Health & Fitness Newsletter by South Valley Physical Therapy
Health & Fitness
1 2 “Don’t You Think You Would Be More Productive With A Healthier Spine? ” Discover The 5 Keys To A Healthy Spine 1. Watch your sitting Sitting is the position that puts the most pressure on the low back. It is important to break up your sitting time throughout the day and take frequent breaks. Work in standing or walking tasks at various times throughout the day, limiting your sitting to about 30 minutes at a time. 2. Protect your spine with better posture How you sit, stand, stretch and lift all play a role in the pressures on your spine. We all know to bend with our knees, not our back when lifting, but do you really do it? Really bend down deep with your knees to pick up objects off low shelves, such as in the refrigerator or shoes off the floor. When standing, walking and sitting, imagine a string pulling you up through the top of your head. This brings your neck, shoulders and back into better alignment. (continued inside)
Inside: • Finding The Source & Resolution To Pain Caused By The Spine • Discover The 5 Keys To A Healthy Spine • See What Our Patients Have To Say
Thomas Sawhill, P.T. Physical Therapist, CEO
Health & Fitness The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body
“ More Productivity With A Healthier Spine?” Discover The 5 Keys To A Healthy Spine 3 3. Tighten your core muscles Your core muscles are made up of your abdominal muscles, spinal muscles and pelvic / hip muscles. It is very common for these muscles to become weak with prolonged sitting, before/after pregnancy, after surgeries or injuries. Strengthening your abdominal and hip muscles can go a long way to providing the necessary muscle support to your spine. Speak with one of our experts on what exercises are right for you. 4. Improve your nutrition Your body is a machine and it needs the right fuel to run. Since you use your body all day long, it needs to rebuild itself constantly. The ligaments, tendons, muscles and discs in your spine need the right nutrition to stay healthy. Make sure to eat dark green leafy vegetables, lean protein and stay hydrated. Avoid smoking and fried foods, which actually harm your tissues and make pain more prevalent. 5. Get your spine moving Your body was made to move, especially your spine. It is common for areas of your spine to tighten up, placing too much strain on other areas. These areas, then become irritated and painful. Restore the flexibility in your spine with gentle, specialized hands on therapy as well as specific exercises. Participate in Yoga and Pilates to improve your stability, strength and spinal balance. “If you hurt your low back, starting PT within the first 14 days can save you (on average) $2,700. ” Make your back as healthy as it can be this year by investing in it. Physical therapy is the right solution to improving your spinal health and saying goodbye to that aching neck or back. Prevent future pain by seeing one of our specialists today. Call us to speak with one of our experts. (CONTINUED FROM OUTSIDE)
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www.rehabaccess.com - Journal of American Medical Association, 2003 “Common pain conditions (i.e., arthritis, back, headache and other musculoskeletal) result in $61.2 billion in lower productivity for U.S. workers. ”
“ How Would I Know If I Have A Healthy Spine?” Finding The Source & Resolution To Pain Caused By The Spine
Most of us will experience back or neck pain at some point in our lives. It is the price we pay for walking on two legs. If you suffer from the occasional ache or have chronic low back or neck pain, the goal is to relieve the pain, without the need for surgery. In fact, recent studies point to the fact that patients who underwent a common fusion procedure for the spine, were more likely to have a second surgery within 2 years*. The best way to avoid the need for spine surgery, is to improve the health of your spine, and physical therapy plays a key role in making that happen. WHY DOES YOUR NECK OR BACK HURT? One thing to understand about neck and back pain is that it is mechanical. Just like a car can have problems with moving parts, so can your spine. The daily barrage of strain on our backs with siting, lifting improperly and poor nutrition can wreck havoc on our spines.
Most spine pain comes from the following 4 trouble areas: 1. Poor posture and alignment 2. Lack of knowledge on how to bend, lift, sit, sleep 3. Lack of muscle strength 4. Poor flexibility and muscle coordination
The good news, is that your body is adaptable and you can always improve what you have. With the right treatment and training, your back or neck can usually make a full recovery. Physical therapists are the mechanics of the body, and coming to a physical therapist first can often avoid expensive testing or medical procedures. South Valley Can Help You Maintain A Healthy Spine, Naturally! *Anand Veeravagu, Tyler Cole, Bowen Jiang, John K. Ratliff The Spine Journal, Vol. 14, Issue 7, p1125–1131 Published online: October 14 2013
Health Tips
“How Should I Prepare For My Daily Runs?” 4 Amazing Tips To Buying Running Shoes
1. Visit your physical therapist to do a gait analysis. Checking whether you are a supinator, neutral or pronator is the first step into buying the right type of shoe. 2. Don’t think that more expensive equals better. Brands of running shoes vary greatly in price. Do your research. 3. Buy from a running store. Try on many brands and compare shoes that fit your gait.
4. Buy a shoe that you actually like. It doesn’t hurt to buy something you feel great wearing!
Patient Spotlights
Two fabulous, must-read stories of success
I can walk for 3 miles now! “While visiting our daughter’s home near Bakersfield just before Halloween, I slipped on wet pavement and fell and broke my hip. The hospital in Bakersfield could not treat my injury so I was transported by ambulance to Stanford so that I could be treated by their trauma team. The solution was surgery to repair the broken part of my pelvic bone and to replace the hip to avoid future problems with arthritis. I spent 2 months in the hospital and rehab facility. I was finally able to come home a few days before Christmas! To give a little perspective, Christmas Day I could not stand unassisted. With the help of my in home therapist I was proud of myself that I could walk from the parking lot into Tom’s office at SVPT without a walker on my first visit. That was near the end of January. With the help of the team at South Valley, Tom and Melany and the rest of the staff I am constantly improving. Yesterday for the first time I walked nonstop for 3 miles! My plan is to continue therapy and continue to improve and double that walking distance! Thanks team!” - Bert W.
Today I feel totally renewed and ready to resume a very active and pain free lifestyle. Thank You! “This office was highly recommended by a good friend. The staff was extremely friendly and efficient. Having never experienced physical therapy before, I was very impressed with the initial evaluation, follow up therapy, massage and information given to me. The clear notes helped for the exercises at home. Each office visit was very helpful and I healed so much quicker than I ever could have imagined. Today I feel totally renewed and ready to resume a very active and pain free lifestyle. Thank You!” - RJ.M.
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Practice News
Staff Spotlight Cynthia Seibert Billing Patient Accounts
Cindy has been working at South Valley since March 1997! Yes that means she just celebrated her 20th anniversary with SVPT. As a small token of Tom’s appreciation for her many years of hard work and commitment to SVPT Cindy was gifted with a beautiful Michael Kors handbag! Cindy has been married to her wonderful husband, Mike for 42 years and they share 2 amazing adult children, Annie and Michael. She makes her home in Morgan Hill and enjoys doll collecting, crafting, travelling to Hawaii and spending time with her dog Teddy! Making smooth technical transitions WE APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE & COMMITMENT Please bear with us as we transition our scheduling/billing and documentation software during the month of March. We are hoping for a smooth transition; however, we know from past experience that glitches occur! If we make any scheduling errors we apologize in advance as we manually move appointments from one system to another.
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Think PT First 9 Move without pain 9 Bend and move freely Why You Need To Come Back In For A Tune-Up Your Body! Minor aches and pains are warning signals from your body to let you know something is not working properly. Don’t put off the pain until it’s too late. Come in today for a “Tune-Up.” Take Care of Your Aches and Pains Before It’s Too Late. 9 Balance confidently and securely 9 Sit for long periods comfortably 9 Walk for long distances 9 Live an active and healthy lifestyle Physical Therapists Are The Mechanics Of
“I’ve put this Free Download together that shows you the 5 natural ways to stop your back & neck pain.”
Your Natural Way To Reduce Your Pain In 60 Seconds www.simpleset.net Exercises copyright of
Thomas Sawhill, P.T. Physical Therapist, CEO
• Is your mind on your back and neck pain instead of your life? • Have loved ones stopped listening to your complaints because they have heard it so many times before? • Do you feel really stiff when you try to get out of bed in the morning? • Do you have to think twice before you pick things up? If You’re Nodding Yes Then Now is The Time to Make Your First Step in The Right Direction and Take Charge of How You Feel, DOWNLOAD THIS BOOK TODAY! After treating hundreds of patients with back and neck problems, we want to share with you these 5 simple things you can do at home, to start feeling great.
Helps Low Back Pain
QUADRUPED ALTERNATIVE ARM & LEG While in a crawling position, slowly draw your leg and opposite arm upwards. Your arm and leg should be straight and fully out-stretched. Hold for 30 seconds. Alternate legs and repeat 5 times.
Helps Neck Pain
LEVATOR SCAPULAE STRETCH Grasp your arm on the affected side and tilt your head downward and to the side until a stretch is felt. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat 8 times.
GET IT INSTANTLY AT: spinebook.net/svpt
Always consult your physical therapist or physician before starting exercises you are unsure of doing.
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