Forever fit & Healthy Newsletter by Mid-Michigan Physical Therapy Specialists
Fo r e v e r F i t & H e a l t h y Your Newsletter About Health & Fitness & Enjoying Life Pain Free!
“Is Your Upper Back Strong Enough?” STRONG SHOULDERS RELIEVE HEADACHES
Have you ever felt a pounding headache start to come on, especially later in the day? This is sign of muscle spasms in the neck and scalp as a result of abnormal stress and strain. Believe it or not, this could be caused by poor shoulder and upper back strength. (continued inside)
INS I DE: • Strong Shoulders Relieve Headaches • 3 Natural Ways To Relieve Headaches
• Patient Success Stories
• Exercise Essentials
Fo r e v e r F i t & H e a l t h y Your Newsletter About Health & Fitness & Enjoying Life Pain Free!
Relieve Headaches | Exercise Essentials | Patient Success Stories | Healthy Recipe
“Take Control Of Your Pain”
STRONG SHOULDERS RELIEVE HEADACHES
Our goal is to serve you with such a great experience that you: Thank the person who sent you here AND Refer people that you care about to us
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Your trapezius muscles form a large triangle that start from the base of your skull, connecting all along the spine from the upper neck down to your mid back. They extend out to the tip of your shoulder blades, forming the triangle. The trapezius muscles are split up into three groups, the upper, middle and lower trapezius. We commonly notice the upper trapezius muscle getting tight and sore. Poor posture is to blame With forward slouching posture during sitting and standing, the middle and lower trapezius muscles become chronically stretched out. This results in weakness and an inability to correctly support your posture. Throughout the day as you use your head, neck and shoulders, the upper trapezius and other neck muscles become overused. This can then
cause spasms of the arteries in the upper neck and scalp (vasospasms), which is one of the main symptoms of a headache. Over time, this unfortunate cycle of poor posture, weakness, spasms and headaches can lead to long-term changes in the neck structures, even early arthritis. However, improving the cervical (neck) and upper back motions can easily be accomplished with the right physical therapy. Furthermore, our physical therapists can quickly pinpoint the specific muscle groups to target to restore normal posture and function. The result is long-lasting headache relief, where you can finally stop taking the Advil or Tylenol. Call us today to discover how we can help your neck move freely and get rid of those headaches for good!
Mid-Michigan is excited to announce another source to connect with our patients. We invite you to view and like our page on Facebook and be entered in a monthly drawing for a $25 giftcard! We’d love to hear how physical therapy has impacted your life and how we can help even more! Facebook.com/MidMichiganPT
www.midmichiganpt.com
3 NATURAL WAYS TO RELIEVE HEADACHES 1. Improve your posture
Most headaches are caused by poor mechanics of the neck and upper back joints. Evaluate the way you sit at a desk, at home and how you carry yourself when walking. The simplest way to improve your posture is to pretend you have a string gently pulling you upward from the top of your head. 2. Strengthen your shoulders and upper back By improving the muscle support of the mid and upper back; your body can cope with normal everyday reaching tasks. This decreases the strain on the neck muscles and allows you to move more naturally. At first, when exercising these weakened areas, your headaches may continue to be variable. However, after several weeks of exercising the shoulder and upper back muscles, your headaches will improve. 3. Improve your flexibility The neck is made up of 14 joints that rely on a complex series of over 50 muscles to help you move. Muscles and tendons need to be flexible and elastic to help your neck joints move in the proper sequence. Take time during the day to gently stretch your neck side to side, rotating and down / up. Improving your chest and upper back flexibility, helps to restore normal posture and reduce strain to the neck. After all, you are balancing the weight of a bowling ball on top of your neck. Naturally relieve your headaches, neck, upper back or shoulder pain with physical therapy. Physical therapy is the only medical science that works on these 3 natural ways to restore your body to better posture, flexibility and strength. Call us today to learn more about our special programs that help you live your life headache and pain free.
EATING RIGHT NEVER TASTED SO GOOD! Turkey Meatballs INGREDIENTS
• 1 tsp basil • 1 tsp salt
• 1 lb ground turkey • 1 large egg beaten • 1/4 cup shaved parmesan
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper • 1 (24 oz) jar red pasta sauce • 1/2 lb whole grain spaghetti
• 1 tsp garlic powder • 1 tsp onion powder
INSTRUCTIONS Preheat broiler on high for 5 minutes. Combine all meatball ingredients in large bowl. Use your hands to mix the ingredients. Use a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop 18 meatballs onto a rimmed cookie sheet. Broil on top rack for 5 minutes. In a large skillet, bring pasta sauce to a low simmer. Add in cooked meatballs and simmer together for 5-10 minutes or until meatballs are completely cooked through. Serve with your choice of pasta, fresh basil, more parmesan and enjoy!
Patient Success Stories
I am now able to perform activities such as reaching objects on upper shelves with much less pain! “After injuring my shoulder due to improperly lifting some folding chairs while climbing up some stairs last November, I was experiencing pain and loss of motion overhead trying to do various tasks. So, I came in for therapy and after working with Angela (Dr. Dimartino) for a number of weeks, I am now able to perform activities such as reaching objects on upper shelves with much less pain. Angela has been a very knowledgeable and caring therapist and I would highly recommend her to anyone.” - Donald G. I would rate my experience A+! “After falling on my right hand, I broke a bone in my hand and hyper stretched ligaments, whereby I couldn’t use my hand at all. When I came in for PT, my hand grip was measured at just 5#s! Now, I have full use of my hand and wrist and my grip strength is now at 36 numbers. I am very thankful for my great care and progress, while I
would rate my experience A+.” - Carol G.
I feel I have received an education as well as improving my shoulder!
“I had an excellent experience at Mid-Michigan PT. I injured my rotator cuff in my shoulder, but since working with Ginger (Dr. Neslund) and Renee my range of motion really improved. These therapists are so knowledgeable and fully explain the exercises and how they work the body. I feel I have received an education as well as improving
my shoulder. I also have great exercises to do on my own at home. Thank you!” - Judith V.
You Help Us, Help Others!
LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE!
Thank you so much to these people who referred a friend or family member during the month of January: Referral Club Members Heather Rutherford Allison Nalepa Elisa Siegle Carol McCarthy John Wing Kathy Rigley Elaine Dorsey Carol Storey Melissa Huck Desiree Rajala Amanda Fogo Maricel Kolarchick We want to thank those who refer their friends and family. This is the greatest referral because it means you trust us enough to take care of those important to you. As our token of appreciation we want to thank you with a $10 Target gift card and Membership in our Referral Club. We Want to Thank You For Helping Us To Serve The Community! Join Our Referral Club Today!
FREE UPCOMING EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS The goals of these seminars are to provide a greater understanding regarding the topics listed and the potential role of Physical Therapy, while these seminars are FREE and all members of our community are welcome to attend!
• Low Back Pain & Sciatica Relief Without Drugs, Injections & Surgery Saturday, March 10th, 10.00 AM Location: Howell Clinic • Do you suffer with back pain or leg pain when you stand or walk? • Do you ever have pain, numbness or tingling down your leg? • Do you have pain when you sit for long periods or when you drive? • Does your back ever ‘ go out’ on you, if you move the wrong way? • Are you afraid that your problem is getting worse, if you don’t do something about it? If you answered YES to any of the above questions, then this is an event that you should absolutely attend, as you will learn all about the 3 most common causes of lower back pain and sciatica AND what is proven to be the MOST effective treatment for this problem! • Shoulder Pain & Rotator Cuff Injuries: How You Can Achieve Quick & Effective Relief! Saturday, March 24th , 10.00 AM Location: Howell Clinic • Do you have pain when you reach or lift overhead or reaching behind your back? • Do you experience shoulder pain when trying to sleep at night? • Do you have pain extending into your neck or the area of your shoulder blade? • Does your shoulder limit your daily activities & things you like to do? • Are you relying on medication to relieve your shoulder pain? Once again, if you answered YES to any of the above questions, then please plan to attend this event, as we will provide you with all the answers to your questions and the likely solution(s) for your problem! • Happy Feet for Pain Free Walking and Running Monday, April 16th, 6:30PM Location: The Running Lab (Downtown Brighton) If you have foot pain with your efforts to run or walk, at this seminar you will learn the underlying reasons, why you might be experiencing pain and most importantly what you can do to solve the problem, so you can run or walk pain free! If any of these topics are of interest to you and /or you are experiencing any of these problems. Then please make sure to call us (517-545-3200) to register to attend. Also, we encourage you to share these events with friends & family members that you know could benefit by attending! These seminars are FREE. However, all events are limited to 20 people, so call ASAP to reserve your seat!
Success Story: “I was encouraged by my wife to attend Dr. John’s workshop on low back pain. Here’s my story: I had grown used to living in pain. I had learned to compensate in the way I moved, because I hurt all the time. I had injuries that no one could understand. Hearing’ Your just getting old or ‘It’s just arthritis, there’s not much we can do’ was getting old. My life was being held back and I was weary of hurting all the time and taking pain medication to just get by. The endless cycle of doctors, PTs and pain relievers with no improvement was giving me a sense of hopelessness. Dr. John figured out and showed me what my problems were and how to get down the road to relief! After about 12 sessions of PT, I have at least 60% less pain, I don’t hurt all the time, I’m enjoying riding my mountain bike and I couldn’t be happier!” - Leslie C.
CO-OWNERS Glenda Maines, PT, DPT, MEd, OCS John Dean, PT, DPT, MHS, OCS, SCS
www.midmichiganpt.com
Overall, a memorable experience, but probably won’t be repeated! MACKINAW ISLAND ON NEW YEAR’S DAY!
Many of you have of course visited Mackinaw Island during the summer season and you have experienced the bustling downtown, the waft of island fudge, and the sound of horses trotting by! For our part (after some convincing from some friends), Glenda and I decided to visit the island to celebrate New Year’s Eve! So, the island is quite different in the winter. Less than 1,000 people live on the island during the winter, all the locals get around on snow mobiles, almost all businesses are closed (except the pubs) and only a few hotels are open and when we were there, it was VERY COLD and snowy. For our part, we got some exercise and hiked up to the Grand Hotel (which of course is closed) to take in a view of the Mackinaw Bridge. Getting back and forth to the island, was perhaps the most noteworthy part of our ‘adventure’. We took the Chippewa back and forth to the island from St. Ignace, while it had to cut thru’ inches of ice to make the trip possible.
EXERCISE ESSENTIALS Try these simple exercises to help with shoulder pain... Always consult your physical therapist or physician before starting exercises you are unsure of doing.
SCAPULAR RETRACTION Squeeze shoulder blades together and down- hold for 3 seconds. Repeat 10 times.
PRONE THORACIC EXTENSION Squeeze shoulder blades together and lift head and shoulders off table. Repeat 10 times
LOWER TRAPEZIUS STRENGTHENING Lie on stomach, arm hanging down over edge of bed, keeping elbow straight, lift entire arm with thumb facing toward ceiling up toward head. Repeat 10 times on each side.
www.simpleset.net
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