Brrr, it’s cold out there! With winter and icy weather comes safety risks, such as getting injured from a strain while shoveling (or slipping on ice as you walk in a parking lot!) Having your balance assessed this season could help you to avoid fall-related injuries.
HEALTH & WELLNESS NEWSLETTER
INSIDE… • Fall Prevention and Staying Active During Winter Weather • 8 Simple Tips for Shoveling Snow • Free Workshops! Happy New Year from the Entire Total Performance Team!
EAST NORRITON HARLEYSVILLE
HATFIELD NORRISTOWN NORTH WALES
HEALTH & WELLNESS NEWSLETTER
FALL PREVENTION AND STAYING ACTIVE During Winter Weather
Dr. Cassidy Jameson, Clinic Director of Norristown, at a local gym performing injury screenings with members.
Brrr, it’s cold out there! With winter and icy weather comes safety risks, such as getting injured from a strain while shoveling (or slipping on ice as you walk in a parking lot!)
Having your balance assessed this season could help you to avoid fall-related injuries. Give Total Performance PT a call today to schedule an appointment, so we can help you feel steady on your feet! Our therapists are the balance experts in the field and want to make sure our patients lower their fall risk as much as possible. Staying Safe and Active in Winter Between the limited daylight hours, chilly temperatures, and occasionally icy conditions outside, staying safe and healthy can be challenging. Anything you can do to keep active during the winter months is a step in the right direction! Ice and snow are the biggest threats that winter poses, especially to older patients! Slipping on ice can result in nasty, painful falls. However, with preparation and planning, you can stay safe and active in the winter months. This may sometimes feel difficult to accomplish due to injuries and inclement weather, but knowing the proper steps to take can help you keep doing the things you enjoy no matter the conditions outside.
The most common injuries related to cold weather happen from falls on icy sidewalks, steps, driveways, and porches. Ideally, you will stay off the ice when possible. Walking on ice is extremely dangerous, regardless of how good your balance is. Do your best to keep your steps and walkways free of ice with sand, salt, or cat litter. If you plan to run or walk on snowy, icy surfaces, attaching snow or ice spikes to your boots or running shoes will help you maintain traction to reduce the risk of falls. Be careful with wearing spikes on the pavement as they are designed to penetrate the ground and affect your balance. How Can a Balance Expert Help Me Reduce My Fall Risk? The physical therapists at Total Performance PT are balance experts who can help you improve your balance and fight back against the risk of falling this winter. Your therapist will perform a thorough physical examination to identify the source of your pain and/or injuries if they are
Learn more by visiting our website at TotalPerformancePT.com or schedule your consultation today by calling 215.201.4340 !
• Strengthening exercises: These exercises will address muscle weakness which is often a primary contributing factor to poor balance and falls during winter weather. With strength and balance training, patients are better equipped to recover from unexpected lapses in gait or a momentary loss of balance to prevent falls. • Gait training: Gait training will include activities to improve gait mechanics and increase your confidence and safety in navigating across different terrains (icy sidewalks, porches, parking lots) and around various obstacles, such as snow. Our physical therapists will also evaluate the need for an assistive device or perhaps adjust the device you are currently using. • Static and dynamic balance training: This kind of training will be incorporated into your physical therapy treatment to help your body learn how to better respond to environmental challenges to their balance. For example, you may be asked to stand on one leg while performing a mentally- challenging task, such as reciting the alphabet or reading a paragraph of text out loud. Our physical therapists will also teach you balance strategies to help mitigate fall risk.
• Endurance training may improve muscle endurance and improve aerobic capacity for activity. Both will reduce fatigue as a risk factor for falls when walking or completing daily tasks. Contact Us Today for a Balance Assessment Total Performance PT wants our patients to feel safe and confident in their mobility and balance. Winter can be a difficult time for those with compromised balancing abilities; however, with the help of a physical therapist at our clinic, it doesn’t have to be! Call us today to have your balance assessed this snowy season. We can determine if you are at risk for falls, show you how to prevent them, and address any pain or discomfort you may be having. The wellbeing of our patients is important to us, no matter what season we’re in!
present. Your mobility, strength, balance, and gait will be assessed as well to determine your fall risk. This information will help us create a program including targeted manual techniques, mobility work, strengthening, and any appropriate balance and gait techniques that can help keep you upright and on your feet this season!
What Should I Expect During Therapy? The first thing you should know about therapy for balance is that this kind of therapy is not a “one size fits all” approach. Your program will be specific to your needs and wants and fit into your lifestyle. Some of the interventions you can expect to experience at Total Performance PT are: Dr. Cassidy Jameson, Clinic Director, Norristown location with Dr. Allison Gallagher.
Dr. Cassidy Jameson, Clinic Director, Norristown location with Dr. Allison Gallagher.
Sources: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Low-Back-Pain-Fact-Sheet; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6305160/; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5889545/
DID YOU KNOW THAT WE GIVE FREE WORKSHOPS?
Would you like one of our PTs to speak to your group? To schedule, call 215-997-9898 and ask for Lisa.
Dr. Cassidy Jameson speaking to a senior group about arthritis.
Dr. Jada Goodson speaking to a senior group about pelvic health.
Dr. Caitlin Vasey giving a free workshop on knee pain at the East Norriton location.
CONTACT US TODAY! CALL US AT 215.201.4340 OR VISIT US AT TOTALPERFORMANCEPT.COM
1. Warm up. Warm your muscles before heading out to shovel by doing some light movements, such as bending side to side or walking in place. 2. Avoid twisting. Move your feet and use your legs to shift your weight back and forth rather than twisting through your back. Keep your shoulders and hips facing the same direction, and bend at the hips and not your back. 3. Push rather than lift. Pushing the snow with the shovel instead of lifting can help reduce the strain on your body. 4. Switch it up. Don’t always shovel from the same side. Changing your arm and leg position will help decrease the repeated stress on your joints. 5. Lighten your load. Consider using a lighter-weight plastic shovel instead of a metal one to help decrease the weight being lifted. 6. Consider multiple trips. Consider shoveling periodically throughout the storm to avoid having to move large amounts of snow at once. 7. Keep up with snowfall. Try to shovel snow shortly after it falls, when it is lighter and fluffier. The longer snow stays on the ground, the wetter and heavier it can become. 8. Finish up. Finish with some stretching, or even ice areas that you know tend to get sore, after a workout. Then go and enjoy a beverage of your choice after a job well done!
Are You Prepared For the Winter?
8 SIMPLE TIPS FOR SHOVELING SNOW Snow shoveling can lead to a number of health risks for many people, from back injuries to heart attacks. The following tips can help keep you safer when you set out to shovel.
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Aqua Therapy Physical therapy that takes place in water, usually in a clinic pool, is known as aquatic therapy. This type of therapy is preferred if you want to reduce the amount of pressure on the joints, allowing you to move with less pain. It offers relaxing effects that can help with pain alleviation, relaxation, and improved mobility. Benefits differ from person to person based on what your end goal is for your therapeutic program, but overall you should expect to feel much better after each session with your therapist! Dizziness, Vertigo and Concussions Do you ever feel wobbly or off-balance? Dizziness, vertigo, and concussions can have a detrimental impact on your everyday life, making it difficult to do even the most simple tasks. Conditions that can
cause vertigo or dizziness and balance, include vestibular neuritis, migraines, Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV), Meniere’s disease and stroke. Our physical therapists may be able to help you find a long-term solution to your problem through vestibular rehabilitation. Pelvic Health Pain and additional issues surrounding the pelvic floor can occur for a number of reasons. It can be limiting and even a bit embarrassing. It can hinder your daily life and prevent you from doing daily tasks or activities you love. If you are suffering from occasional or chronic pelvic pain, physical therapy can help. Pelvic pain can occur for a vast number of reasons. Pelvic floor rehabilitation can help reduce or eliminate the pain and symptoms you are experiencing so you can get back to living your life without pain!
CONTACT US TODAY! CALL US AT 215.201.4340 OR VISIT US AT TOTALPERFORMANCEPT.COM
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