Body Gears Newsletter by Body Gears Physical Therapy
DR. KATIE ALBERT, PT, DPT NEWSLETTER The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body Getting To Know The Body Gears Physical Therapy Team
Katie’s passion for movement began at a young age while dancing at the Richmond Ballet. She quickly became the classmate that people turned to asking, “Can you watch this? Why is this not working today?” Being able to study the movement of her fellow dancers allowed her to begin developing a critical eye at an early age fromwhich her desire to pursue physical therapy originated. Having an extensive dance background, Katie enjoys working with various performing artists to determine the cause of their aches and pains. However, her passion for helping people extends to all individuals with various histories. “I learn something new fromevery person that I work with, which is one of my favorite parts of my job.” In her free time, you can find Katie cheering on the Virginia Cavaliers, participating in fitness activities, and looking for new adventures around the city.
Katie received her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from The George W a s h i n g t o n U n i v e r s i t y i n Washington, D.C. where she earned
the Academic Excellence Award for highest cumulative G.P.A. in her cohort (yes, she is a self-proclaimed nerd!). Prior to physical therapy school, she studied at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia making Chicago the furthest home-away-from-home that she has ever lived. While she misses the milder temperatures in Virginia, she has learned to love her new city from the delicious food at outdoor street festivals to the welcoming people.
www.bodygears.com
OVERCOME BACKPAIN Is Back Pain Slowing You Down? NEWSLETTER The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body
INSIDE:
• How to Take Care of Your Back • Healthy Recipe • Relieve Back Pain In Minutes • Patient Success Spotlight
• Limited flexibility of the spine and hip joints and muscles of the thighs • Poor activation and coordination of the abdominal, pelvic, and back muscles • Acute injury from falls, lifting, twisting, and carrying heavy loads Most people don’t seek treatment soon enough and continue to suffer with a nagging ache or pain in their back. They may even feel symptoms travel to the buttocks and legs. Many people think that not much can be done for back pain and use medication to numb the pain to get through the day. However, medication mostly masks the pain and does nothing to address the root cause of the problem. Solutions to Back Pain. Treating back pain starts with determining the true cause. A thorough evaluation of your movement, strength, posture and joint mobility can tell a lot about the true origins of your pain. Only then, can the proper plan be formulated to get you out of pain quickly and back to the activities you love. Whether you just tweaked your back or have been suffering for a long time, seeing one of the spine specialists at Body Gears Physical Therapy can help you return to a more active and pain-free life.
People with back pain will often have one of two thoughts: “I’m too young for back pain” or “I guess this is what aging is like.” Younger people might seek treatment, but most of the time, they won’t be given a specific diagnosis as to what is causing their pain and why. Meanwhile, people in their 30’s sometimes even believe pain is part of the aging process and might not seek treatment at all. In reality, everyone should be thinking “I need to fix this.” Early treatment by a physical therapist for back pain can reduce total medical costs by over $2700 by limiting the need for additional doctor visits, injections, medications, or surgery. Why do I have Back Pain? A number of mechanisms can contribute to back pain, but there are a few simple root causes: • Weakness in the deep core stabilizer muscles of the trunk that surround your spine and abdomen • Poor posture increasing tension on the spine • Repetitive injury to muscles and tissues around the spine from improper lifting
www.bodygears.com
HOWTO TAKE CARE OF YOUR BACK
1. Make Good Posture A Habit When you are standing, feel that the weight in your feet is going through your arches. Stack your knees over your ankles, your pelvis over your knees, and your shoulders over your pelvis. Let your head be in a relaxed position without your chin poking forward. Good posture doesn’t mean holding yourself up like you’re in the army. You should be comfortable, though it might still take time to get used to a new posture, even if it’s a better one. While sitting, make sure you’re using the backrest without your shoulders slouching or your head far forward and your feet are on the floor. 2. Lift Properly Picking things up is a normal part of our day. Even if you pick up something light, your back muscles have to lift the weight of your upper torso and control that movement. Make sure you always face what you need to pick up, squat keeping your spine straight and push with your leg muscles. This helps reduce the excessive pressure on your spine. 3. Stay Flexible Flexibility is key to maintaining a healthy back. By keeping your body flexible, the normal forces of movement and lifting can be distributed across the spine, rather than focused on a few segments, which can then fail. An easy stretching routine every day can keep you feeling great and put a spring in your step. 4. Stay Strong You have hundreds of muscles, which control the movement of your spine. Major muscles that support the spine are called your core and include your abdominal, pelvic, spinal and hip muscles. By keeping your core muscles strong, you support your spine and have the ability to easily control lifting, quick movements, bending and a lot more.
5. Physical Therapy Our PhysicalTherapists are experts in evaluating spine and body movement. By having a regular check-up, you can make sure your body is in good condition to tackle the activities you love. If you have a history of back pain, injury or are currently experiencing aches and pains, we can analyze your problem and construct a treatment program that will work best for your individual problem. With soothing hands-on therapy and targeted exercises, we can help you return quickly to feeling your best. Even if you suffer from severe pain, we can help you get out of pain and living the life you deserve. Call us today to schedule an appointment.
Relieve Back Pain InMinutes Try this movement if you are experiencing back pain .
No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Balls
INGREDIENTS • 2 cups of old-fashioned rolled oats • ½ cup of ground flax seed • 1 tablespoon of black chia seeds • 1 teaspoon of cinnamon • ½ cup of raw honey • ½ cup of peanut butter • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract • 1 scoop Vanilla Whey Protein Powder • ½ cup of dark chocolate chips
Strengthens Core
www.simpleset.net
SUPPORTED BRIDGE Lie on your back with knees bent and feet hip distance apart. Place your feet close enough so they can be touched by your finger tips. Inhale and lift the hips, place a block under the sacrum. Keep the chest open. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat 10 times.
INSTRUCTIONS 1. Add rolled oats, ground flax seed, chia seeds, cinnamon, honey, peanut butter, vanilla extract, and vanilla protein powder to food processor. 2. Pulse until ingredients are blended (about 7-9 times). 3. Add mixture to a large bowl, add in chocolate chip. Stir to combine. 4. Form energy bite mixture into 1” balls and place on parchment paper lined baking sheet. 5. Cover and place in refrigerator for 2 hours. 6. Serve! Author: Krista@https://www.joyfulhealthyeats.com/no-bake-chocolate-peanut-butter-energy-balls/
CALL TODAY! (877) 709-1090
Patient Success Spotlight
Body Gears News
Welcome to our two newest PTs, David Hurley at our Oak Park location and Francis McDonald in St. Louis! David has a year of experience working with orthopedic conditions in the fast-paced downtown area and Francis is a new graduate from St. Louis University. Body Gears had the excitement of expanding the Oak Park and West Loop clinic locations in 2017 and we’re excited to keep on growing. We often see people in the clinic who are trapped in their injury stories. Our senior PT Rebecca has recorded a podcast speaking about our approach to transforming them into healing stories. Your injury story is still important, after all, it was the focus of your first visit. Once you have a few visits with us under your belt, it’s time to start your healing story. Check out our podcast for weekly uploads and to learn how to transform your story into one of healing. Find us on Sound Cloud @BodyGearsPT
“As a physician who is also very active in sports personally, I both send many patients to physical therapy, and go to physical therapy myself, frequently. Aaron is definitely the best physical therapist I have ever met. I injured my back last summer, and I was referred to a physical therapy center that gave me some generic exercises on a xeroxed sheet. At BodyGears, Aaron instantly recognized the movement pattern that had led to my injury, and then gave me exercises to change that movement pattern so I would not only get better but not injure myself again! Instead of a xeroxed sheet, I received videos of my prescribed exercises, which were a huge improvement. Along the way, an old injury cropped up. In less than a minute Aaron diagnosed what was causing the problem and taught me what I could do to prevent its recurrence. That was 4 months ago, I’m back exercising as much as ever, and I’m feeling great. I’m sure I’ll need PT again at some point, and when I do I’ll definitely be going back to see Aaron. I’ll also be referring as many patients whose insurance allows them to go to BodyGears.” - Damon S. (Body Gears Graduate!) I’m back exercising as much as ever!
Request AComplimentary Screening
Schedule Your Discovery Session www.BodyGears.com | 877-709-1090 VISITOURWEBSITEORGIVEUS ACALL:
Whether you’re recovering from an injury, training for a competition, or you’re striving for health, wellness and freedom of movement, Body Gears can help improve your physical health.
This 30-minute appointment will allow you to meet a physical therapist, share your story, and complete a mini-assessment. The purpose of this screening is to answer two questions: 1. Is physical therapy the right medical practice for your condition? 2. How can Body Gears help you achieve your functional goals? Our physical therapists will be able to quickly provide you the information you need to take the next step. We hope the next step in the healthy direction is with us!
AttentionPainSufferers LOWER BACK PAIN& SCIATICAWORKSHOP
ONE DAY SPECIAL OFFERS! Tuesday, April 3rd 7pm - 8pm Wheaton Presented by Stephanie Mountford PT, DPT, OCS Thursday April 12th 7pm - 8pm Downtown Presented by Garrett Petry PT, DPT, CFMT Thursday, April 19th 7pm - 8pm Winnetka Presented by Kate McKechnie PT, DPT, CFMT, Women’s Health Specialist
Workshops are free but seats are limited. Only 10 spots available per location. Don’t delay, register today by calling 877-709-1090 now! BONUS! 1 st three people to register will receive a Hot/Cold Pack! ü Why no two back pains are the same and how to work with your physical therapist to develop a unique, tailored treatment plan. ü How your pain might not be your back’s fault and how pain affects the health of the rest of your body. ü A 100% natural and safe solution to your pain and how you can access it. Here’s some of what you’ll learn: ü The ONE mistake back pain sufferers are making every time they stand up. ü What’s more important as you age: STRONG CORE OR STRONG LEGS?
When you have back pain or sciatica, you need to feel better FAST, so you can get back on your feet and keep on moving. Our responsibilities never end: kids, grandkids, jobs, leisure activities... but back pain can stop you in your tracks. Most people take mobility for granted. Walking, hiking, cycling, running: these are all activities you may have loved in the past but now you may be considering giving up because of back pain or sciatica discomfort. The Lower Back Pain and Sciatica Workshop at Body Gears Physical Therapy will teach you how the latest Functional ManualTherapy™ treatment techniques can naturally heal your pain to improve your movement and physical health.
We Want To Help You Get Better Once And For All!
www.bodygears.com www.bodygears.com
DEBUNKING 5 MYTHS ON DISC HERNIATION Physical therapy at Body Gears corrects mechanical, neuromuscular, and motor control deficits that are perpetuating disc irritation. With proper management through conservative care, spinal discs can heal just like any other tissue in the body. Surgery is not necessarily the best or only option. This article debunks five myths on disc injury and healing. Myth #1 – Discs can “slip” out of place.
It is nearly physically impossible for discs to slip out from in between the vertebrae. Discs are firmly attached by two thick ligaments called the anterior longitudinal ligament and the posterior longitudinal ligament. The disc also has a thick outer layer called the annulus fibrosis that attaches to the vertebrae above and below which protects the gelatinous inner layer called the nucleus pulposus. Discs don’t slip – they herniate. The most common types of disc herniation are degeneration and protrusion, both of which are commonly treated by physical therapists at Body Gears. The four stages of disc herniation are listed below from least to most severe: • Degeneration: The inner gelatinous center pushes into the outer annulus fibrosis. • Protrusion: The annulus fibrosis forms a bulge or out-pouching that sometimes presses against nerves. • Extrusion: The annulus fibrosis ruptures but the inner gelatinous center remains intact. • Sequestration: The annulus fibrosis ruptures and the inner gelatinous center separates from the main part of the disc. Myth #2 – Surgery is the best and only option. A recent study revealed that spontaneous regression of disc injury can occur, and showed that disc injury can completely resolve with conservative care.1 Spontaneous regression occurs at a rate of 96% for disc sequestration, 70% for disc extrusion, 41% for disc protrusion, and 13% for disc bulging. Complete herniation resolution occurred in 43% of sequestered discs and 15% for extruded discs. 1 Myth #3 – I will have permanent limitation or disability. Individuals with disc injury fear that they will never be able to do the activities they once did, whether this is working in an intensive manual labor job, running, caring for loved ones, sitting comfortably, or simply bending their back. With patience and the right type of treatment, you can return to 100% prior level of function without pain.
Myth #4 –MRIs & imaging will show the cause of my back pain. Advances in MRI imaging has enabled clinicians to identify minute changes in disc structure. However, just because the MRI showed a disc injury doesn’t mean that the injury is even the cause of your pain. A recent study on 1,211 healthy adults from the ages of 20’s to 70’s used MRI imaging and CT to examine disc aging. The study revealed that most people have disc degeneration, disc bulging, or disc protrusion without pain, with the percentage of disc abnormality increasing with age. 2 Disc degeneration and bulging is a normal part of aging and should not be feared. Myth #5 – Movement will make my disc injury worse. With the professional guidance of a Body Gears Physical Therapist, exercise and movement can help your discs heal. Physical Therapists at Body Gears expertly facilitate disc healing by treating the mechanical, neuromuscular, and motor control causes of disc irritation. Hands-on soft tissue and joint mobilization reposition vertebrae and reduce soft tissue pull on discs so the back achieves proper alignment. Neuromuscular retraining of inhibited core and lumbar musculature muscularly stabilizes the lumbar spine to reduce the mechanical stress on spinal discs during movement. Extensive training in posture, bending, and lifting mechanics then enable the individual to fully return to life tasks. References 1. Chiu CC e. The probability of spontaneous regression of lumbar herniated disc: a systematic review. – PubMed – NCBI. Ncbinlmnihgov. 2016. Available at: http:// www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25009200. Accessed February 19, 2016. 2. Brinjikji W e. Systematic literature review of imaging features of spinaldegeneration inasymptomaticpopulations.–PubMed–NCBI.Ncbinlmnihgov. 2016. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25430861. Accessed February 19, 2016.
www.bodygears.com www.bodygears.com
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter