Health & Wellness Newsletter by Balanced Body Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine
HEALTH &WELLNESS The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body BACKPACK SAFETY FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR
Wearing the backpack: • Distribute weight evenly by using both straps. Wearing a pack slung over one shoulder can cause a child to lean to one side, curving the spine and causing pain or discomfort. • Select a pack with well-padded shoulder straps. Shoulders and necks have many blood vessels and nerves that can cause pain and tingling in the neck, arms, and hands when too much pressure is applied. • Adjust the shoulder straps so that the pack fits snugly on the child’s back. A pack that hangs loosely from the back can pull the child backwards and strain muscles. • Wear the waist belt if the backpack has one. This helps distribute the pack’s weight more evenly. • The bottom of the pack should rest in the curve of the lower back. It should never rest more than four inches below the child’s waistline. • School backpacks come in different sizes for different ages. Choose the right size pack for your child as well as one with enough room for necessary school items. • Only put items in your backpack that you need for the day.
Aching backs and shoulders? Tingling arms? Weakened muscles? Stooped posture? Does your child have these symptoms after wearing a heavy school backpack? Carrying too much weight in a pack or wearing it the wrong way can lead to pain and strain. Parents can take steps to help children load and wear backpacks the correct way to avoid health problems. Loading the backpack: • A child’s backpack should weigh no more than about 10% of his or her body weight. This means a student weighing 100 pounds shouldn’t wear a loaded school backpack heavier than about 10 pounds. • Load heaviest items closest to the child’s back (the back of the pack). • Arrange books and materials so they won’t slide around in the backpack. • Check what your child carries to school and brings home. Make sure the items are necessary for the day’s activities. • If the backpack is too heavy or tightly packed, your child can hand carry a book or other item outside the pack. • If the backpack is too heavy on a regular basis, consider using a book bag on wheels if your child’s school allows it.
HEALTH &WELLNESS The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body
If you’re constantly facing lower back, hip and knee pain you might be feeling arthritis. According to the Centers for Disease Control, roughly 54.4 million North American adults are diagnosed with some form of arthritis per year. As we age, our bones wear down. Are yours? If they are, don’t worry. It’s possible to alleviate the symptoms. It’s even possible to eliminate them entirely. If you have regular aches and pains, keep reading. We have a solution. Beforeknowinghowtorelievearthriticpain,you’llneedtounderstand it.Arthritis— or the painful stiffness, or inflammation, of joints—isn’t a single disease. The term “arthritis” is an informal explanation of joint pain and disease in general. Over 100 types of arthritis exist, asserts the Arthritis Foundation. People of all ages, races and sex can get it. It’s also the leading cause of ongoing disability in America. What Causes Lower Back, Hip and Knee Arthritis? Because arthritis is a catch-all term, pinpointing what causes arthritis may be difficult. In most cases, arthritis is caused by injuries.These injuries degenerate bones, joints and cartilage, resulting in the pain. Arthritis can also be caused by: TO TREAT ARTHRITIS PAIN Take Your Next Step Simplywalkingcancausearthritis in the lowerback,hipandknee.Our legswear down as they’re used. Sometimes, old age is simply the culprit as use wears away at our joints and bone tissue. This type of arthritis, called degenerative arthritis—or osteoarthritis—is the most common kind of arthritis. When the leg’s cartilage—or itsslick,cushionedsurface—iswornaway,bonerubsagainstbone. This pain, stiffness and swelling requires professional osteoarthritis treatment. Arthritis & Physical Therapy Regardless of the cause of arthritis, physical therapy serves a purpose in most cases. Often, severe arthritis may require medication, hot and cold therapy or even surgery. While maintaining a healthy weight, exercise and a good diet help, medical intervention may eventually be needed. During physical therapy, the individual is trained to reach maximum mobility. They may also undergo exercises that reduce the pressure on arthritic spots. If a patient has undergone surgery, post-op physical therapy can help them reclaim their mobility—as well as their lifestyle. If you or a loved one suffers from arthritis, you still have options. Contact one of our therapists today, and ask about ongoing physical therapy treatment to restore mobility, comfort and quality of life. • Infections, such as Lyme disease • An immune system dysfunction • The inheritance of osteoarthritis • An abnormal metabolism, which leads to gout
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6 Tips To Help Your Arthritis Pain
When it comes to treating arthritis, you may have more options than you realize. There is a lot you can do to reduce your aches and pains from arthritis, while gaining more mobility and function. People often experience pain from arthritis because of stiff joints, muscles and other tissues. In addition, muscles become week, therefore not supporting the arthritic joints. Our customized therapy treatments promote muscle strength, improve range of motion, increase mobility and ease pain. In addition, coupling your treatments with the following can also help you live life to the fullest and get you back to doing the things you love: 1. Education and self-management. When your treatment is over, our experts will have equipped you with the knowledge and exercises you need to continue your progress on your own. 2. Weight loss. Maintaining your recommended weight—or losing weight if you are overweight—can lessen your pain by reducing stress on your affected joints. Weight loss specifically helps ease pressure on weight- bearing joints such as the hips and knees. 3. Footwear and insoles. If arthritis affects your knee, special footwear and insoles can reduce pain and improve walking. 4. Knee braces. For osteoarthritis with associated knee instability, a knee brace can reduce pain, improve stability and reduce the risk of falling. 5. Heat and cold. Many people find the heat of a warm bath, heat pack or paraffin bath eases arthritis pain. Others find relief in cold packs. Still others prefer alternating the two.
6. Exercise. Exercise has been proven to help reduce arthritis pain while increasing strength and function. Knowing the right kind of exercises to do, is the key. Talking with our physical therapists will point you in the right direction.
Relieve Knee Pain In Minutes Try this movement if you are experiencing knee pain.
Strengthens Knees KNEE EXTENSION STRETCH
www.simpleset.net
While sitting, tighten your top thigh muscle to press the back of your knee downward towards the ground. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat 5 times.
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Reasons to Alternative to surgery: Physical therapy has been found to be as effective as surgery for conditions including meniscal tears and knee osteoarthritis, and rotator cuff tears. Individualized treatment: Physical therapist treatment plans are tailored to each person’s needs and goals, taking pre-existing conditions into account. Identification of potential risks: Physical therapists can identify additional health issues, beyond what the patient initially reports, thereby improving a person’s overall health and quality of life. #ChoosePT Physical Therapy: A Safe Alternative To Opioids The increased use of opioids for pain management in America has created a national health crisis. Opioid prescription rates have quadrupled since 1999, leading to similar increases in prescription opioid deaths and heroin deaths. In response, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released guidelines in March 2016 urging prescribers to reduce the use of opioids in favor of safer alternatives in the treatment of chronic pain. Physical therapy is one of the recommended nonopioid alternatives. Physical therapists treat pain through movement, helping patients improve strength, flexibility, and range of motion. Physical therapists also can educate their patients about pain, which has been known to improve outcomes.
Do you or someone you know have hip, knee or leg pain? As a current or past patient, you have access to this valuable information, at your fingertips. Start feeling better today in the privacy of your home. Go to www.balancedbodypt.com , and scroll down to the middle of the page for your free download. This is the easiest way to get this information to our patients. Download and share with friends and family today!
You can download the FREE Hip, Knee or Leg Pain ebook on our homepage at:
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For More Information, Please Visit: www.moveforwardpt.com/choose- physical-therapy-over-opioids-for-pain-management-choosept
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