Mission Physical Therapy - June 2020
3321 E Queen Creek Rd. #106 Gilbert, AZ 85297 • (480) 550-9100 • missionptaz.com JUNE 2020
Our Mission Is You BETTER PHYSICAL THERAPY, BETTER RESULTS
W hen I was in high school and considering my future career path, I knew one thing: I wanted to help other people. I was active in sports and interested in health, so I was drawn to the health care field. I was fascinated by the intricacies of the human body, how it worked, and how it healed. There was something miraculous about all of it, and those feelings continue to this day. The human body is capable of amazing things. While going through my physical therapy program, and as I started working in the field, I continued to grow in my understanding of, as well as my enthusiasm for, how important PT is for people. I saw how it could heal and change people’s lives for the better. I loved, and still love, every minute of it! It’s such rewarding work to be able to help people feel better and, in many cases, help them return to things they love to do but weren’t able to because of injury and pain. The more I learned about the human body and how it moves, the more I understood how to help people. I began to see patterns emerge in my treatments and, with some good mentorship, I was able to develop a better approach to standard physical therapy. Many health care professionals, physical therapists included, tend to focus on treating the symptoms rather than understanding the cause of the problem.When you treat the symptoms, you may find relief, but the cause often remains, so the pain comes back. As I gained more experience working with patients, I had an important interaction with one patient who was also a health care worker. He noticed that the treatment I was giving him was different from what he had received from other physical therapists, and he encouraged me to teach other PTs what I was doing. It was good feedback that began to shape my future professionally. The more people I worked with, the more I came to see that my approach worked! In time, I opened Mission Physical Therapy with the following goals: 1) to provide better care to patients by using a better approach; 2) to help other PTs learn these effective methods.
I opened Mission Physical Therapy with the following goals: 1) provide better care to patients by using a better approach; 2) help other PTs learn these effective methods
received at different clinics over the years that people like when their physical therapist spends time with them. In the traditional outpatient PT setting, a patient often spends a short amount of time with the physical therapist before being “passed off” to an aide or a tech who then sees the patient through the rest of their treatment. As our current patients can attest, when our patients come in, they get close to a full hour with their therapist — not a tech or aide.
Mission Physical Therapy is comprised of a group of PTs and one licensed PT assistant who all have an established background in the field. Our patients always know they’ll be working with someone with the education and background in the very thing they came to see us for! I would love to keep sharing how our approach is different from other clinics, but that will have to wait for the next newsletter! In the coming months, we’ll jump into a number of topics, including more about our philosophy and approach to care, which we call the Movement Correction Method. For now, we hope you enjoy this new publication and that you are staying safe and healthy!
But it wasn’t just this approach to treatment that people loved, it was also my whole business model. I’d learned from feedback I’d
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Our mission is YOU. What is YOUR mission?
(408) 550-9100 • missionptaz.com
Keep Your Brain Young
3 TIPS FOR GOOD BRAIN HEALTH FROM HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL
2. Pay attention to your mental health.
THE CAUSE MAY NOT BE WHAT YOU THINK Knee Pain Exercising regularly helps all the muscles and organs in your body, even your brain! A good workout can lower your blood pressure and improve your cholesterol levels, which help your brain and your heart. Harvard Health Publishing, a website of Harvard Medical School, also notes that “animals who exercise regularly increase the number of tiny blood vessels that bring oxygen- rich blood to the region of the brain that is responsible for thought.” As we age, our bodies change, including our mental functions. Cognitive decline is one of the biggest fears of aging, but it’s not inevitable. Though we’re still learning new things about how our brains work, there’s a lot of scientific research that shows how to keep your brain young. If you want to keep your mind sharp throughout your lifetime, then follow this advice from Harvard Medical School. 1. Get a good workout.
Poor mental health can lead to impaired cognitive function. Chronic anxiety, depression, and exhaustion tend to cause low scores on cognitive function tests. But test scores aren’t necessarily a sign of future cognitive decline, and Harvard Health Publishing urges readers to maintain good mental health and get restful sleep, as they are “certainly important goals” for improving cognitive function and overall well-being. 3. Stay connected. It’s not enough to focus on yourself. In order to maintain your long-term cognitive health, you should also focus on your connections with other people. According to Harvard Health Publishing, “Strong social ties have been associated with a lower risk of dementia, as well as lower blood When Tammy (name changed) first came to Mission PT, she was frustrated. There was a sense of hopelessness and she was in pain. Tammy weighed about 400 pounds and was convinced that her left knee hurt because she was overweight. She had already been dieting for months, and while she had seen some progress, she knew she needed to exercise. Unfortunately, any exercise she attempted seemed to trigger pain in her knee. By that time, her knee was bad enough that an orthopedist had recommended surgery. But he also told her that he would not perform the surgery until she had lost some weight. She felt trapped. Then she came to us and we told her the good news. Her weight was only one factor and based on what we saw, it wasn’t the most significant reason she had knee pain. Understandably, Tammy was confused by our assessment. We suggested that if her weight was directly causing her knee pain, her other knee ought to be hurting too, and since it wasn’t, we looked for other possible causes. What we found instead was that the source
pressure and longer life expectancy.” Make new friends, stay in touch with family members, and maintain positive relationships in your life. They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This is certainly true when it comes to your brain health. Do what you can today to protect your mental functions tomorrow. of the pain was related to the way Tammy moved. There was a specific way she moved that was, at first, merely irritating her knee. Over time, however, this movement began to cause more problems, including her persistent pain. Tammy was skeptical at first, but we were ready to prove it! All we asked for was her trust. She gave us that, and only three weeks later, she was able to do four sets of 20 squats without triggering knee pain. She was glowing — and ready to finally take on exercise. What did we do? We looked beyond the obvious. All too often, pain is caused by the seemingly insignificant movements we make throughout the day, along with the positions in which we sit or stand. Sometimes that movement may seem normal or natural to ourselves and we may be completely oblivious that we’re moving in a way that will eventually cause a problem. It comes down to this: When you correct your movement, you unlock your body’s power to heal itself. And then, like Tammy, you can go from hopeless to hopeful.
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GOOD VIBES FROM AROUND THE COMMUNITY EMBRACING THE POSITIVE Over the past few months, for obvious reasons, there has been much concern in our community and in the country as a whole. People are worried about their health, jobs, ways of life, and loved ones. But despite the uncertainty and worry surrounding the pandemic, a lot of good things have come out of it. This month, we thought we could share a few things that have brought smiles to our faces. Recently, our son needed a new tire for his bike. We went to the store to find a replacement. To our surprise, the bike aisle was cleaned out! While it was inconvenient that they didn’t have what we needed, there was something delightful about it too. People have been excited to get outdoors and to run, hike, and bike. Kids and adults alike seem to be out riding bikes, enjoying the fresh air, and having a good time. With people having a little more time at home, a lot of people are getting family pets! A few local dog breeders (who are also patients at Mission PT) have sold their litters with no problem. And many animal shelters are seeing empty kennels for the first time. This has happened all over the country! For people who live alone, a dog can be a great companion, and for families, dogs are a great way to entertain the kids! People seem to be communicating more, too. With apps like Zoom or FaceTime, it’s easy to get online and video chat with family and friends. Our family has a standing Zoom call scheduled with extended family every Sunday afternoon. This pandemic has helped us see how important it is that we spend time with the people we care about, and when we’ve been unable to get together in person, technology has been able to keep us close. We’ve also been so pleased to see the camaraderie among our patients and staff. We’ve had people come in asking if anyone needs any essentials like toilet paper, paper towels, sanitizing wipes, and even chicken! So many of our clients and our staff are more than happy to buy a little extra to give to those who may not be able to get to the store or were unable to find everything they needed. There have been a lot of stories about humanity and compassion in our community these past few months, and you probably have examples of your own. In times of challenge, it’s always important to look for the positive. Think about what brings you joy in your life and embrace it!
SUDOKU
Fig Caprese Salad It’s sweet. It’s savory. It’s the embodiment of summer!
INGREDIENTS
• 8 oz buffalo mozzarella or fresh mozzarella • 8 oz ripe fresh figs, quartered lengthwise • Handful of basil leaves, roughly chopped
•
Flaked sea salt, to taste
• Coarse ground black pepper, to taste • Olive oil, to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. Tear mozzarella into bite-size pieces. Arrange on a platter.
2. Place quartered figs, flesh up, around mozzarella.
3. Sprinkle basil leaves over top.
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Drizzle with olive oil.
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(408) 550-9100 • missionptaz.com
Our mission is YOU. What is YOUR mission?
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3321 E Queen Creek Rd. #106 Gilbert, AZ 85297
(480) 550-9100 missionptaz.com
Inside This Issue 1 2 2 3 3 4 A Different Kind of PT Philosophy Harvard’s Tips to Keep Your Brain Young From Hopeless to Hopeful Finding Strength in Community During Challenging Times Fig Caprese Salad 3 Enriching Staycation Ideas
3 WAYS TO REPLACE A CANCELED VACATION Turn Your Vacation Into a Staycation
Vacations provide opportunities for families to spend time together in a relaxed environment, get away from the routines of everyday life, and create meaningful memories. If you’ve recently had to cancel a trip but still want to create the experience of a vacation for your family, then a staycation is just what you need. Transform Your Backyard When you’re trying to recreate a vacation, the outdoor areas of your home present a variety of possibilities. You can turn a sandbox into a relaxing beach, complete with a kiddie pool “ocean.” If you have trees, then set up a zip line or obstacle course. You can even stimulate summer brains with a scavenger hunt around the backyard with hidden clues in the dirt or bushes. The ultimate prize can be something you would have purchased on your original vacation, like a souvenir you can find online. Create a ‘Family Museum’ Many vacations include an educational aspect in order to enrich our understanding of the place we’re visiting, and museums 4 (408) 550-9100 • missionptaz.com
are a great way to accomplish that. If you’re confined to the house, then teach your kids about your own knowledge and interests and encourage them to get creative and make their own contributions, too. Have everyone create art, take photos, or write about their prized possessions. Display these masterpieces around your home and let their creators take you on a tour. Learning more about one another builds meaningful bonds. Bring Your Trip Home
You probably chose your original vacation destination in order to experience new and different cultures and activities. But just because you’re no longer traveling to that location doesn’t mean you can’t experience some of what it has to offer! Research popular local cuisine, activities, and history of the area, then create ways to experience them with your family. Cook a traditional meal, recreate a scenic location through photographs, or share a story about local lore and history. Your changed plans will no longer feel like a missed opportunity.
Staying at home doesn’t mean your family can’t have the fun of a vacation. All it takes is a little creativity and innovation to build an experience that will bring your family closer together.
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