The back is one of the most vulnerable parts of the body. You rely on it so heavily — whether it is to shoulder your emotional stresses or to physically lift something that you need to carry with you. Your back is constantly at risk. It is at risk when you drive, being one of the body parts likely to take the biggest impact in case of an accident. It is at risk when you are safely at home on your couch or at the office, where you are likely scrunched over and not caring one bit about your posture. It is at risk when you run, when you play sports, and even when you find yourself sick and are coughing so heavily that your back begins to hurt.
HEALTH & WELLNESS The Newsletter About Your Health and Caring for Your Body
INJURIES ARE A REAL PAIN IN THE BACK
Don’t Ignore Your Back Pain
LOUDOUNPT.COM
HEALTH & WELLNESS The Newsletter About Your Health and Caring for Your Body
LOUDOUNPT.COM Leesburg: (703) 794-5581 Lansdowne: (703) 794-5587
INSIDE: Getting to the Bottom of Back Pain • Meet Our Team • Featured Service: Aquatic Therapy • What Patients Are Saying • Do What’s Good for the Heart
DON’ T I GNORE YOUR BACK PA IN INJURIES ARE A REAL PAIN IN THE BACK
The back is one of the most vulnerable parts of the body. You rely on it so heavily —whether it is to shoulder your emotional stresses or to physically lift something that you need to carry with you. Your back is constantly at risk. It is at risk when you drive, being one of the body parts likely to take the biggest impact in case of an accident. It is at risk when you are safely at home on your couch or at the office, where you are likely scrunched over and not caring one bit about your posture. It is at risk when you run, when you play sports, and even when you find yourself sick and are coughing so heavily that your back begins to hurt. It is no wonder that so many people experience back injuries every year. What is a big wonder is that so many people choose to ignore their back injuries year after year! When you break an arm or get a cut on your leg, you are likely to do something about it right away. The sight of blood leaving your
body or the realization that a bone isn’t sitting right is something that not many people are going to deal with for too long before seeking medical attention. Yet when pain begins in the back, it is almost normal to ignore it. Everyone develops back pain, time to time, right? There is no reason to stress about it or overreact, right? Absolutely wrong! Understanding Back Pain Back pain may be common, but it is absolutely not normal. There are actually a lot of serious conditions that can cause your back to begin to hurt, and it is smart to have your back looked at by a physician early on so that you know exactly what is going on with your body from the get-go. Oncethecauseofyourbackpain isdetermined, your physical therapist will be able to identify the best treatment options for your body’s needs. This will likely include the following: • Targeted exercises that are specialized to the region of the back that is experiencing
themostpain.Theseexercisesaredesigned to help build strength and support the surrounding muscles. • Guided stretching designed to improve range of motion and flexibility. This will take into account the health and vivacity of vertebrae and any potential stretches that may support optimal back health. • Support and guidance with an exercise routine and habit formation, especially with cardiovascular activity that can stimulate improved blood circulation to the affected areas of the back, as well as strength- building activities. Attempting to undertake any of these changes on your own after you’ve experienced a back injury is both dangerous and not recommended. Working with a licensed and experiencedphysical therapistcanprovideyou with the guidance and ongoing support that you need to ensure that you do not experience any further injury as you attempt to heal the cause of your back pain. Call us today!
GETTING TO THE BOTTOM OF BACK PAIN Therearealotofdifferentreasonsastowhyyoumaybeexperiencing back pain, and ignoring any of them is not a good idea. Someofthemostcommonissuesthatcausebackpaintolingerinclude: • Muscle sprain or strain • Slipped vertebrae or disc • Tear or hyperextension to the supporting muscles or tendons • Arthritis Theseconcernscandevelopasaresultofamyriadofenvironmental issues,suchashavingpoorposture,prolongedsedentaryactivity,car crash, sporting accident, stress, heavy lifting, and so on. When It Comes to Back Pain, Don’t Wait! When you experience an injury to your back, or realize that you are experiencingregularpainasaresultofanongoing injuryoroveruse, it is important to find out the cause of your back pain as quickly as possible. Back pain can quickly become chronic, as a potentially small issue can become complicated when it is not addressed early on. Working with a physical therapist can help you to identify thedifferencebetweenenvironmentalcausesandsomethingmore medically based. To get started with putting an end to your back pain, schedule an appointment at loudounpt.com/newsletter- request-appointment/ or call our Leesburg (703-443- 6700) or Lansdowne (703-858-9880) clinics.
FEBRUARY: HEART HEALTH MONTH DOWHAT’S GOOD FOR THE HEART
1. Aim for lucky number seven. Young and middle-age adults who sleep 7 hours a night have less calcium in their arteries (an early sign of heart disease) than those whosleep5hoursor lessor those who sleep 9 hours or more. 2. Keep the pressure off. Get your blood pressure checked every 3-5 years if you’re 18-39. If you’re 40 or older, or if you have high blood pressure, check it every year. 3.Movemore. Tokeepitsimple,you canaimfor30minutesaday,5days aweekofmoderateexercise.Even ifyouexercisefor30minutesaday, beingsedentaryfortheother231/2 hours is really bad for your heart. 4. Slash saturated fats. To help your heart’s arteries, cut down on saturated fats, which are mainly found in meat and full-fat dairy products. Choose leaner cuts and reduced-fat options.
5. Find out if you have diabetes. Millions of people don’t know that theyhavethiscondition.That’srisky becauseovertime,highbloodsugar damagesarteriesandmakesheart disease more likely. 6.Thinkbeyondthescale. Askyour doctor if your weight is OK. If you have some pounds to lose, you’ll probablywanttochangeyoureating habits and be more active. 7. Ditch the cigarettes, real and electronic. Smoking and secondhand smoke are bad for yourheart.E-cigarettesstillcontain nicotine, so your goal should be to quitcompletely,not justswitchtoa less toxic version. 8. Clean up. Yourheartworksbest when it runs on clean fuel. That means lots of whole, plant-based foods (like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds) and fewer refined or processed foods (like white bread, pasta, crackers, and cookies).
MEET OUR TEAM: TULS I PARMAR, MSPT Tulsi earned her degree from S.B.B. College of Physiotherapy,GujaratUniversity, India in2013. Shethenworkedfor1.5years inamulti-specialty hospital and an outpatient clinic where she treatedpatientswithcardio-thoracic,orthopedic and neurological complications in acute and sub-acutesettings.Shehasexperience inActive Physical therapy, working for 1 year with adult orthopedic patients and managing worker’s compensation patients.
new techniques or methods to improve her manualskills, inordertoofferthemosteffective regime, speeding recovery and enabling more complete healing. To further her career, she is currently pursuing her post-professional doctorate from Arcadia University, PA and seeking to obtain her orthopedic and manual therapy certificates. Tulsi’shobbies includecooking,travelling,yoga, music,watchingmoviesandreading. Inher free time,sheenjoysspendingqualitytimewithfamily and friends. To request an appointment, call Loudoun Physical Therapy today or visit our website at loudounpt.com/newsletter-request- appointment/.
Tulsi’sstrength isutilizingmanual interventions in conjunction with therapeutic exercises and postural corrections to achieve improved pain- free mobility and function. She believes in an individualized approach for each patient that is geared towards that patient’s goals. She constantly expands her knowledge and learns
PAIN RELIEF IS A STEP AWAY: CALL TODAY OR VISIT US AT LOUDOUNPT.COM
AQUATIC THERAPY FEATURED SERVICE Aquatic therapy is a type of physical therapy treatment that takes place in our in-clinic pool. The soothing properties of aquatic therapy can benefit you if you are seeking painreliefandrelaxation.Aquatic therapycan alsoenhance thehealingprocess todecrease recovery time, build muscle strength and endurance, as well as improve flexibility, movement, coordination and balance. It can also assist in increasing aerobic capacity for better health.
OUR SERVICES
• Return to Work Programs • Return to Play Programs • Auto Injury Recovery • Active Range of Motion (AROM) Therapy • Ultrasound Therapy • Inflammation Reduction
• Aquatic Therapy • Sports Rehabilitation • Resistance & Flexibility • Trigger Point Dry Needling • Cryotherapy • Electrical Stimulation • Pelvic Health • Women’s Health
After a warm-up, sessions will likely start out as gentle, low-resistance exercises to target the lower and upper extremities, and may includebriefwalkingand lightstretches.They willthenturntomoreadvancedcardiovascular andcoreactivities,suchasrunning,squatting, arm swings, and leg swings, all performed in the water.
To learnmoreaboutthebenefitsofAquaticTherapyatLoudounPhysicalTherapy,call us today (Leesburg: 703-443-6700, Lansdowne 703-858-9880) or visit loudounpt.com.
WHAT PATIENTS ARE SAYING
Keep up with your physical therapy exercises to relieve pain and prevent further injuries. If your pain doesn’t subside, consult with your therapist about what other things might be causing pain. Call Loudoun Physical Therapy or visit our website at loudounpt.com/ newsletter-request-appointment/. We will guide you so you can get back to the activities you love. HAS YOUR PA I N COME BACK? 1 2 3
After a simple fender-bender I started experiencing back pain. I was given a list
ofphysical therapyofficesbymygeneralpractitioner andchoseLoudounPhysicalTherapy. Icalled tomake anappointmentandwasable tocome in formy initial appointment the next week. Purvi and Holly were incredibly friendly,knowledgeable,andprofessional. I looked forward to my appointments twice a week and learning newways to stretch and strengthen my back.CarmenandConniewerealwaysveryattentive and made sure I was doing each exercise correctly. After8sessions, Iamno longer feeling thepain Iwas feeling and I believe I am coming out of treatment feeling better than I felt before the accident. Thank you, Loudoun Physical Therapy!” - A. B.
LEAVE A REVIEW, WIN A GIFT CARD!
EXERC I SE ESSENT I AL S USE THIS EXERCISE TO STRETCH YOUR LOWER BACK
Have you had the freedom to receive Physical Therapy on your own without a referral? Let us know for a chance to WIN A GIFT CARD TO DUNKIN’ DONUTS! Choose your location and let us know via a Google Review how PT helped you, without needing a referral! For Leesburg: Visit tinyurl.com/ReviewLeesburg For Lansdowne: Visit tinyurl.com/ReviewLansdowne
Lower Trunk Rotation Lie down on your back, bend your knees and drop them to either side and hold for ten seconds. This stretch should be felt in the lower back and sometimes in the outer hips as well.
Exercisescopyrightof
Alwaysconsultyourphysical therapistorphysician beforestartingexercises youareunsureofdoing.
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker