Focus Physical Therapy Monthly focuspt.net 949.709.8770
February 2018
The Endless Resolve of My Patients
HOW ONE LITTLE GIRL MADE MY ENTIRE CAREER WORTH IT
O ne of the great things about physical therapy compared to other medical professions is the opportunity we get as PTs to learn each patient’s story. Instead of meeting once a year for 15 minutes, we work intimately with each individual over weeks and sometimes even months, guiding them day by day as they realize their goals. As a result, I get to meet a ton of fascinating, inspiring people, and I get the chance to learn a lot about them. There’s one patient from more than 10 years ago, though, whose story will stick with me forever. She was a little girl, only 5 years old, in need of therapy to strengthen her muscles and get back her normal life. When I worked with her in 2006, she’d recently recovered from a brutal bout with leukemia, a tragic disease that, miraculously, she’d beaten. Every part of her body had been ravaged by the cancer, and while she survived, she was in rough shape. Over the next several months, my team and I guided her through a number of light exercises, doing everything we could to get her back to baseline. It was incredible to see her fighting spirit, the way she threw herself fully into whatever task we gave her. Over time, her awesome effort paid off. By the end of her treatment, she could move around and do things that every little girl should be able to do. Like always, it was difficult to say goodbye to this kid that had come into the clinic every week for months, but I was proud to have been a part of her recovery.
her terrible disease and had gone on to have the normal life that every child deserves.
A few more years passed, and I didn’t see her for a long time. But one day, when I was helping out at a local country club, I walked by the pool and saw a familiar face splashing enthusiastically in the shallow end. It was the girl, swimming and playing with her sister! It’s one thing to see a patient in the office each week, helping them out and watching their steady progress, but it’s another thing entirely to see them in their own environment, doing what they love. Seeing this young girl doing everyday things was one of the most moving moments of my career. Physical therapy has long been my passion, but every once in awhile, there’s a person who really opens my eyes to how privileged I am to be able to make a tangible difference in my patients’ lives. Maybe it’s an elderly lady who tells me the treatment has enabled her to pick up her baby granddaughter for the first time, or a man who came in hunched over and walked out for the last time standing up straight with no limp. Or maybe it’s a girl playing in the pool just like the other kids despite her past illness. Regardless of how it happens, these vital moments remind me that physical therapy is more than just a career. It’s a means to a real and meaningful end.
Years later, she stopped by Focus Physical Therapy to say hi. At first, I didn’t recognize her. Now, instead of a wig, she had a full head of hair, with a tall, strong body that didn’t look sickly in the slightest. By all indications, she’d completely conquered
Focus Physical Therapy patients ENTER TO WIN Find the misspelled word in this newsletter and call 949.709.8770 for your chance to win a $10 CALL 949.709.8770 Contest for past and present Focus Physical Therapy patients only. gift card.
Focus Physical Therapy • Call 949.709.8770 • 1 -Julian Manrique
can safely eat it raw, candied, as a supplement, in tea, or in baked goods. Ginger is most effective when it’s ingested raw or in capsule form. If you have morning sickness, raw ginger might do the trick. Just ask the people of ancient China. Like many spices, ginger’s use as a supplement goes back centuries. Southeast Asian countries used it to ease their own common ailments. Call it tried and true. Peppermint You can use peppermint as an essential oil, steep the leaves for tea, or take a supplement capsule. Each form comes with its own benefits. As an essential oil, peppermint is great for treating colds. It’s a mild decongestant, and it helps with coughs and stuffed-up noses. It also soothes sore throats and headaches. Rub one or two drops under your nose, on your temples, or over your sinuses and feel the relief wash over you! Even further, a study published by The BMJ found that when administered as a capsule, peppermint helped reduce the symptoms of IBS in a majority of patients. Need a Little Spice In Your Life?
Spices and herbs add much more than flavor and aroma to your favorite beverages and treats. They also offer many health benefits. When properly utilized, these spice rack staples can ease a variety of symptoms. Ready to find your new holistic health kick? Read on. Nutmeg This spice, known for its earthy, nutty flavor, has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Want to calm nagging pain? This spice has been used to treat joint pain and arthritis. It can even be used to remedy bad breath. Nutmeg is most potent when it’s freshly grated, so it’s recommended you purchase whole nutmeg seed, found in most specialty food stores. You can incorporate nutmeg into your diet by taking it as a supplement in capsule form or simply sprinkling it into your next chai tea. Your achy joints will thank you. Ginger This root is an essential natural anti-inflammatory. It can help ease an upset stomach and finally tame your nausea. You “I have been a gymnast for nearly 10 years now, and tearing my ACL a year ago put me in my all-time low for the sport. To think, only a few months earlier, I accepted a full athletic scholarship to the University of Washington. Someone telling me I couldn’t do the sport I love for a year seemed impossible. I couldn’t imagine how I would come back. Thankfully, a good friend, Melanie Kinder, referred me to Julian. She told me such great stories of how much he helped. I was skeptical if he was really that good, but Julian did not disappoint. He helped me not only physically, but mentally, too. He always made me feel better leaving than when I came in. I have now made a full recovery and can’t thank Julian enough.” -Ellie Bagley SUCCESS STORY
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Experience the Healing Benefits of
OUR NEW LIGHTFORCE™ DEEP TISSUE LASER! At Focus Physical Therapy, we’re constantly seeking out the best treatments available for our patients. This ensures that not only are we at the forefront of the physical therapy field, but that our patients are able to reduce pain and injury more quickly than ever before. That’s why we recently added a powerful new modality to the clinic: The LightForce™ Class IV Deep Tissue Laser! If it sounds futuristic, that’s because it is. This FDA-approved, totally safe treatment, previously only available to the highest class of athletes, has now become accessible for patients from all walks of life. During the five-to-ten-minute, completely painless treatment, the deep tissue laser is applied to the injured or aching part of a patient’s body. This floods the targeted tissue with photons, energizing the cells within and increasing circulation. By stimulating activity at the cellular level, the technology drastically reduces inflammation, activating a natural healing process that
continues for as many as 24 hours
after treatment. With no obvious
sensation during the treatment other than
a gentle, soothing warmth, it’s the perfect alternative to expensive and dangerous drugs or surgery. Better yet, most patients report results within just three to five treatments, depending on their condition. This promising new technology is just one exciting addition to the Focus PT repertoire. We are thrilled to show our patients the healing power of these new technologies, guiding them toward recovery with greater speed and comfort.
HAVE A LAUGH
DETOX SALAD SWEET AND ZESTY
Ingredients
For the Dressing: • 1 large carrot, roughly chopped • 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar • 2 tablespoons olive oil • 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger • 1 tablespoon honey
For the Salad: • 3 cups chopped kale leaves • 2 cups chopped broccoli florets • 2 cups chopped red cabbage • 1 cup matchstick carrots • 1 cup chopped cilantro • 1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds • 1/3 cup sliced green onions • 1 diced avocado 1. To make the salad, add all ingredients to a large bowl; toss to combine. 2. To make the dressing, add all ingredients to a blender or food processor. Pulse until smooth. Season to taste with salt and Instructions
• 1 tablespoon white miso • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil • Salt and pepper, to taste
pepper or add extra honey for a sweeter taste. 3. Drizzle dressing over salad and serve immediately.
Focus Physical Therapy • Call 949.709.8770 • 3
30212 Tomas #120 Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688, USA
949.709.8770
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SPECIALIZING IN: LOWER BACK PAIN • SCIATICA • NECK PAIN AND HEADACHES HIP PROBLEMS • SHOULDER PAIN, BURSITIS, AND TENDINITIS SPORTS PHYSICAL THERAPY • GOLF PERFORMANCE KNEE PAIN • PLANTAR FASCIITIS • DIZZINESS AND VERTIGO AQUATIC PHYSICAL THERAPY • AND OTHER CONDITIONS
The Most Powerful Patient Story of My Career INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1
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3 Holistic Remedies Hiding in Your Kitchen Hear From Ellie
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Focus PT’s Exciting New Laser Treatment Whip up this Winter Salad in a Flash!
THE BEST VALENTINE’S GETAWAYS TO FANTASIZE ABOUT
perfect place to while away the hours ambling from shop to shop, sampling the delicious local cuisine, and maybe taking a dip along the 300-meter beach. THE MALDIVES From a water villa smack dab in the midst of the glassy, ultra-blue Indian Ocean, you and your main squeeze can enjoy utter seclusion. Sip champagne in the shade of a palm overlooking an otherworldly sunset or get a little
Valentine’s Day is for fancy dinners, heart-shaped boxes packed with subpar chocolates, and fantasizing about the magical places you and your beau would have escaped to — if only you had the PTO. So, grab a glass of bottom-shelf cab sauv, cuddle up next to your special someone, and try to make them feel bad for taking you to Chili’s instead of whisking you away to one of these picturesque fantasy lands. UDAIPUR, INDIA These days, meandering through the cobblestone streets of Paris with your loved one is très passé. All the real high-rolling romantics are migrating southeast to the famous Oberoi Udaivilas hotel in western India. Set in a traditional Mewari palace, visitors will feel like royalty as they stroll around the labyrinthine gardens that surround the elaborate cream-colored structure. Travelers can relax beside one of the many glassy pools sprinkled throughout the estate, all of which are enthusiastically attended by an unparalleled service staff. POSITANO, ITALY More than perhaps anywhere in the world, this place looks like it was lifted straight from a sappy romance novelist’s imagination. You and your partner can kick back on a balcony overlooking the entirety of this seaside town, taking in the century-old multicolored Italian architecture perched precariously on the verdant mountainside. Too small to accommodate swarms of tourists, it’s the
more adventurous, strap on a mask, and check out the abundant aquatic wildlife. Many hotels in the area even include access to an array of boats, perfect for your own private excursion along the mild
waves. Of course, you could also always just stare, dumbfounded, into the horizon, wondering how such a place could actually exist on Earth.
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