JohnstonPT: Neck Pain & Headaches

Health & Fitness Newsletter by Johnston & Elevate Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine

NEWSLETTER THE HEALTH & FITNESS

2020

NOTES FROM ANDREW I don’t like social distancing! It makes our job as your physical therapist challenging. I’m proud that we have remained open and beginning to increase patient

testing. Because back pain is so common, there is a lot of outcome data from people with back pain. A study of 150,000 insurance claims published in Health Services Research, found that thosewho sawa physical therapist at the first point of care had an 89 percent lower probability of receiving an opioid prescription and a 28 percent lower probability of having advanced imaging services. Unfortunately, only 2% of people with back pain start with PT, and only 7% get to PTwithin 90 days. Another reason is the cost of healthcare. The rising cost of healthcare is well known and early PT is something that has been shown to reduce costs without reducing the effectiveness of treatment. A study published in the Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy showed that patients who obtained physical therapy via direct access had significantly lower medical costs—an average of $1,543 less per patient than thosewho chose referral from a physician. They also had significantly fewer visits and spent significantly fewer days in care. I would love it if we changed our thought process to physical therapy first! We are of course somewhat biased – we are physical therapist after all. That being said, I must say that I think physical therapy is a great way tomanage most tweaks, sprains, aches and pains, that so many tend to go to the physician for first. If you are experiencing limiting pain and are considering seeking medical attention, consider PT first. Hopefully this can be helpful in keeping our frontline physicians less burdened with this type of issues. And, as the research shows, hopefully can reduce the needs for medications, injections, surgeries and in doing so reduce your costs in managing these “injuries”. If you are wondering if physical therapy may be right for you, give us a call- we are here to help.

volumes in our clinic once again. As COVID-19 concerns and social distancing practices have continuedwewant to assure you that we have continued to be diligent on every front possible to minimize exposure in our clinics. Be assured that we continue to monitor all people who enter each of our clinics with temperature scan, health questionnaire and handwashing/sanitation requirements- on arrival and at conclusion of care. We continue to sanitize the entire clinic frequently and sanitize all surfaces (not just high traffic areas) that have been touched by clients before next client use. We also continue to encourage clients to take advantage of our telehealth services if they are not comfortable in one of our clinics or in higher risk categories for coronavirus infection. We are here to help! That’s why we became physical therapists. We have tried to be good corporate citizens in howwe havemanaged the clinics in these challenging newtimes.Wehavebeendiscussinghowwe canbecome even better community partners by providing the best andmost appropriate services possible. Because of the closures of physician’s offices, stoppages of elective surgeries, and social distancing guidelines resulting from COVID-19, many people with pain or joint issues have had appointments or surgeries delayed. If you’re one of them and you haven’t seen your PT yet, we think you should consider it. Here are some reasons why. Studies have shown that people who receive PT sooner have better outcomes, lower costs, are less likely to have surgery, use opioids or have unnecessary

OUR SERVICES

• Physical Therapy • Work Injury Rehab • Sports Injury Rehab

• Trigger Point Dry Needling • Education

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NEWSLETTER THE HEALTH & FITNESS

2020

THE CONNECTION BETWEEN NECK PAIN& HEADACHES INSIDE: • The Problem With Posture • Relieve Neck Pain In Minutes • Patient Success Spotlight • Staff Spotlight

Whether you have pain or have been suffering for a long time, seeing a physical therapist at one of our clinics can help you return to a more active and pain-free life. Give us a call today! of neck pain is something you are dealing with daily. It isn’t always the result of something large. While being in a car accident or experiencing another sort of injury can definitely lead to chronic neck pain, the cause of the issue isn’t always as simple to identify. Sometimes it is a bad habit that you don’t really think twice about, like your habit of watching TV as you fall asleep, keeping your neck at an odd angle as you rest for the evening, or maybe as a result of your posture as you type at your desk every day, hunched over at the shoulders with your neck catching the brunt of your slouch. These poor habits are common, and most of us consider them to be harmless. Sure, you know it isn’t great for you, but what is actually going to happen? It’s a lot easier to slouch as you type, and who doesn’t want to catch a few late-night laughs as they fall asleep? But the reality is that these seemingly irrelevant habits could be putting undue stress on your neck, and if you aren’t careful, this could translate to regular and uncomfortable headaches that are difficult to get rid of.

Headaches have a bad habit of making their appearance at themost inconvenient times. The middle of the workday, early in the evening when you have hours of responsibilities ahead of you, or even first thing in the morning when you are trying to pay attention to your morning meeting — headaches don’t care how important the work ahead of you is. When they start, they are hard to stop. There are all sorts of reasons why headaches may develop. From environmental factors like weather changes and exposure to certain perfumes or other scents, to stress and allergies, headaches happen to the best of us. However, there are some headaches that may be a bit more predictable than others. Factors like your posture, the type of mattress you sleep on, the pillow you use, or even the desk chair you sit in at work can all impact your risk for experiencing regular headaches because of the intricate network of nerves and muscles in your neck. When Neck Pain Leads to Headaches. The majority of the time, neck pain starts out as a seemingly small concern. A crick in your neck here or there may start to develop more frequently, and before you know it, your experience

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Working with a physical therapist can help you to identify whether or not your headaches may be the result of neck pain or strain. One of the most common causes of headaches due to neck pain is forward head position. Forward head position means that when you are resting your head, you are continuing to hold your head slightly forward, which is certainly the less than ideal posture. You can identify whether or not you have a forward head position by standing straight against the wall and determining whether or not your head rests against the wall as your back does. If your head does not touch the wall when you are standing straight, then you aren’t fully standing up straight! As years go by and day after day you continue to hold your head in this forward position, you can start to experience pain as a result of strain in the muscles of the neck. When this is an issue, working with a physical therapist may be able to help. Stretching the muscles in your neck to alleviate neck strain can reduce the severity and regularity of your headaches. Stretching the muscles that have grown tight along the back of your neck as well as those along the shoulders can help you find relief from the tension that is causing your pain. When dealing with neck pain, it is important to remember that safety has to come first. While there are many simple activities you can try at home to begin stretching your neck muscles, working with a physical therapist is the only way to ensure that you are stretching in a way that won’t potentially lead to greater injury. For more information, contact us. 9 5 2 1 9 6 5 1 8 6 5 7 3 8 7 8 1 4 http://1sudoku.com n° 315825 - Level Hard 6 4 7 7 9 3 8 5 9 4 3 5 1 2

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Call us today to schedule an appointment!

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Creighton Biddick, Personal Trainer/PTTech Creighton hails froma family farm in Southwest Wisconsin. In high school he played golf, hockey, and ran cross country. Creighton’s interest in physical therapy began in high school after an injury from cross country. During his time at physical therapy he found it amazing that the physical therapist was able do a couple tests and then tell him exactly what was wrong with his hip. “It was astounding at the time, my PT seemed like a wizard.” He graduated 7 5 2 6 9 1 9 7 7 2 9 4

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from Iowa State University in 2019 with a degree in Kinesiology and Health, and will hopefully go on to physical therapy school. Creighton is an American Council on Exercise (ACE) certified personal trainer, and has been personal training for the past 2 years. He began personal training through the Iowa State University Recreation Services Personal Training Department where he learned the basics of building programs, educating clients, and developing positive and constructive person-to-person relationships. Throughout his time as a personal trainer he has gained experience coaching, training, and building customized programs for various demographics including amputees, youth, athletes, and the retired. He says that working for Johnston Physical Therapy has been a blast so far, and is excited for the his future with JPT! 4 3 9 8 5 1 2 3 6

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EDUCATION: • Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Health, Iowa State University http://1sudoku.com n° 329149 - Level Hard

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www.johnstonpt.com Play on your mobile these puzzles and find their solutions by flashing the codes below : n° 315825 n° 329837 n° 3996 n° 34745

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Patient Success Spotlight

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Johnston Clinic

“Andrew and his staff are second to none!” “I’ve been going to JPT for years. I’ve always found the atmosphere to be very professional, yet fun! Andrew and his staff are second to none! In a virtual visit with my son, Dave was working with my 15 year old son and having him do one handed planks. They were playing, “Rock, Paper, Scissors” while doing planks! Dave bet 3 push-ups and lost! Of course, he did the push-ups when he lost! That level of engagement and creativity are just a couple of the many reasons I love JPT!” - C.K.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Open your smart phone to the camera app 2. Center the QR code above in the frame (this will take you directly to our Facebook page) 3. Tell us how we’ve done! Elevate Clinic

Relieve Neck Pain In Minutes Try this movement if you are experiencing neck pain.

SCAPULAR RETRACTION Stand tall, shoulders relaxed. Pull shoulder blades back and down. Don’t hunch your shoulders. Consider 3 sets of 10 holding each rep for 3 seconds. If tolerable, 2-3 times per day.

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If this exercise does not provide you relief/help, please consider an evaluation to see if we can identify the source of your pain and provide a plan to get you back to normal.

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