Peak Motion: Getting To The CORE Of Back & Neck Pain

Health & Wellness Newsletter by Peak Motion Physical Therapy

Health &Wellness The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

December, 2018

FAVORITE HOLIDAY TRADITIONS

Here at Peak Motion,, we love the holiday season! Here are some of our staff’s favorite holiday traditions. Bre: “My favorite tradition is having baked rice on Christmas. My grandma used to always make it so it holds some nostalgia for my family. Those who are of Scandinavian descent will understand the excitement of getting the almond. There’s always one almond hidden in the bowl of baked rice and whoever gets the almond is said to have a year of good fortune. But shhh!! You can’t tell anyone you have the almond!” Korrina: “My favorite holiday tradition is making my Great Grandma’s sugar cookies and decorating them with the entire family! Also, having our annual family Christmas PJ party!” Mike: “Every year our family goes to the Christmas tree farm to find the perfect tree (which may include some arguing and lobbying). We then spend the evening decorating the tree while watching the first Christmas movie of the season and drinking hot chocolate.” Kelly: “My favorite Christmas/holiday tradition that I do is to go down to California and go ice skating! I always go to the ice skating rink where I learned to skate as a kid (called the Winter Lodge) in Palo Alto, where they set up a big Christmas tree in the middle of the rink.”

Jon: “My favorite Christmas tradition growing up was playing Christmas music and drinking egg nog while decorating the Christmas tree. Drinking hot cocoa in the mornings while still wearing pajamas to open stockings and presents was also great and still is!” Ellie: “My favorite tradition is hunting for our Christmas tree as a family, and yes dogs included! It takes us over an hour to all agree on the perfect tree.”

FREE BACK PAIN SCREENING

FREE Back Pain Screening. Call to schedule your appointment now!

Health & Wellness The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

GET TO THE CORE OF BACK & NECK PAIN “Watch What Happens After Receiving Treatment!” December, 2018 INSIDE:

• Core Strength & Back Pain • FREE Back Pain Screening • Patient Success Spotlight • Fall Recipe

Back and neck pain are two of the most common issues thatAmericanadultsexperience,puttingahuge physical and economic burden on working Americans by being both two of the leading needs for medical intervention and two of the most common causes people have to miss work. While these may feel like twoseparate issues, it issomewhatcommon thatneck pain and back pain are actually related. Core strength can have a huge impact on your overall health and wellness, and when your core is weak, it could add up to weakness in your neck and back. Neck Pain 101. There are a lot of reasons why neck pain may develop, including everything from sudden incidents like a car accident or a slip-and-fall injury, to more chronic issues, such as regularly hunching over a desk at work or even practicing poor posture. One of the biggest problems with neck pain is that it often triggers headaches, as the pain is so closely connected to the spine and nervous system. What is more, addressing neck pain is sometimes difficult as there is so much potential to cause more damage to the neck.This is why working with a physical therapist to address neck pain is wise. A physical therapist can help treat neck pain by improving range of motion,

using targeted massage techniques, and by improving strength as needed. For example, in many situations, neck pain can be treated by improving core strength. Back Pain 101. Severe back pain impacts more than half of the population, and many of those with pain in the back as a result of injury end up dealing with that pain long term. One of the biggest problems with back pain is that once it develops, it is difficult to work around it, and many people begin modifying their movements as a result, causing their back to compensate for the injury by putting pressure on other muscles that eventually just leads to more back pain. For this reason, back pain can frequently become a Catch-22 — avoiding the things that hurt your back could actually lead you to develop more pain in the future. Working with a physical therapist is the best way to cut your back pain issues in half. Physical therapy can address back pain by helping to improve your range of motion, strengthen the muscles in your back and surrounding areas, and by using targeted massage to reduce tension. In many situations,workingwithaphysical therapist to improve core strength can significantly reduce the severity of your back pain. Call us today for more information!

Patient Success SPOTLIGHT

My low back pain has diminished! "I started physical therapy because a life-long low back problem caused me pain doing any of my daily activities. With Mike and Emily’s knowledge and compassion, they taught me the exercises I needed to get my quality of life back. My low back pain has diminished, I am able to sleep through the night. And I am back doing my daily work. Thanks everyone!” - Mike M.

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CORE STRENGTH & BACK PAIN

You may be surprised how frequently issues with the neck and back actually stem from issues with core strength. Your core refers to the muscles that make up your torso, including your abdomen. These muscles are called the core because they are at the center of your body, and they are necessary in just about every action that you engage in. Everything from walking and running and swimming to sitting and driving require you to engage your core. There are a lot of reasons to improve core strength outside of any existing neck or back pain. When you improve your core, you are likely to also improve your posture and thereby reduce your risk of developing further back pain in the future. Furthermore, the exercise that helps to improve core strength is often helpful in promoting weight loss, and for those who are overweight, this could also help reduce pain in the neck and the back. Sometimes, when your core is weak, it can cause you to experience added pressure on areas like your neck and back. There are a lot of ways that working with a physical therapist can help you improve your core strength. You may be encouraged to practice core exercises, for example, which may include abdominal crunches or leg lifts. Light weight-training activities are also frequently helpful, as are balance- based activities like yoga. If you haven’t spent much time building core strength in the past, then working with a physical therapist is a great place to start. Your physical therapist will guide you through proper postures and movements to reduce further risk of injury. For more information about how to start improving your core, contact us.

HEALTHY RECIPE

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies

INGREDIENTS • 1 ripe banana mashed • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree • 2 large eggs • 1/2 cup peanut butter • 3 tbsp coconut oil melted

• 1/2 cup oat flour ground • 1/2 cup almond meal • 1/2 tsp baking powder • 1/2 tsp baking soda • 1/8 tsp salt • 2 tsp Vietnamese 5% oil • Cinnamon • 1/4 tsp Frontier Allspice • 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips • 1/2 cup dried cranberries and cherries

• 2 tsp vanilla extract • 3 tbsp maple syrup • 1 1/2 cups gluten-free rolled oats

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside. In a mixing bowl stir together mashed banana, pumpkin, eggs, peanut butter, coconut oil, vanilla and maple syrup until well combined. Add in oats, oat flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, chocolate chips and dried fruit; stir to combine. Refrigerate for 5 minutes to harden. Drop cookies by spoonfuls on prepared baking sheet. They won’t expand much, so feel free to press them down, slightly, and make them as uniform as possible to ensure even baking. Bake for about 12 minutes until lightly browned.

CALL TODAY! (360) 210-5440

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DISCOVER HOW TO LIVE PAIN-FREE

At Peak Motion Physical Therapy, you will receive hands-on therapy treatments by our friendly, caring health experts during focused and individualized sessions.

More Patient Success

“I injured my shoulder a year ago and my knee about five months ago. My doctor recommended Peak Motion for physical therapy. I started seeing Jonathan and Bre who for the past six weeks have corrected my knee and shoulder pain. I am surprised and pleasantly pleased that they were able to eliminate the pain and stiffness in both areas.The exercises that I have been taught are very beneficial in strengthening my knee and shoulder joints and will be a great help in my continuing rehabilitation. The staff at Peak Motion are caring and dedicated. I am so appreciative that Jonathan and Bre have helped me recover the way I have.” -Terry H. Helped me recover!

It’s time to get Peak Motion Physical Therapy if: • You’re tired of living in pain • You want to feel better and move better • You have been in an auto accident or injured on the job • You want to prevent injury

1. Call and talk to your therapist 2. Discover why your pain has come back 3. Get your custom recovery program

Take Care of Your Aches and Pains Before It’s Too Late. Attention Pain Sufferers!

Do You Have Difficulty With Aches Or Pains?

• Decrease your pain • Increase your strength • Increase your activity level We can help:

• Increase your flexibility • Improve your health • Get back to living

Mention or Bring in This Coupon Today For a FREE Back Pain Screening

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