Do you know someone who uses a bad joint as an excuse for not joining in on the fun? Is it you? Don't let it be you! Being able to tell the difference between pain that will resolve on its own and pain that needs to be taken care of (and what to do) will go a long way towards making you feel confident in your body so you can go on the adventures that make life fun.
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NEWSLETTER The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body
Get Back to Your Adventurous SidewithaPain-Free You Do you know someone who uses a bad joint as an excuse for not joining in on the fun? Is it you? Don't let it be you! Being able to tell the difference between pain that will resolve on its own and pain that needs to be taken care of (and what to do) will go a long way towards making you feel confident in your body so you can go on the adventures that make life fun.
INSIDE: - What Your Pain Is Trying to Tell You - Physical Therapy Pain Relieving Techniques - Body Gears News - Exercise of The Month - Patient Success Spotlight
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NEWSLETTER The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body
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WHAT YOUR PAIN IS TRYING TO TELL YOU
When you haven’t injured yourself but something starts to hurt, do you ever wonder what your body is trying to tell you? It’s hard to assess pain in isolation but let’s break down some different types of pain so you can start to think of pain as your body’s way of trying to tell you something. 1. Throbbing/Aching Pain vs. Shooting/ Burning Pain Pain from tissues like bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons tends to feel like a throb or an ache or even sharp. Pain that feels like it shoots down a limb (like sciatica) or burns or even tingles tends to be due to nerve irritation. Whenever you think nerve irritation, think spine. While a nerve can become irritated anywhere along its path (like in carpal tunnel syndrome), more than likely there’s an issue at the spine where the nerve exits the spinal cord. And remember, when you start thinking spine, your next thought should be posture. Pro Tip: For both types of pain, see if you can find a pain-relieving posture. People can often find a pain relieving position, like lying down, but if your painful position is sitting, try playing around with the arch in your back, the position of your shoulders, and the position of your head to find a new sitting posture that's more comfortable (even if you find your most comfortable posture is completely flexed forward, that will give a lot of good information to your PT about where to go with treatment). 2. Pain with Movement vs. Pain with Rest Pain when you move that gets better with rest is likely from a muscle strain/tendinopathy, tissue impingement, or a biomechanics/ loading issue. Pain that gets worse when you’re stationary or right when you start moving after you’ve been stationary for a while is likely an inflammatory or resting posture issue and movement will be your best friend.
your finger is really trying to tell you is that it doesn’t like staying in that position for long. You can either train your body to adapt (like learning the splits) or concede you’ve reached your body’s limit and change positions. 4. Chronic pain. Pain that lasts for longer than 3 months is considered chronic pain. This is because if there was any tissue damage, that’s enough time for everything to be fully healed. If the same tissues are still damaged, then (outside of pathological causes) there is most likely a biomechanics/loading issue. Sometimes it’s overloading but it could also be under- loading (not giving your tissues enough input to become stronger) that’s causing your pain to persist. Since there's a good chance that tissue damage isn't playing a significant role in many people's chronic pain, things like fear of movement, expecting imminent pain, and tissue sensitization could all be influencing the way you move and perceive sensations. Changing your beliefs and attitudes towards pain is a major piece in finally overcoming it. For help finding your best postures and to encounter a new perspective, request a FREE head to toe discovery session.
® Pro Tip: Osteoarthritis involves a loading issue that leads to joint stiffness. If you only address joint stiffness without addressing joint loading, you’ll be stuck in a relapsing pain cycle. 3. Pain that comes “out of nowhere” If you get pain that starts only after you’ve been walking or running for a certain amount of time, it’s potentially a stability muscle fatiguing and either a joint or a tissue complaining about the extra load. For the people who sit at their desk for hours and then think, "This neck pain just came out of nowhere!", it’s really your body trying to ask you to change postures or positions to give some of your tissues a break. Your body has the capacity to do all sorts of things so the thing it dislikes the most is to be confined to a single position. The Finger Demonstration: If you're having a hard time seeing how sudden strong pain could just be your body asking you to move, take one of your fingers and bend it all the way back. You might feel a stretch but this shouldn't hurt until after a few seconds when it'll start to really hurt. Nothing is damaged and nothing is likely to get damaged so all
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Physical Therapy Pain Relieving Techniques
Sometimes physical therapy treatments can be uncomfortable or even slightly painful as we try to get the most out of our muscles, mobilize scar tissue, or get something to move. However, not all physical therapy techniques are painful! Some, like the ones listed below, are even specifically intended to immediately reduce your pain. Gentle Mobilization Low amplitude joint oscillations are specifically utilized for pain reduction. One of the potential ways this is done is by flooding the system with non-painful stimuli that travel through the nervous system faster than painful stimuli and therefore block them out. Other mechanisms include stimulating release of a substance that prevents nerves from transmitting a pain signal and by decreasing muscle activity and tension. Desensitization Training For some people, even the lightest touch can trigger their intense pain. Desensitization training can come in many forms but the idea is to apply a tolerable amount of stimulation or pressure, another gentle input like rhythmic motion, and slowly increase the stimulation
until non-noxious things like light touch no longer trigger the person's pain. Muscle Relaxation While muscle relaxant medication has a global effect throughout your body, physical therapy techniques can target a specific muscle to relax, sparing the rest of your well- functioning muscles. Techniques include breathing exercises, visualization, contract- relax techniques, soft tissue mobilization, biofeedback, and gentle repeated motions.
Although not every physical therapy technique results in immediatepain-relief,every technique your physical therapist utilizes is for reducing your pain and improving your function in the long-run. Dry needling is a good example of a technique that can be initially painful for some and result in delayed soreness for others but will almost universally result in patients raving about the resulting pain relief by their next visit. Don’t forget, exercises can relieve pain too!
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Email social@bodygears.com with the subject line “Looking for pain-relief” to get a facts sheet on the common household remedies heat, ice, and ointment.
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Exercise of theMonth Try this calming core exercise
Staff Spotlight
Kate McKechnie PT, DPT, CFMT Kate earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree fromLong IslandUniversity inBrooklyn,NYandwas honored to receive the Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence. She also has a Bachelor’s Degree in Biological Sciences from Northwestern University. Kate is a Certified Functional Manual Therapist
(CFMT), a Women’s Health Specialist, and clinic manager of the Winnetka clinic. She is experienced with visceral mobilization as well as Functional Dry Needling. Certifications and Training: • Doctor of Physical Therapy • Licensed Physical Therapist by the State of Illinois • APTA/IPTA Member • Certified Functional Manual Therapist (CFMT) • Women’s Health Therapist • Functional Dry Needling, Level 1 & 2 • Winnetka Clinic Manager Education: Long Island University 2011-2014 Doctorate in Physical Therapy and Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence Northwestern University 2006-2010
Diaphragmatic Breathing
Diaphragmatic Breathing: Lay on your back and place one hand on your breastbone with the other on your stomach. Take a deeper than normal breath in and feel whether one hand rises more or faster than the other. Feel for this on the exhale as well. On your next breath, try to have both hands rise and fall the same amount at the same time. If the movement feels jerky or disjointed, continue practicing until your hands rise and fall together smoothly. Once you've mastered diaphragmatic breathing while laying on your back, try it in sitting and standing. Practice for a minute at a time.
Bachelor of Biological Sciences Certified Massage Therapist, 2002
Patient Success Spotlight
Body Gears News
"They went out of their way to make my journey a success."
Congratulations to Dr. Bob LeBeau on his professorship position at NIU! It’s been a dream of his to help shape and inspire the PTs of tomorrow, which he will be fantastic at, and he will continue to treat 1 day a week at the Oak Brook clinic. Meanwhile, our very own Dr. Lindsay Jana has been promoted to Oak Brook Clinic Manager! Be sure to give them both a warm congratulations if you see them.
“Body Gears literally transformed my life. When I started therapy, I could not take a step without pain. Walking my dog had become the most dreaded act in my entire life. Sharp pangs in my right hip led to other compensations and my rib cage had migrated unusually far to the left. Prior to starting therapy, I was stuck in that position. Some doctors were talking about hip orthoscopy, while other folks said I needed disc surgery. Neither was true! Six months later, I am walking straight and am totally pain free. All the therapists I saw were amazing, releasing restrictions, teaching me how to confront pain in a healing way, and helping me regain proper use of my muscle chains. I learned an incredible amount along the way. They went out of their way to make my journey a success. As far as I am concerned, these guys are among the very best on the planet.” – Ryan L. (Body Gears Graduate)
How to Love Your Gut
Our gut is the only part of our body repeatedly coming into contact with the outside world. Show it some love this Valentine’s season by tuning into our podcast “How to Love Your Gut” with Registered Dietitian Kristen Marias. Learn about combating bloating with non-dairy probiotic foods and so much more!
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Request AComplimentary Screening
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Schedule Your FreeDiscovery Session www.BodyGears.com | 877-709-1090 VISITOURWEBSITEORGIVEUS ACALL: Whether you’re recovering from an injury, training for a competition, or you’re striving for better health, wellness and freedom of movement, Body Gears can help you achieve your optimum self. This 20-minute appointment will allow you to meet a physical therapist, share your story, and complete a mini-assessment. The purpose of this screening is to answer two questions: 1. Which techniques will help you change your story? 2. How can Body Gears help you achieve your functional goals? Our physical therapists will be able to quickly provide you the information you need to take the next step. We hope it's with us! ®
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QUINOA & LENTIL STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS
Ingredients • 1 head of green cabbage For the Filling • 3/4 cup brown lentils • 3 cups water • 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa • 1 cup vegetable broth
For the Sauce: • 1 (28 oz) can tomato puree • 1 tbsp maple syrup, or sweetener of choice • 1 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar • salt and pepper to taste
• 1 small onion, diced • 1 tbsp vegetable oil • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar • 2 tbsp soy sauce • 1 tsp smoked paprika
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(about 20 min). Cook onion with oil in a large skillet over medium heat until soft and translucent (about 5 min). Add 1 1/2 cups of the cooked lentils and 1 cup of the cooked quinoa, along with red wine vinegar, soy sauce, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper to taste. Make sure ingredients are mixed before removing from heat. Preheat the oven to 350°. Stir all sauce ingredients together in a small bowl, then distribute about 1/2 cup of the sauce into the bottom
of 9 x 9 inch baking dish. After peeling leaves off of the cabbage head, roll about 3-4 tbsp of filling into the center of each leaf until all filling is used. Place each roll into the baking dish. Spoon remaining sauce over the rolls, cover and bake for 1 hour. Let the rolls cool before serving. www.connoisseurusveg.com/quinoa-lentil-stuffed-vegan-cabbage-rolls
Begin boiling the cabbage in 3 in of water until the leaves peel off easily (about 20 min). When done, allow them to cool. While cabbage is simmering, bring lentils to a boil in a separate small saucepan. Lower heat and allow to simmer for35minutes,addingwater to thepotasneeded. Drain any excess liquid. While lentils simmer, place broth into another saucepan, add quinoa, and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 20 min until all of the water is absorbed
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5 WAYS TO PUT THE PAIN BEHIND YOU
Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone who motivates you to be more active AND can take away all the aches and pains that are preventing you from living life to the fullest? Check out these top five reasons why working with a physical therapist can help you reclaim the healthy, active lifestyle you want and deserve: 1. Identify the hidden factors contributing to your physical dysfunction. We would all rather fix the problem than mask the symptoms,butsometimes it’shard to identify thesource (or sources) of the problem. Because we take a whole- bodyapproach,ourphysical therapistscan identifywhen symptomsareactually locatedmuch furtheraway from the source than you might have expected. For example, knee pain could be the result of weak pelvic floor muscles which can affect the alignment of thewhole legduringweightbearing.Likewise,painand tingling in the foot could be due to a nerve compressed anywherealong it’spath from the foot to the lowerback. Common factors often overlooked include scar tissue (no matter how old), range-of-motion limitations outside thepainful joint,muscleactivation/recruitment/ timing issues (regardless of how strong the muscle is), inefficient movement mechanics, and postural imbalances. If factors like thesehaven’tbeenaddressed, your symptom relief has likely been temporary at best. 2. Have a customized plan tailored to your individual needs.
There are different brands of physical therapy. Not all physical therapy is the same. If you’re being handed a pre-printedexercisesheet thesameas thenextperson, run for the hills! Every manual treatment, exercise, and pieceofeducationyou receive fromaphysical therapist should be individualized to you based on your unique body. Not every technique works for every person and there are a myriad of techniques and skill sets for applying those techniques. Exercises should all be targeted towardsyourspecificgoals–sciatica therapy for someone who wants to get back to running is going to look a lot different than therapy for someone who wants tobeable tositwithoutsciatica (andmaybeyou want to do both!). After undergoing a thorough examination with one of our physical therapists, you’ll receive an individualized treatment plan to accelerate reaching your goals. This plan relies on your feedback throughout the process which means you get to have an active role in your recovery. 3. Avoid treatments with side effects. Unlike many medications and invasive procedures, physical therapy services have a very low risk of side effects while remaining highly effective for reducing pain, inflammation, and other impairments related to injury and physical performance. Physical therapy usually requires no downtime and our therapists are more likely to encourage you to keep participating in your usual activities as much as possible.
4. Especially avoid opioids. Thecurrentopioidepidemic inourcountrysuggestswe haveapill-poppingproblem. Itmightbe theeasiestway to just get through the day, but at what cost? Morphine, codeine/Tylenol-3, hydrocodone, and oxycodone can all lead to physical dependence even whenusedasprescribed.Using them to treatchronicpain caneasily lead to toleranceandwithdrawalsymptoms. Thesecondyoustart takingopioids toavoidwithdrawal symptoms, you’re officially addicted. Especially in the case of chronic pain, the CDC recommends utilizing physical therapy first before even considering opioids. 5. Find a therapist you gel with. Do you want a therapist who’s into sports? Maybe a therapist with experience in both Women’s Health and fitness? Don’t discount all of physical therapy if you don’t mesh well with the first therapist you meet. Not only are there different brands of physical therapy, but within those brands, there are different personalities. We’ve created detailed bios for all of our therapists, outlining their education backgrounds, specialties, and even a Q&A with the therapist themselves. At Body Gears, our physical therapists are experts in humanmovementandemployawide rangeofdrug-free, non-invasive techniques thatbenefitpatients inways far beyond justsymptommanagement.Nomatterwhatyou or a loved one is facing, we encourage you to contact one of our six Illinois clinics today.
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