WHEN PHYSICAL THERAPY CAN HELP
If you’ve experienced any hip or knee pain and are considering whether physical therapy is a good choice for your health needs, consider the following: • From a standing position, are you able to lean over and touch your toes? If so, then this indicates that you have proper hip and low back flexibility. If not, then you may need to improve your flexibility and joint range of motion, and physical therapy could be helpful. • In a sitting position, can you comfortably cross your legs, leaving your ankle to rest comfortably on the opposite knee? If this is painful, or one knee constantly must be lower than the other, then this may be indicative of knee concerns that could be addressed with physical therapy. • From a standing position, with your feet planted flat on the floor, can you push your body into a squatting position? You should be able to squat all the way down so that your buttocks are almost touching your heels. If you aren’t able to do this, then physical therapy may be helpful in improving your range of motion. • Standing near a wall or countertop, arrange your feet so that you are standing with the heel of one foot touching the toes of the other, as if on a balance beam, and see how long you can stand still. Can you balance for 10 seconds? If not, then physical therapy may be able to improve balance and coordination. The goal of any physical therapy program is to restore range of motion and improve flexibility and strength while reducing the general experience of pain. Unfortunately, hip and knee injuries often tend to linger. Every movement relies so heavily on the hips and knees that it makes it difficult
to allow these joints to actually rest following an injury. Physical therapy provides targeted exercises that support the joints with precise movements that help reinforce strength and range of motion. For more information, contact your physical therapist to learn more about options that will suit your health needs. For more information about how we can help you leave behind your hip and knee pain, contact us at 703-723-4088.
Healthy Recipe: Broccoli Salad
Exercise Essentials Try this simple exercise to help improve your mobility
Helps Balance
www.simpleset.net
• 1/4 tsp finely grated lemon zest • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice • Kosher salt & black pepper • 6 1/2 cups broccoli florets • 1/3 cup golden raisins • 2 tbsp salted roasted sunflower seeds
INGREDIENTS • 2 strips low-sodium bacon • 1/2 cup ice cubes • 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced • 1/2 cup buttermilk • 1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
SINGLE LEG STANCE FORWARD 1. Stand on one leg and maintain your balance. 2. Hold your leg out in front of your body for 10 seconds. 3. Return to original position. 4. Switch legs and repeat 6 times.
INSTRUCTIONS Combine the ice cubes, onions and 1 cup water in a small bowl. Let the onions soak for 10 minutes while preparing the rest of the salad, then drain and pat dry. Cook the bacon in a small nonstick skillet over medium-low heat until crispy, about 8 minutes.Transfer toapaper-towel-linedplate todrain, reserving1 teaspoondrippings for the dressing. Finely chop the bacon strips and reserve. Whisk the buttermilk, sour cream, lemon zest and juice, reserved bacon drippings, 3/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl. Add the broccoli, onions and golden raisins to the dressing. Toss well, cover and chill for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. Season with additional salt and pepper.Transfer to a serving dish and top with the chopped bacon and sunflower seeds. Courtesy of: 2012 Television Food Network, G.P.
Be sure to maintain a slightly bent knee on the stance side.
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