, home healthcare, outpatient adults, and ergonomics. I have spent the last sevenyearsasa travelingoccupational therapist in school systems in the Pacific Northwest. Lana Pigeon, OTR/L
CLASSES AT SYNERGY HEALTHCARE
QIGONG Mondays 1-2 PM RESTORATIVE/GENTLE YOGA Wednesdays 3-4 PM • Natural relief for aches and pains • Less difficulty in reaching or bending • More social activity • More energy • More strength
FELDENKRAIS Tuesdays 12:15-1:15 PM GENTLE FLOW YOGA Fridays 2:30-3:30 PM
CLASS PRICE: $12 DROP-IN OR 4 CLASSES FOR $40
Igraduatedwithabachelor’sofsciencedegree inchilddevelopment fromNorthDakota State University and a bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy from the University of North Dakota. My additional training includes numerous sensory integration courses, developmental vision for occupational therapist, assistive technology for school age children, Brain Gym, and Handwriting Without Tears, to name a few. I enjoy learning new things, meeting new people, any kinds of exercise, travel, family, and friends. My passion rests with assisting children of all ages and abilities to reach their personal best. I very much look forward to serving the children and their families within the Coeur d’Alene and Spokane area.
synergyspokane.com 12012EMissionAve SpokaneValley,WA99206
Synergy Healthcare can further assess your needs. Contact us today!
All About Kids The Newsletter About Taking Care of the Ones That Matter Most
CORE STRENGTHENING TRICKS TO DOWITH YOUR KIDS
When parents come home with a newborn, the importance of “tummy time” comes up repeatedly. Colorful toys promise endless hours of tummy time enjoyment for your little one. Yet if you’re like many parents, the reality looks more like this: Place Baby on the floor on his tummy; listen to him scream; shake toys in front of him; listen to more wails of protest; and give up, hoping thatoneminuteof tummy timewassufficient.Everwonderwhy theobjection? It’s because doing so forced him to work muscles he didn’t want to work, namely his upper back and neck. Just like you’re apt to resist a lengthy set of crunches or make excuses to avoid another round of sit-ups, your baby resists working his core. Yet learning to stabilize, align and move the trunk of the body is imperative for numerous gross and fine motor skills. Children who lack good core strength tend to slouch with shoulders rolled forward as they sit, experience poor balance, and have little endurance. Building your child’s core strength can be a lengthy process, but important for functioning in school, sports and daily tasks. Whether your child works with an occupational therapist or you simply want exercises to help develop underused muscles, here are some tricks and exercises you can do with your kid to help develop core strength. Before You Start Make it fun Assuming you want the exercises to stick, they need to be fun. Try different activities until you find some that go over with a grin. It’s helpful to make each exercise into a game, particularly if its one your child can lead. Encourage laughter as you go along, which may mean a little self-depreciating humor to carry through. Start slow Before starting any exercise routine, ensure that both you and your child are physically and medically able to complete the activities safely. If your child is in therapy, check with her therapist prior to beginning. And then take it easy until you’re both comfortable progressing. If your child feels fatigued or frustrated, she’s unlikely to stay motivated. Find motivation If theword “exercise” isoff-putting,considercalling itsomethingelse.Whether you choose “superhero training,” “ninja workout” or “circus tricks,” you can create a whole different vibe (and level of interest) through semantics.
Suggested Activities • Crab Walk: Ask your child to get on all fours with his stomach upwards and bottom in the air. Place a stuffed animal or rolled-up socks on his stomach, and encourage him to “walk” backward for a short distance without dropping the object. Increase the distance as his endurance improves. • The Wheelbarrow: While your child hoists herself up on her hands, ask her to kick her legs up so that you can hold her ankles. Steer her as far as she’s able to go with her “walking” on her hands. • Superman Pose: Have your child lie on his stomach and lift his arms and legs as though he’s flying. • Twister: Play the board game Twister with hands and feet on various colored circles. • Dead Bug: As your child lies on his back, ask her to bend her knees and keep her feet flat on the ground. As she raises the right knee to her chest, ask her to arch her right arm over her head. Hold it as long as possible and then switch sides. As your child becomes more coordinated, she may be able to lift one leg and the arm on the opposite side. Not only are these exercises great to build core strength, they can also help your child build self-esteem. As with all activities, try it in moderation and follow the advice of a pediatric therapist before proceeding.
synergyidaho.com 6270N. GovernmentWay DaltonGardens, ID83815 (208) 666-0611
SPECIALIZING IN : Sensory Integration/Processing • Listening Therapies • Gross Motor & Coordination Skills Development • Play Skills • Fine Motor/ Visual Motor Skill Development • Oral Motor/Oral Sensory Development • Speech/Articulation Development • Expressive-Receptive Language Therapy • Literacy & Cognitive Development • Social Language Skills
All About Kids The Newsletter About Taking Care of the Ones That Matter Most
Treating ADHD Through Pediatric Therapy Behavioral therapy is a strategy parents can use to treat their child’s ADHD. Behavioral therapy is often effective at helping a child control her impulsiveness, hyperactivity, and inattentiveness. Pediatric therapy along with at-home strategies is helpful at improving the ADHD child’s overall behavior. Pediatric Therapy for ADHD
Many doctors recommend behavior therapy as a form of treatment for young children diagnosed with ADHD. A behavioral therapist will use several techniques to encourage the child to control his behavior. The therapist can suggest alternate behaviors to use in different situations. For instance, through therapy an ADHD child can discover a healthy way to cope when the urge strikes to act out in a violent or disruptive way. There are several techniques a therapist can employ to alter the child’s negative behavior at home and at school. One method is positive reinforcement. The basis of this technique is to catch the child doing something good and reward the behavior. The reward can be as simple as getting five extra minutes of TV time as a result of completing a homework assignment. If this method is unsuccessful, the therapist may suggest the parent withdraws privileges when the child is not behaving. There can also be a combination of the two techniques where the child can earn stars or points toward prizes and lose stars or points when the behavior is not on point. Pediatric therapy is also useful for children who are struggling socially. ADHD children may have difficulty interacting with their peers and have the inability to make lasting friendships. The therapist may meet one on one with the child or set up a peer group with a small number of kids diagnosed with ADHD. Peer groups allow children to interact under the supervision of a therapist who can provide feedback on conflict resolution and practicing good social skills. Parent involvement isessentialforpediatrictherapytowork.Thetherapist can educate the parent on how creating a structured environment will
1. Good Nutrition: Medical studies have proven the effectiveness of a well-balanced diet for ADHD children. Children should eat a diet rich in protein, fruits, and vegetables. Whole foods are best for children with ADHD with a reduction in foods high in sugar. Specialists have also suggested to their ADHD patients to eliminate certain substances completely from their diets. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, ADHD children should not consume foods with yellow or red dye, aspartame, sodium benzoate, MSG, and nitrites. 2. Better Sleep Habits: Getting enough sleep each night will help your child stay focused during the day. Bed times need to be consistent, with a wind-down period beforehand. A relaxing bath and story before bed may be a good ritual to start. Avoid screen time before bed since this may make it difficult for the child to get sleepy. 3. Daily Routines: Set up predictable rituals at home to help your child know what to expect. Hang up a schedule for your child to view, allowing her to see what time she is waking up each morning, doing homework, bathing, mealtimes, and going to bed. Keep after school activities to a minimum to avoid overwhelming the child. Parents, therapists, doctors, and teachers can all band together to supply the child with the tools he needs to manage his symptoms. In the end, he’ll feel more self-control and confidence as he learns to succeed without complete reliance on medication.
help keep the child on task. Top 3 Tips for Parents
ADHD treatment must continue at home to make a positive impact on a child’s overall behavior. Keep in mind the following three tips when parenting a child with ADHD:
synergyidaho.com https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/adhd/Pages/Behavior-Therapy-Parent-Training.aspx
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