AgeWell_Tendonitis & Sports

Newsletter for AgeWell Physical Therapy & Wellness, P.C.

N E W S L E T T E R

FINDING NATURAL RELIEFFOR TENDINITIS PAIN Athletes are naturally at an increased risk for experiencing injuries. This is not as a result of any particular health issue that athletes typically have in common. Instead, it is a simple exposure equation. The more frequently you push yourself to try new things, to engage in physical activity, or to push yourself to reach a new goal, the more you are going to increase your risk for potential injury (Read more inside...) AGEWELL PT IS CELEBRATING 15 YEARS OF PROVIDING INDIVIDUALIZED AND CARING PT TO EACH OF OUR VALUED CLIENTS!

I N S I D E UNDERSTANDING AND TREATING TENDINITIS HEALTHY RECIPE: GUACAMOLE WITH TORTILLA CHIPS EXERCISE ESSENTIALS REFER A FRIEND!

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N E W S L E T T E R

FINDING NATURAL RELIEF FOR TENDINITIS PAIN

Understanding tendinitis While there are some sports injuries that happen after a bad day, there are others that develop over time. Tendinitis is an incredibly common issue that causes pain to develop in the joints. This can impact the hips, knees, elbows or shoulders. Pain caused by tendinitis can impact everyday activities, making it exceedingly difficult to remain comfortable day to day or to remain active. Tendinitis can make simple activities such as picking up a gallon of milk or attempting to put something away on a shelf over your head incredibly painful and challenging. Unfortunately, when tendinitis develops, it often sticks around. This means that pain that begins as frustrating and seemingly minor can quickly become chronic and incredibly painful. Working with a physical therapist is the best way to address tendinitis pain early on, to improve range of motion and reduce the severity of your pain without having to turn to pain medications.

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On more days than not, the injurywon’t happen, but as every athlete knows, it only takes one bad day — one day when fatigue throws off your form just enough to cause your gait to be off, for you to feel a little distracted and not realize an obstacle is coming up, or just a fluke of a moment in which something goes wrong and you go down. What makes matters worse is the fact that many athletes attempt to push past the pain of their initial injuries, which often leads to those injuries becoming more severe. Working with a physical therapist is especially important for athletes for this reason. A physical therapist can help identify potential issues with posture or form that may increase your risk for injury, help identify potential injuries as they develop, and assess the severity of and best treatment options for those injuries as soon as possible, so you always know exactly what your body needs to feel at its best.

Get Moving Today with AgeWell Physical Therapy!Call 516.488.8808 to talk with your physical therapist!

UNDERSTANDING AND TREATING TENDINITIS

Tendinitis is a common issue among athletes because it develops as a result of overuse. While the average person may engage in standard physical tasks such as walking or typing, an athlete takes that repetitive behavior to a new level. Consider a tennis player, for example. In addition to running and jumping, a skilled tennis player will spend hours every week swinging the racket, and this could result in added wear and tear on the elbows and wrists, not to mention the shoulders. Every bone in the body is connected with muscular fibers called tendons. The tendons are flexible, allowing the body to move more freely by letting bones stretch apart or move in one direction or another. Tendinitis occurs when the tendons become inflamed. Swelling in the tendons can make movement painful and difficult. Typically, when pain is caused as a result of tendinitis, the pain is isolated at the noted areas of the body. This means that a tennis player may experience tendinitis in the elbow or shoulder, whereas a runner may be more likely to experience it in the Achilles tendon. In fact, this is why tendinitis in the elbow is frequently referred to as tennis elbow, while Achilles tendinitis is sometimes referred to as runner’s ankles or runner’s heels. Treating tendinitis The best treatment for tendinitis is time. Unfortunately, this is something that many people are unable to give to an injury. When tendinitis develops, the best thing to do is to use ice and to relax that

part of the body. Taking a few days off of practice or away from your workout may be sufficient, but in other cases, this may require a few days in a wheelchair or on crutches, with the bulk of your weight off of the affected area. Working with a physical therapist can help you identify the best treatment methods for tendinitis. Your physical therapist can also help you identify the best range of motion and strength-building activities to reduce your likelihood of developing tendinitis. For more information about preventing or treating pain from tendinitis, contact us.

HEALTHY RECIPE: GUACAMOLE WITH TORTILLA CHIPS GUACAMOLE • 3 tomatillos • 1/3 cup chopped onion

• 3/4 teaspoon salt • 2 ripe peeled avocados • 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped • 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1/3 cup chopped plum tomato • 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

CHIPS • 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas • Cooking spray

• 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

INSTRUCTIONS Preheat oven to 375°. To prepare chips, cut each tortilla into 8 wedges; arrange tortilla wedges in a single layer on 2 baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle wedges with 1/2 teaspoon salt and chile powder; lightly coat wedges with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 12 minutes or until wedges are crisp and lightly browned. Cool 10 minutes. To prepare guacamole, peel papery husk from tomatillos; wash, core, and finely chop. Combine tomatillos, onion, and remaining ingredients; stir well. Serve guacamole with chips. www.agewellpt.com

The complex network of bones, ligaments, tendons, and muscles in the knee joint are vulnerable. Knee pain can result from many problems, from sports injuries to arthritis to gout. And when knee arthritis or a torn knee ligament strikes, climbing stairs, walking, and even standing can be painful. Strengthening the knee is one way to prevent knee trouble and deal with a knee condition you already have. One exercise that’s simple to do is stair climbing. Stair climbing benefits Strengthening the muscles around the knee will decrease the stress on the joint itself. These muscles include the quadriceps at the front of the thigh and the hamstrings at the back of the thigh. Both of these large muscle groups get a workout when you climb stairs. Your own weight is enough to make stair climbing a challenge. Stair climbing also benefits the knees indirectly by helping to manage your weight. By walking up steps for just five minutes, you can burn about 45 calories. If you do that five times per week, that’s 225 calories. Doing it 50 weeks a year can burn 11,250 calories. A pound is about 3,500 calories, so with a little stair climbing most days of the year you can lose more than three pounds. THE IMPORTANCE OF HEALTHY KNEES WHEN USING THE STAIRS

WE’RE OPEN!

We’re happy to announce that we’re open and accepting patients! We’re taking all precautions recommended by the CDC for your safety. Your cooperation in this tough time is what makes us able to continue to provide valuable services to your and your family. We appreciate your support! I N - OF F I CE SPECIAL TEST ING SERV I CES AgeWell PT offers in-house electrodiagnostic testing and musculoskeletal diagnostic ultrasound testing for all of our patients. We hope our therapy patients take advantage of these tests to improve their rate of recovery and therapy outcome.

Ready for a little more math? If you’re 10 pounds overweight, you’re adding 30 to 60 pounds of additional pressure on your knees with every step. Climbing stairs can help you take pressure off the joints by burning calories and dropping pounds. If you have knee pain for any reason, don’t ignore it. Rehabilitation such as exercise can often ease the pain and make walking enjoyable again. If your knee condition requires more care, see a knee specialist at AgeWell Physical Therapy. Learn what we can do to relieve your knee pain and improve your quality of life.

CALL TODAY! 516.488.8808

E X E R C I S E E S S E N T I A L S H E L PS R E L I E V E ARM PA I N

REFER A FR I END!

Exercises copyright of

Get a free gift whenever you refer a friend or family member to Agewell Physical Therapy. It’s our way of saying “Thank You!” for spreading the word!

SLEEPER STRETCH

Start by lying on your side with the affected arm on the bottom. Your affected arm should be bent at the elbow and forearm pointed upwards towards the ceiling as shown. Next, use your unaffected arm to gently draw your affected forearm towards the table or bed.

Always consult your physical therapist or physician before starting exercises you are unsure of doing.

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