BacktoActionPT_3 Ways to Beat Achy Shoulders

Do you find your shoulders aching at the end of the day or when having to reach for items? Your shoulders have to move through an incredible 180 degrees of motion, while still maintaining stability and strength. The shoulder joint acts like a ball in a very shallow socket that is part of the shoulder blade. Some of the most important muscles in the rotator cuff are actually the smallest.

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

3 WAYS TO BEAT ACHY SHOULDERS “Achieve Pain Free Goals This Year!”

Do you find your shoulders aching at the end of the day or when having to reach for items? Why your shoulders hurt Your shoulders have to move through an incredible 180 degrees of motion, while still maintaining stability and strength. The shoulder joint acts like a ball in a very shallow socket that is part of the shoulder blade. Some of the most important muscles in the rotator cuff are actually the smallest. (continued inside)

Inside: • 3 Ways To Beat Achy Shoulders

• Patient Success Spotlights

• Practice News

• Top 3 Ways To Avoid Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

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

TOP 3 WAYS TO AVOID CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME | RELIEVE SHOULDER PAIN IN 60 SECONDS | PRACTICE NEWS

“Shoulder Relief Is Possible With The Right Guidance!” 3 WAYS TO BEAT ACHY SHOULDERS

The rotator cuff is made up of 4 muscles that are small, but vital to keeping the ball stable in the socket. When these muscles are weak or injured, the ball can jam up into the socket of the shoulder blade, causing inflammation and pain. Try these simple actions to improve the health of your shoulders and alleviate that nagging ache or sharp pain for good. 1. Sit up tall! – The number one reason for repetitive injury and pain in the shoulders is poor posture. When the ball moves forward in the socket, the rotator cuff becomes vulnerable to injury! There is less space for the muscles which can then get “pinched.”The muscles are also overstretched, making them weaker. 2. Strengthen your rotator cuff muscles – By keeping your rotator cuff muscles strong, you help guide your shoulder joints, lessening the chance for injury and inflammation to occur. A simple exercise to perform is while sitting or standing, keep elbows at your side bent to 90 degrees and thumbs up. Push your hands out like opening a newspaper. Repeat 10 times.

3. Improve your scapula stability – The shoulder blade makes up an important part of your shoulder complex. It has many different muscles attached to it, pulling at just the right time for proper shoulder movement. Improve the shoulder blade muscles by frequently firing them. In a sitting or standing position, drop your shoulders slowly down and back. This wakes up those important muscles which help guide the shoulder blade when using your arm. Perform 10-15 repetitions, holding the contraction for 5 seconds frequently throughout the day.

PATIENT SUCCESS SPOTLIGHTS I am so grateful for the results I have gotten! “I had a lot of pain on my shoulder when I first started physical therapy at Back to Action. Before therapy I was unable to lift my arm, comb my hair or sleep on my left side. Now I am able to do all of those things without pain. My therapy exercises seemed difficult at first, but I knew it was for my own good because now I feel better. I recommend this place because the staff is very professional and everyone treated me great everyday.This is a great service and I am so grateful for the results I have gotten. If I need therapy in the future, I will request to be treated at Back to Action.” - Beartriz M.

I now have less pain and improved shoulder mobility! “I was referred to physical therapy after completing my radiation treatment after my lumpectomy. I complained to my

doctor about having increased right shoulder pain and stiffness despite doing stretches and exercises at home. He recommended I start physical therapy. I wasn’t sure if therapy was going to help me, but I had a great experience here at Back to Action. The therapist was able to work with me in a private treatment room to work on my scar tissue and stretch my shoulder. On my last treatment, the therapist took some measurements and showed me all of my progress. I now have less pain and improved shoulder mobility. Thank you!” - M.S.

Look inside to learn more about our programs to say good-bye to aches and pains and return to a pain-free, active lifestyle! www.back-to-action.com

TOP 3 WAYS TO AVOID CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a very common occurrence, especially in those that are at a computer all day. The carpal tunnel is in your wrist and made up of bones of the hand and ligaments that form the ceiling of the tunnel. With typing, pressure is frequently put on the wrists and base of the palm. In addition, the frequent use of the tendons that glide through this area during typing can cause the tendons to become irritated and swollen, decreasing the space in the tunnel. Your median nerve, which supplies sensation and muscle control to your thumb and first two fingers can become compressed. This is why with CTS, many people first experience tingling or numbness in the thumb and first two fingers. While this can be a sign of nerve compression, the good news is that this can be prevented and even reversed quite quickly. Seeing a physical therapist right away is essential, but here are some tips you can do in the meantime: 1. Stretch your wrists and hands. Stand up and grab the tips of your fingers with the other hand. With your arm outstretched, gently stretch your fingers back until you feel a gentle pulling in your hand and wrist. Hold this for 15-30 seconds and repeat on both sides three times. Do this frequently throughout the day. 2. Improve your posture at work. If you slouch at the keyboard, this puts the neck in a bad position and can put more pressure on your wrists, decreasing blood flow to your hands. Sit tall and have your keyboard slightly lower than the level of your elbow.

3. Stretch your chest and shoulders. Improving your shoulder and chest mobility increases the circulation in your hands. The better your circulation, the less inflammation can build up in the hand and wrist. CTS is a condition that you can prevent with these tips. However, if you start to notice tingling, numbness or weakness in your hand, see a physical therapist right away. It is much better to catch CTS early, than after nerve damage has occurred. If you feel that you might be experiencing CTS or know someone with these symptoms, call us today to speak with one of our specialists.

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Physical Therapists Are The Mechanics Of Your Body! Minor aches and pains are warning signals from your body to let you know something is not working properly. Don’t put off the pain until it’s too late. Come in today for a “Tune-Up.”

Relieve Shoulder Pain In 60 Seconds Try this movement if you are experiencing pain.

Strengthens Shoulders

LOWER FIBER TRAPS - PRONE Lie on your stomach with arms at your side. Slightly bring your shoulder blades together. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat 5 times.

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Take Care Of Your Aches & Pains Before It’s Too Late.

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Del Rio 830-775-9118

Brownsville 956-621-0397

Eagle Pass 830-757-2497

PRACTICE NEWS: Keeping Our Patients Up To Date!

Brownsville. BackToActionPhysicalTherapy joined the Medical Professions Academy in Rancho Viejo, Texas in promoting a healthy lifestyle in the community of the nearby cities. At their health fair event, we hosted a 5K run and 1 mile walk. The event was very successful as a huge number of people participated during this health fair. Birthdays come only once a year. But a PT Tech like Cristobal brings life to our patients every single day! We are so glad that you are in our BTA family. Eagle Pass. November was a very busy month here in Eagle Pass. We kicked off the month at the Maverick County Hospital District2ndAnnualHealthandWellnessExpo. Hundreds of people came out and received useful information from different providers and vendors from around town. Remember “Motion is Lotion” we have to keep moving! We were also proud sponsors of the 5th annual Mid-Level Providers Association Spirit of the Fall Festival. This event benefits the scholarship fund for our local students interested in following a career path in the medical field. BTA staff and family also helped serve delicious Thanksgiving meals at our local annual HEB Feast of Sharing. It was a great success and always nice to give back to our community especially during this holiday season.

We would like to wish our forever loyal PT Tech, Rosanna, a VERY happy birthday! She celebrated her birthday on the 28th. Harlingen. We hope you all enjoyed a happy and healthy holiday season with friends and family. On December 1st, the Harlingen and Brownsville clinics got together to celebrate ourannualChristmasparty.Weenjoyedsome great food, fun and company. Back To Action Harlingen had a Toy Drive for the past month. On December 19th, we delivered gifts to elementary schools in the areaaspartofSt.PaulLutheranChurchAngel Tree program. These children are children who receive backpacks full of food on the weekends. It was terrific to see the smiles on these children’s faces so a special thank you to all that donated. Del Rio. We hope you all enjoyed this festive timewithfamilyand lovedonesandhappiness and health in the New Year! Del Rio has been busy thisseasonkickingoff themonthat the Wild Game Dinner as a Platinum Sponsor for the Chamber of Commerce fundraiser. The following weekend Del Rio staff traveled to join Eagle Pass for our annual holiday party at the casino! We all enjoyed some great food, company, and games. Del Rio also participated in a toy drive to collect toys for children in need with the Val Verde Sheriff’s Department’s Project S.O.S.

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