Bounce Back Physical Therapy: Stand Up to Sciatica

The Bounce Back Bulletin by Bounce Back Physical Therapy

The Bounce Back Bulletin The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

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Stand Up To Your SCIATICA Take charge of your natural treatment today!

STAFF SPOTLIGHT Dr. Julianne Rose received her Bachelors of Science degree in Kinesiology from Penn State University. She then attended Drexel University where she received her Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT). Julianne has attended various continuing education courses including McKenzie treatment for the neck and lower back, Graston, Maitland and is a certified LSVT BIG therapist treating individuals with Parkinson’s and other neurological disorders. In her free time she enjoys running and hanging out with her family and friends. Dr. Julianne Rose, DPT

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The Bounce Back Bulletin The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body “Experience Life To the Fullest” STAND UP TO SCIATICA

Do you experience pain in the buttock, leg, or even your foot? If so, you may be experiencing sciatica. Sciatica is a common form of back and leg pain that is often misunderstood by sufferers. People frequently have questions about what sciatica is, why it occurs and how to find relief from the intense pain it can cause from the low back down to the feet. If you are suffering from sciatica, it is important to find its root cause. Many people often think an x-ray or expensive MRI is first needed to figure out what is causing pain. Having a lot of tests doesn’t mean you will find its root cause. Recent studies show that nearly 1 million of MRIs done for sciatica fail to find a treatable cause. With a new imaging technique called magnetic resonance neurography, 69% of the patients were found to have a trapped sciatic nerve deep in the buttock by a muscle called the piriformis. It is known that in about 25% of the general population, the sciatic nerve pierces through the piriformis muscle and can be susceptible to abnormal pressure and irritation.

Why Does Sciatica Occur? If there are changes in posture, muscle strength orpelvicalignment, thenervecanbecompressed which leads to the quite common low back and sciatic nerve pains. The sciatic nerve is the longest and largest nerve in your body. It even reaches down to the foot and therefore, can be irritated anywhere along its path. With sciatica, the consequent ache can be felt anywhere from the base of the spine, the buttocks or the back of the thigh and legs. Even tingling sensations in the toes can be attributed at times to the impingement of the sciatic nerve.

• We will create a welcoming, safe and judgement free environment. OUR CORE VALUES • We will make it known to the patient through our attitudes and actions that we are 100% invested in serving their needs and that we care deeply for their wellbeing. • We will practice with integrity and make ethical decisions that are in the best interest of the client.

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(484) 582-0660

Seek Physical Therapy First! TREAT NATURAL PAIN WITH A NATURAL TREATMENT Bad Habits Can Increase Your Pain

LSVT (Lee Silverman Voice Training) BIG and PWR! (Parkinson’s wellness recovery) Certified Focus on high amplitude movement and aerobic exercise to slow disease progression and retrain the patient to move better • Train the building blocks of movement into daily tasks • Dual Tasking-incorporating cognitive and motor tasks • Targeted exercise to reduce bradykinesia, rigidity and improve coordination • Your PT will be your coach to teach you how to exercise and move correctly • Exercise optimizes brain health and efficiency! • Parkinson’s is a movement disorder so “use it or lose it”, keep yourself moving so you don’t lose it One-on-One with PT focusing on patient’s goals and impairments Improve quality of life Some seemingly harmless habits can also contribute to the irritation of the sciatic nerve. A frequent bad habit is crossing of the legs for extended periods, which puts pressure on the nerve. In addition, sitting for long periods is bad for your spine. It is possible for you to prevent or relieve sciatica simply by improving your posture. Physical Therapy Relieves Sciatica The specialists at Bounce Back Physical Therapy play a crucial role in evaluating and treating sciatica, as well as other common back problems. Our physical therapists are medical experts with years of training to evaluate your back problem, finding the root cause of your sciatica. An individualized treatment plan is created to guide you through the recovery process and maximize your success. When coming to Bounce Back Physical Therapy, our friendly and knowledgeable therapists spend time with you. We train you on specific and easy exercises that will relieve the pain in your back and legs. In addition, our specialized hands-on therapy helps to gently loosen tight muscles and joints in your spine and legs. Your pain is quickly relieved and your flexibility restored, so you can feel like yourself again. Our cutting-edge treatments are doctor recommended and are specifically designed for you to reach your healthcare goals.

Knowing all this should give you a headstart in warding off painful sciatica. After all, it may be as simple as learning to stand tall. Journalofneurosurgery:SpineFeb,2005Volume2,Number2.AaronG.Filler,M.D.,Ph.D.,JodeanHaynes,B.A.,Sheldon E.Jordan,M.D.,JoshuaPrager,M.D.,J.PabloVillablanca,M.D.,KeyvanFarahani,Ph.D.,DuncanQ.Mcbride,M.D.,Jay S.Tsuruda,M.D.,BrannonMorisoli,B.A.,UlrichBatzdorf,M.D.,andJ.PatrickJohnson,M.D.

VIGOROUS AEROBIC EXERCISE CAN SLOW PROGRESSION OF PARKINSON’S DISEASE

Programs focus on Posture, Weight shifting, Stepping, and Trunk mobility 1. Improve posture-reduce forward trunk lean, stand taller 2. Weight shifting- Improved balance and reduce risk of falls 3. Stepping- Ability to walk faster and reduce shuffling gait and freezing 4. Trunk Mobility-improve bed mobility, functional reaching, and arm swing with gait

Websites:

• www.pwr4life.org • www.lsvtglobal.com

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(484) 582-0660

Who do you know that needs our help?

Do You Have Friends or Family Who Can’t:

� Move without pain � Bend and move freely � Balance confidently and securely

� Sit for long periods comfortably

� Walk for long distances � Live an active and healthy lifestyle

Refer Them To Physical Therapy Have Them Call (484) 582-0660

“Very positive experience. The Bounce Back team was very professional and very positive. They made what could be a difficult process, fun. I actually enjoyed coming in for PT and made good progress. I had trouble with shoulder mobility and now have good mobility and good strength in my shoulder.” - T. H. “[I] nowhave goodmobility and good strength inmy shoulder.” PATIENT SUCCESS STORY

RELIEVE BACK PAIN INMINUTES Try this movement if you are experiencing back pain.

LOWER TRUNK ROTATIONS Lying on your back with your knees bent, gently rock your knees side-to-side. Repeat 8 times on both sides. Loosens Low Back www.simpleset.net

Have YouMet Your Deductible Yet? Have you met your annual insurance deductible? If you have, your therapy may be free. How do you check to see if your deductible has been met? You can call your insurance and ask them or you can call us and we will gladly check your benefits for you.

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Get To Know The Symptoms Of Sciatica 5 WAYS TO TELL IF YOU HAVE SCIATICA

Pain that radiates down the back of your leg, numbness or tingling that extends down to your foot, a quick jolt each time you cough or sneeze—sounds like sciatic nerve pain, right? How do you know for sure that shooting pain is nerve-related and not coming from somewhere else—like your muscles? Here are tips on getting to the root of your agony, once and for all.

4. THERE’S ONE TEST YOU JUST CAN’T PASS. It’s the main test docs use to diagnose sciatica caused by a slipped disc, and it starts with you lying down with your feet stretched out. The examiner then raises your straight leg between 30 and

1. YOU FEEL WEAK IN YOUR KNEES. Well, actually just one knee—and it runs throughout the entire leg. The sciatic nerve—the one that gets pinched and causes sciatica—is the largest single nerve in the entire body, running from the lower spine all the way down to the foot. When that nerve is pinched, its function is disrupted, resulting in all kinds of unwanted sensations, such as pain, weakness, and tingling. And while pain is pretty common (and oftentimes hard to diagnose), pain and weakness in a single leg acts like a red flag for doctors. 2. YOU’RE A WALKER, NOT A RUNNER. There’s a good chance your leg pain is sciatica caused by a herniated disc, not the less-common piriformis syndrome, which mainly affects athletes. The funny thing is that piriformis syndrome presents itself almost exactly like sciatica: pain, tingling, numbness starting in the buttocks and extending down the leg. But instead of a slipped disc causing the issues, your piriformis muscle (found in the butt near the top of your hip joint) is pressing on that touchy nerve. 3. YOU CAN’T TRIGGER YOUR PAIN. Specificity is key. Sometimes the pain you think is sciatica isn’t actually nerve-induced pain at all, but rather, something muscular. So how do you find out? Use your thumb, push around on the muscles in your lower back and see if you can find spots that affect your pain. If you can trigger pain by a push—not a gentle push, you want to exert at least 5 to 10 pounds of pressure—your pain is most likely muscular and the result of a shortened, tightened muscle.

70 degrees. Pain from this test—the kind that radiates down your entire leg, below your knee, and possibly even down to your toes—indicates sciatica. This is because when you stretch the affected leg, you’re also stretching the entire sciatic nerve, and if the nerve root is pinched, you’ll feel it through the stretching movement. 5. YOU’VE GOTTA GO A WHOLE LOT MORE. We’re not talking about getting up a few extra times each night, but rather, totally losing control of your bowel and bladder movements. When paired with the typical sciatica pain, doctors treat this as a “surgical emergency”. It’s extremely rare, but if the spinal column is putting that much pressure on the nerve, it can lead to permanent damage to bowel and bladder function, so be sure to see a doctor immediately. Written by Amber Brenza

TRUNK ROTATION BIG REACH Trunk Rotation (Big Reach and Rotate) Exercisesdesigned byNeil Trickett, Sept 27 2017

•Sit with your hips ‘scooted’ forward on a sturdy chair •Plant your feet on the floor, wide apart Execution: •Stretch one arm out to the side, turning your head to look at your hand •Swing that arm quickly up and across your body, turning your head and body to look at your hand

Reach to front

Reach across

Reach behind

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