M3 PT - May 2018

GET MORE OUT OF GAME NIGHT USE BOARD GAMES AS A TEACHING TOOL

In this digital age, having a family board-game night every few weeks is a novelty. Putting away the electronics and having fun face-to-face with your kids is reason enough to make this a family tradition. But did you know that board games can also teach your kids valuable life skills? Here’s the best way to facilitate this learning as a parent. FIND THE RIGHT GAME FOR THE RIGHT AGE It’s important to find games that fit your children’s abilities. Complex rules, small pieces, or mature content can make some games inappropriate for young kids. The first thing you should do is check the recommended age range on the packaging. This will help you find the best match for your kids. CONSULT THE RULES Whether you’re new to a game or an old pro, it’s worth spending some time going over how the game is played. Not only will this help you teach your kids how to play a new game, but these rules also provide valuable insight into the skills the game teaches. Even games of pure chance, like Chutes and

Ladders, can teach young kids motor skills, a sense of fair play, and what good sportsmanship looks like for both winning and losing.

Does the game have rules for trading among players, like Monopoly or Settlers of Catan? These sorts of games are a great way to teach social skills. Does it offer multiple paths to victory, like Chess or Tokido? These games teach strategy and critical reasoning. Games like Pandemic require players to work together, teaching valuable teamwork and leadership skills. TEACH BY EXAMPLE While gameplay itself can be a great teacher, being a role model for your children during game night is the most important thing you can bring to the table. No matter their age, showing your kids how to lose gracefully, win magnanimously, and have fun no matter what are skills they will carry with them the rest of their lives.

SUFFERING FROM LOWER BACK PAIN? YOUR HIPS MAY BE AT FAULT

The way you move matters. Mobility problems in one part of the body can cause painful, long-lasting problems elsewhere. That’s why our clinicians use movement analysis as a starting point for treatment. Backaches, for example, may be linked to a problem with your hips, which is a surprise to many of our patients. When people come in with back pain, they make the reasonable assumption that something is wrong with — what else? — their back. In actuality, limited hip mobility is a common source of lower back pain. Hips are some of the most mobile joints in the body thanks to tough, Y-shaped tissues known as iliofemoral ligaments. Sometimes, especially after years spent working at a desk, these ligaments can tighten, pulling on your pelvis and, by extension, your spine.

While this tightening is a literal pain in the back, improving hip mobility can provide quick relief that lasts. That’s why our therapists are on the lookout for the telltale signs that hips are causing back pain. Our manual therapy experts can help you improve your range of motion, treating the root cause of your pain without resorting to drugs or surgery. professionals will identify the source of your pain and help you address it. If hip mobility is the culprit, we are happy to teach you exercises you can do at home to increase your range of motion. At M3 Physical Therapy, we believe moving better is the key to living better. If you or a loved one is suffering from lower back pain, please come in for a visit. Our

Every person’s body is different, and back pain has many causes. Our expert clinicians will find the treatment that fits your unique situation. Life is too short to suffer from lower back pain, so if you or someone you know has this problem, call us for a free screen!

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