Health & Fitness Newsletter by Kinect Physical Therapy
Health & Fitness The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body
“It’s Time To Run Injury Free!” TREATING KNEE PAIN NATURALLY
We all know that running is great exercise for our bodies, but often people stop due to knee or lower leg pain. This can happen for a variety of reasons, but usually ones that we are not aware of. Over 50 million Americans deal with some sort of knee trouble, as the knees are the second most common injured joint, the first being the joints in the spine. Therefore, it is essential to know what you can do to prevent knee troubles from even starting. (continued inside)
Inside: • Treating Knee Pain Naturally
• 5 Ways To Improve Knee Pain
• Outstanding Patient Results
• Staff Spotlight
www.kinectpt.net
Health & Fitness The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body
5 WAYS TO IMPROVE KNEE PAIN | OUTSTANDING PATIENT RESULTS | STAFF SPOTLIGHT
“Get That Beach BodyWithout Pain From Injuries. ” TREATING KNEE PAIN NATURALLY
Most all knee and leg pain can be attributed to the following issues: • Poor muscular strength • Imbalance of muscular strength with certain muscles stronger and others weaker • Poor muscular coordination • Poor biomechanics of walking / running • Lack of flexibility Common injuries with running or exercising: • Patellofemoral pain • Meniscus tears and pain • Ligament injuries (ACL, PCL, MCL, LCL) • Osteoarthritis • Shin splints • Hamstring pulls • Achilles tendonitis Don’t push through pain While feeling a stretching sensation or muscle burn is a normal part of exercising, feeling pain is not. Sharp or dull pain should be paid attention to and not pushed through. Make sure you are doing adequate warming up prior to exercising as muscles and tissues require internal lubrication to work properly. Warming up brings natural fluids to the area to help with lubrication, improving elasticity and function. In addition, make sure to properly stretch after exercising to ensure that flexibility is maintained and gained. www.kinectpt.net
Look inside to learn more about our programs and say hello to a healthier you by returning to a pain-free, active lifestyle!
Staff Spotlight
Outstanding Patient Results
Able to return to a peak condition!
MOLLY Molly is a Seattle native and will always call it home no matter how long she’s away which makes her a die hard Seahawks fan! She grew up with 2 older sisters who are still her best friends even when on opposite corners of the country. One works as a nurse and the other an event planner at Disney World. She is recently married and just celebrated their year anniversary. In her free time she and her husband like to go swimming, hiking, road trips
Rebecca came to therapy suffering a fracture in the lumbar spine playing sports. She is active in sports, playingbasketballandfootball.Shewasverydetermined and worked very hard in physical therapy. Through an intensive core strengthening program and being educatedonwhatwasneededtoprotectherspine,she wasable to return toapeakcondition toplaysportsat thecollegiate level.Her therapistJaredhad this tosay
abouther: “Rebecca issuchagreatpersontobearound.She isfullofenergyandworksreally hard. She always had fun with the therapist and staff. Rebecca put a smile on everyone’s facewhenshewas in theclinic. Iknow thatshewillbedoinggreat things inher future.She will be a patient that I and the staff will never forget.” - Rebecca L.
Prior tocoming to therapyMarciaMillerhaddifficulties sittinganddoingdailyactivitieswithoutpain.Sinceher therapyshestates“Icannowgetupfromsitting,change bedding, mop floors and other activities without pain. Can’t thankRickandKinectenough forgivingmeback my life.” - Marcia M. I can now get up from sitting! My strength is returning! Johncame to therapywith inability tousehisshoulder. Priortotherapyhehaddifficulty liftingoverhisheadand behindhisbackwithoutpain.Sincecoming to therapy, John has this to say: “I can now move my arm behind mybackandstraightup in theair. Ihavemovement in alldirections.Mystrength is returningand Iamgetting bettereveryweek. It isa joyandpleasure toworkwith the therapists at Kinect. You guys are great! Thank you.” - John G.
up north or to Disneyland, weight lifting, volunteering at church and searching for the best coffee shops. She loves working with athletes of any age and helping people to not just improve their injury but also improve their quality of life. We are excited to have Molly on our team and join Kinect in our pursuit of helping people Kinect back to life.
www.kinectpt.net
You Have The Right To Choose Your Physical Therapy! Choose Kinect PT For Your Therapy Needs
Did you know you have a choice when it comes to who you see for your physical therapy needs? If your doctor gives you a referral for another PT practice you can take that referral anywhere you want to go. We consider you a part of the Kinect family and want you to come back to us. We want you to know that we are your physical therapist for life. If you ever need PT or just want to come in for a check up give us a call. Once you become a Kinect family member all your consultations and check-ups are FREE. Just call and schedule a time to come in and see us.
www.kinectpt.net
The Runner’s Guide: 5 Ways To Improve Knee Pain
1. Increase your leg strength. Do wall sits, knee extensions, toe raises, hip side-lifts and more. Speak with one of our professionals for how to perform these exercises correctly. 2. Improve your patella (kneecap) tracking. Your patella needs to glide to actually form a C pattern when you bend your knee. Do leg lifts with your whole leg rotated outwards to strengthen the inner thigh and knee muscles. Make sure to stretch your kneecap up and down, side to side, to ensure gliding. Most patellofemoral pain comes from poor patella tracking and a physical therapist is the expert to diagnose and treat this problem. 3. Maintain and improve flexibility. With running and exercising it is very common for the powerful muscles in the leg to become tighter. For example, the hamstring and outer tissues of the leg (iliotibial or “IT” band) can become very tight, altering the mechanics of the knee causing pain. Stretch after every time you run and do adequate warm ups prior. Try integrating yoga and stretching into your routines. 4. Improve your balance and coordination. Do balance exercises to build up your proprioception (sense of balance position). Exercises such as standing on one leg with and without eyes closed are important. Don’t forget to make sure you setup for safety when performing balance exercises by having a steady surface nearby to hold onto when needed. 5. Improve your agility. Many casual runners, simply run, but do not perform other types of important exercises such as strengthening, balance and agility training. Mix up your workouts to include these other types of exercises.
Seeing a Specialist. If you have recurring knee pain or discomfort for more than 3 days, it is time to see a specialist. The ideal specialist to see is a physical therapist as they are medical experts in joint movement and function (kinesiology). A thorough evaluation needs to be done of your movement, walking patterns, strength, joint mobility, patella tracking and proprioception. Only then, can the true source of the pain be found, treated and help you understand what you can do to prevent it from returning. In addition, if you are an avid athlete, a physical therapist is key in helping you discover new ways to improve your movement and function, helping you improve your game. Get on the path to healthy knees and call us today for a free joint movement analysis. Discover how liberating it can be to run or exercise pain free. Why You Need To Come In For A FREE Check-Up: � Move without pain Think Kinect FIRST: Giving The Gift Of Health
Our Therapy Services
• Low Back Pain • Cervical Pain • Shoulder Pain • Knee Pain • Herniated/Bulging Disc • SI/Pelvic Pain • Arthritis • Sprains and Strains • Fractures
• Tennis Elbow • Rotator Cuff Injuries • Impingement Syndrome
� Sit for long periods comfortably
� Bend and move freely � Balance confidently and securely
• Balance Disorders • Difficulty Walking • Deconditioning • Muscle Weakness • Vertigo • And Many More!
� Walk for long distances � Live an active and healthy lifestyle
We are your therapists for life! We want you to stay healthy so all your check ups with us are FREE. Just call our clinic and schedule.
www.kinectpt.net
SAN TAN VALLEY 480.568.4580
MESA 480.833.2778
CALL TODAY!
CHANDLER/SUN LAKES 480.802.8730
GLENDALE 623.934.1154
COMMONRUNNINGINJURIES/PAINS: KNEE INJURIES:
According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, the knee is the most commonly injured joint. Orthopedic surgeons see more than5.5millionpeopleannually forknee injurieswhich include “Runners Knee” (pain or tendonitis close to the knee cap or on the sides of the knee), illiotibial band syndrome (pain on the outside of the knee) and more. These tissues at the knee joint are most commonly irritated with the repetitive striking associated with running and very often become imbalanced with other muscles and tendons around the knee joint and thus cause pain and lost time with training. SHIN SPLINTS: Shin splints occur when there is pain along the large bone on the front of your lower leg known as the tibia. Shin splints most commonly occur in runners, especially those who are just starting a running program or are making modifications to their program. This is usually due to poor alignment of the body or a combination of weakness and or tightness in the leg muscles. HIP INJURIES: These may include such things as ITB Syndrome, Piriformis Syndrome, Hip Flexor problems, Bursitis, and more. These hip conditions are all the result of the excessive stress that ends up at your hip joint as a result of the ground reaction forces and your body weight meeting each other at a specific location. When a hip problem begins, it is the sign of muscle imbalances with regards to flexibility and strength of the surrounding musculature. These tissues then gradually shorten over time due to the excessive stress placed on them and at some time begin to cause pain, become inflamed and other reactions. PLANTAR FASCIITIS: Plantar fasciitis is an irritation to a band of tissue on the bottom of your foot. The plantar fascia works to support your arch and help to absorb shock when your foot hits the ground. Tight tissues in the leg, weak leg muscles, and minor changes in your running pattern or stride can irritate this tissue and side line you for a long time. ACHILLES TENDONITIS: Your Achilles tendon attaches to your calf muscle which is the largest shock absorber when your foot hits the ground. It is then the tendon that your calf pulls on when it lifts your heel off the ground to take the next step. In short it is pulled on every time you hit the ground and every time your foot leaves the ground. Imagine how many steps you take during a normal run and multiply the work load by two. As a result the Achilles tendon is very vulnerable tissue and needs to be kept in great working order with specific stretching and strengthening. Thegoodnews is thatKinectPhysicalTherapycan treat theseorthopedic and repetitive motion injuries without the need for invasive surgery
or extensive medications. The licensed Physical Therapists at Kinect PhysicalTherapywillevaluateyourconditionandcustomizeaprogramof care thataddressesallofyourareasofneed including (butnot limited to):
• Mechanics of your running • Flexibility and strength of primary muscle groups • Flexibility and strength of supporting muscle groups • Core strength and control • Footwear • Alignment and other issues
Our treatment program will recognize the affect any of the above is having on your ability to train and compete and will allow you to recover from injury quickly and get back to your training. Even if you have an old injury, it is important to have it evaluated by our Physical Therapists to prevent long term damage such as arthritis to your joints. If you have an old injury like tendonitis, arthritis, stress fracture, or low back pain, our therapists can design a treatment program to promote wellness and get you back to training and competing at the level you desire.
www.kinectpt.net
SAN TAN VALLEY 480.568.4580
MESA 480.833.2778
CHANDLER/SUN LAKES 480.802.8730
GLENDALE 623.934.1154
“The Summertime Is For Activity, Not Pain!” TOP 2 EXERCISES FOR INJURED KNEES
KNEE EXTENSION STRETCH Working on your knee extension range of motion through active stretches offers numerous benefits. It strengthens the muscles that support your knee, particularly the quadriceps muscles on the front of your thighs. It also stretches the back of your thighs, where your hamstrings are located. Maintaining, or improving, your range of motion for knee extension can also help reduce symptoms of knee arthritis. How it’s done: While sitting, tighten your top thigh muscle to press the back of your knee downward towards the ground. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat 6 times. PIRIFORMIS STRETCH Stretching your piriformis muscles before and after a workout can prevent pain and injury to your legs, and it can be done anywhere. Stretching your piriformis muscles can literally reduce any pain or tightness in the back of your legs, knees, buttocks, hamstrings, and perhaps your calf muscles. As many of these pains stem from the piriformis, stretching it will help prevent further pain and tightness. How it’s done: While lying on your back, hold your knee with your opposite hand and draw your knee up and over towards your opposite shoulder. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat 7 times.
CALL TODAY FOR MORE ASSISTANCE!
SAN TAN VALLEY 480.568.4580
MESA 480.833.2778
CHANDLER/SUN LAKES 480.802.8730
GLENDALE 623.934.1154
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