Take a look at our June newsletter!
THE PENROSE POST
JUNE 2023
PENROSEPT.COM | 360-456-1444
This New Legislation Can Help Your PT! Join Me in the Fight Against Burnout
Small-Group Training Sessions Now Being Held in Person!
Have your insurance premiums gone up lately? A lot of my patients are dealing with higher insurance costs, and some of them have told me they hope those costs mean bigger paychecks for their PTs. Unfortunately, this isn’t how the process works! The truth is that insurance rates are only part of the problem. Physical therapists and other health care providers across the nation are actually struggling to make ends meet. Insurance companies are still paying us the rates they set in the 1990s. And with the rising costs of office space, resources, equipment, employee wages, and more, providers have had to increase their workloads to keep their doors open. I can promise you our office is here to stay, but I wanted to give you a glimpse of what many physical therapists and other health care providers are going through. Our team works diligently to provide you with the best possible care. Still, it’s getting harder and harder with rising inflation and inadequate pay from insurance companies and Medicare. Fortunately, there’s legislation in the works that may make a difference! The Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act (H.R. 2474), has recently been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives and calls for an inflation-based adjustment to fee schedule payment. This is huge because, as I said, fees have been the same for years despite growing costs. I’ve heard of therapists being forced to see more and more patients to make up for their low paychecks. This can mean shorter individual sessions, less personalized care, and
an overall decline in the quality of treatment. In even more dire situations, I’ve seen health care providers burn out and leave their positions behind for better working conditions. The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), which is an organization that represents over 100,000 professionals in the field, is publicly supporting this new bill. Justin Elliott, APTA’s vice president of government affairs, has even shared that the financial stress on health care providers will only increase if no changes are made. He explained, “The increasing discrepancy between what it costs to run a practice and actual payment, combined with the administrative and financial burden of participating in Medicare, is contributing to provider burnout.” If the Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act passes, it will help providers like me by increasing our pay so that we can keep our offices open, adequately care for our patients, and support our staff. That will mean better treatment and more attention for every patient in the country!
COME JOIN US
Yoga for Osteoporosis and Arthritis is a modified version of yoga using a chair. This version focuses on poses that increase bone density while improving your posture and mobility. You will FEEL fluid and taller after this class. Tuesday: Yoga for Osteoporosis and Arthritis, 9 a.m. Thursday: Yoga for Osteoporosis and Arthritis, 9 a.m.
We need as much help as possible to ensure this bill passes and brings positive change. While Penrose & Associates Physical Therapy is fortunate to stay afloat during this time, not every hardworking therapist is so lucky. You can
SCAN ME!
help them by contacting your legislators. Scan our QR code and click “Medicare Payment Reform Starts Now: Take Action for Physical Therapy” to support this crucial legislation! – Dr. Jennifer Penrose
“This bill will help physical therapists by increasing pay so they can keep their offices open, adequately care for patients, and support their staff.”
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USING PHYSICAL THERAPY TO TREAT CONCUSSIONS Take a Head-On Approach
In the past, when individuals believed they'd experienced a concussion or started to have concussion symptoms, they visited the emergency room or a medical professional to get a diagnosis and receive treatment. The treatment was rarely extensive. The doctor almost always said to rest. Some may have prescribed a painkiller, but they concluded that rest is the best medicine. Even if symptoms persisted, they would recommend more rest, but now, we’re discovering we can do more to help those who've experienced a concussion. A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that occurs when the brain is violently shaken. Concussions have garnered more attention in recent years due to their prevalence in popular American sports. In the 2022 NFL season, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered two significant concussions and a smaller one. Many questioned whether the Dolphins organization and the NFL handled the situation correctly, likely leading to new concussion protocols in the future. It’s not just athletes who are at risk for concussions, either. Anyone can get one if they have an accident while driving or slip and fall and hit their head. Other than taking the necessary safety precautions while driving, playing sports, and performing everyday activities, there’s not much you can do to prevent a concussion.
However, if you get one, you can do a few things to speed up recovery — like attend physical therapy. Rest will still be a large part of your recovery plan, but we’ll explain why rest is so important. Often, concussions cause an individual to experience muscle weakness or a decrease in physical endurance, but we’ll help you reduce these feelings with an exercise program fit for your needs. Sometimes, an individual might experience dizziness or a lack of balance after a concussion. We can recommend and teach you various exercises to improve your balance. We’ll also inform you about different stretches, strength and motion exercises, and eye exercises to reduce the frequency or intensity of headaches. We put all of this together so you can recover from your concussion quickly and return to your favorite activities. A concussion is a serious brain injury and should be treated as such. Suppose you ignore or fail to notice your symptoms and continue participating in physical activities. In that case, you risk suffering another concussion or experiencing second-impact syndrome, which can leave you with permanent brain damage or worse. If you’ve recently hit your head and are experiencing headaches, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, light sensitivity, memory loss, confusion, or emotional symptoms, visit your doctor to see if you have a concussion. If your doctor diagnoses you with one, we’ll be here to help you on the road to recovery. Do not ignore the symptoms!
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The Intermittent Fasting Phenomenon SEPARATING HYPE FROM HEALTH BENEFITS
There always seems to be a new dieting fad every couple of months, but one that has stayed around longer than expected is intermittent fasting. Many of us couldn’t imagine
Regardless of which type of intermittent fasting you attempt, you’ll likely notice many benefits within the first few months. Studies have shown that it can improve your
fasting for days on end, but intermittent fasting provides the benefits of fasting without asking us to wait days between meals. Intermittent fasting is a term used to describe eating patterns with differing amounts of fasting. There are three main types. The first and most common type is time-restricted eating, and it’s one of the easiest intermittent fasting diets to stick to daily. Time-restricted fasting has users decide on an eating window lasting between four and 12 hours. If it isn’t during your eating window, you’re
cholesterol levels and help you maintain proper blood sugar levels. Many studies have shown that those who practice intermittent fasting have no problem shedding weight and also keeping it off. Many users report losing 3%–7% of their body weight within eight weeks of fasting. Studies even found intermittent fasting can lower the risk of breast cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and other serious conditions. Does this all sound too good to be true? That’s because it likely is. The Journal of the American Medical Association looked at 108 studies
actively fasting. The next is the 5:2 diet, which calls for two full days of fasting each week, with a regular eating schedule for the other five days. Finally, there’s alternate- day fasting, in which users alternate between fasting one day and eating normally the next.
conducted on the alleged health benefits of intermittent fasting and found that only six were supported by solid evidence. That doesn’t mean the health benefits don’t exist; we just need more research before saying intermittent fasting is as beneficial for our health as its users claim it to be.
DIRECTIONS Need a quick, healthy snack? Check out this protein-packed yogurt bowl. Cherry Chia Greek Yogurt Bowls
TAKE A BREAK!
Chia Seed Jam We suggest making the chia seed jam in advance and storing it in the refrigerator so you can quickly assemble these yogurt bowls all week.
Inspired by HungryHobby.net
INGREDIENTS
Chia Seed Jam • 2 cups fresh sweet cherries, pitted • 3 tbsp chia seeds
Using a potato masher, mash down the cherries. Place a small pot on high heat and add the cherries, chia seeds, honey, and water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn down the heat and let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Allow jam to cool before using or refrigerate. Greek Yogurt Bowl In a small serving bowl, mix the Greek yogurt with vanilla extract. Top the Greek yogurt with 2 tbsp cherry chia seed jam, hemp seeds, granola, and a few additional cherries, if desired.
• 2 tbsp honey • 1/4 cup water
Greek Yogurt Bowl • 1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract • 1 tsp hemp seeds • 1 tbsp granola
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360-456-1444 | PenrosePT.com
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
1445 Galaxy Dr. NE, Suite 301 Lacey, WA 98516
1. Will You Help Us Make a Change? 2. Bounce Back From Your Concussion 3. Fasting Is the Most Lasting Diet Fad INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Cherry Chia Greek Yogurt Bowls
4. Don’t Let CrossFit Intimidate You
What do you hope to accomplish when you start a new exercise routine? Many of us aim to become stronger, lose weight, or improve our overall health. What if there was a way to accomplish those goals in six weeks of training? That’s what CrossFit does when properly performed. For those unfamiliar, CrossFit is a form of high-intensity interval training that combines elements of weightlifting, gymnastics, and metabolic conditioning. It was designed in 2000 to help athletes improve their cardiovascular and respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, coordination, and agility. Since then, many gyms have become fully dedicated to CrossFit programs and classes. Walking into a CrossFit gym or class for the first time can be intimidating. For years, the thought was that CrossFit was intended for bodybuilders and athletes only, but anyone can benefit from these activities if they make a dedicated effort. When you initially begin CrossFit, the best results occur through two or three exercises per week. If you’re already in THE POWER OF CROSSFIT GET IN BETTER SHAPE WITHIN 6 WEEKS
great shape, you can benefit by increasing your frequency, as long as you maintain a rest day between each workout day. If you fail to leave yourself enough recovery time, you’ll overwork your body and become susceptible to injuries. It doesn’t take long to see results once you start a CrossFit program. Many CrossFit classes include some form of weightlifting and resistance training, which will help you build muscle and grow stronger. Since these exercises are often high-intensity, you’ll burn even more calories than you would during a standard workout. Many of the activities will increase your heart rate, which improves cardiovascular health. CrossFit has risks, but you can have a safe and enjoyable workout by taking proper precautions. Don’t push yourself too hard; stop the activity if you notice pain. CrossFit training can be incredibly rewarding and beneficial when done right!
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