Next Step_Sports Injuries & Post Surgical Rehab

Exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. For many people, playing sports is a fun way to burn extra calories, socialize, and get fit. Unfortunately, this also means the occasional sports injury or a flare up of an old injury or condition.

DON’T WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR

December and the Holidays are in full swing. Everyone’s so busy - no time to do anything out of the ordinary. Making health changes? Why don’t we wait until the New Year. HOW ABOUT WE DON’T! You can make health changes anytime you want...even during the most busiest time of the year. That’s why I’m leading by example and making some healthy food changes right now (actually I started in November but it was still in the holiday season). I wanted to eat a little better, try to get a little more energy and eat foods that would help keep me healthy. I’m a practical person so I didn’t want to make huge changes that would be a lot of work. Biggest bang for your buck is what I was interested in. I did a little research to find some of the healthiest foods or drinks. I wanted stuff that was nutrient dense - meaning lots of good stuff crammed into it. I found one fruit one vegetable and one drink that I decided to add to my diet almost every day. Consistency is important so if you want to make a significant change you have to do it often. Here’s what I found and here’s how I worked it into my diet. Blueberries! Berries are huge sources of antioxidants - which help keep you healthy by protecting cells from damaging products called free radicals. I have a protein shake every morning so I added two small handfuls of blueberries each morning into my shake. Easy and tasty - one healthy choice added no problem. Kale! Kale might be the most nutrient dense and healthy green on the planet. Maybe spinach - but spinach can block absorption of calcium so I went with Kale. Just so you know I like spinach. Would prefer it by far over kale -

• Relieve Knee Pain In Minutes • Patient Success Spotlight www.nextsteppt.com Moral of the story: 1.) Whenever you feel like making a change - don’t wait. Do it while you’re still motivated to do it. 2.) Small changes can make significant impacts in your life - even just one - it doesn’t have to be three like I did. but I feel kale is a little better for me so I went for it. I take raw kale and pull it off the stem and eat one small plate full of it every night either with dinner (in addition to my dinner veggies) or after dinner. Full disclosure: raw kale tastes like grass to me. It’s not terrible, but it’s not good either. However - for the best veggie on the planet I can choke it down with a smile every time. For my third healthy change I decided to go with green tea. Lots of great stuff in green tea (look it up). I wanted to go de-caf green tea but after a little research I found out that the de-caf process also takes a lot of the good stuff out of it as well - so I went with the regular version. I have 1-2 cups of green tea at night after dinner (after my kale). Does all of this sound crazy - yeah maybe - or maybe I’m onto something. Small changes that can make big differences. In all honesty I have to say I do feel good physically with my changes that I’ve made. Is it real or is it imagined? Who cares I feel good!

INSIDE : • How to Avoid Surgery After a Sports Injury • Don’t Let pain Sideline You

NEWSLETTER The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

HOW TO AVOID SURGERY AFTER A SPORTS INJURY

Exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. For many people, playing sports is a fun way to burn extra calories, socialize, and get fit. Unfortunately, this also means the occasional sports injury or a flare up of an old injury or condition. You don’t have to be a professional or even an amateur athlete to suffer a sports injury. In fact, many times, those most susceptible to sports injuries are people who have just started exercising or participate on a recreational level. Sports injuries in this article will be defined as injuries to the musculoskeletal system, including muscles, bonesand tissuessuchascartilage.Themostcommon sports injuries include: SPRAINS: A sprain occurs when the connective tissue that joins the end of the bone with another is stretched or torn. Those connective tissues are known as ligaments. Sprains are caused by trauma such as a fall or blow to the body that knocks a joint out of position. Ankles, knees and wrists are most vulnerable to sprains. However, back, neck and shoulder sprains are very common too. STRAINS: A strain occurs when a muscle or tendon is pulled, torn or twisted. Strains are non-contact injuries, such as those that occur from overstretching. A common example of a strain is a muscle spasm. A back or neck strain is a very common injury treated in physical therapy. KNEE INJURIES: According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the knee is the most

commonly injured joint. Orthopedic surgeons see more than 5.5 million people annually for knee injuries, which can include runner’s knee (pain or tenderness close to the knee cap at the front side of the knee), tendonitis and iliotibial band syndrome (pain on the outer side of the knee). Severe knee injuries often include bone bruises or damage to the cartilage or ligaments. SHIN SPLINTS: Shin splints occur when there is a pain along the large bone in the front of the lower leg, known as the tibia or shin bone. Shin splints most commonly occur in runners, especially those who are just starting a running program. This is usually due to poor alignment of the body, or weakness in the leg muscles. The team at Next Step Physical Therapy can treat many orthopedic and repetitive motion injuries without the need for invasive surgeries or medications. In fact, most doctors have their patients try physical therapy first before recommending any other procedures. The licensed physical therapists and physical therapist assistants at Next Step physical therapy can customize a program that addresses the weakness of your particular musculoskeletal system, allowing you to recover quickly and remain active. Even if you have an old injury, it is important to have it evaluated by our physical therapists to prevent long-term damage like arthritis. If you have sports or orthopedic injuries like tendonitis, arthritis, a stress fracture or low back pain, our therapists can design a treatment plan to promote improved function, wellness and minimize the risk of re-injury.

SERVICES & THERAPIES :

• Wrist / Hand Pain • Wellness / Balance Problems • Ankle / Foot Pain

• Knee Pain • Sports Injuries • Shoulder Pain

• Physical Therapy • Low Back Pain • Neck Pain

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There is nothing more exciting than taking on a new challenge, sport or activity. For most of us, the thrill of accomplishing a physical goal is what we live for. However, are you prepared for it? The term “weekend warrior” means a person who doesn’t really train for what they are doing; they just go out and do it on the weekend. How do most injuries occur? Most sports injuries occur from ill-prepared individuals who just jump into the activity without first increasing their strength, endurance and flexibility. Your muscles, tendons, ligaments and other tissues need to be warmed up to work properly. They take enormous strain during running and sports activities. Therefore, if they are not in top condition, they are more prone to injury. Injuries increase as you age… If you think back to when you were in your late teens, you could go into a full sprint no problem, take a flying leap and do a whole lot without the slightest thought about it. As you get older, your tissues become less elastic and in fact a little “drier.” When your muscle, tendon and ligament tissues have enough water, they are supple and stretchy, allowing you to do a lot of activities. Keep yourself hydrated and stretch often to maintain elasticity in your muscles. DON’ T LET PAIN SIDELINE YOU

Before and after Knowing the right exercises to prepare for fitness activities is key. Our physical therapy experts have years of experience rehabilitating people after injuries and returning them pain-free to the activities they enjoy. What some people might not know is that physical therapists put specific exercise plans together based on your needs to prevent injury. If you do start to experience pain with activities, Next Step PHYSICAL THERAPY can get you back to enjoying your activities pain- free. Call today to learn more how our programs can help you feel great! Preparing your body… It is important to do sports activities, fitness and a host of other physical activities to keep you healthy and happy. With a little bit of preparation, you can easily do these activities and decrease

your risk for injury. • Do stretch often • Do strength training • Do coordination training • Do endurance training

Give Next Step Physical Therapy a call at (516) 681-8070. We can help you say goodbye to your aches and pains, today!

Relieve Knee Pain In Minutes Try this simple exercise to keep you moving

SlowCooker Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

QUAD SET While lying or sitting with a small towel rolled under your ankle, tighten your top thigh muscle to press the back of your knee downward towards the ground. Helps With Knee Pain

• 3 tbsp maple syrup • 1 tsp vanilla • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice • 1/2 tsp cinnamon • 1/4 tsp salt

INGREDIENTS • cooking spray, butter or coconut oil • 1 cup steel-cut oats • 2½ cups water • 1½ cups unsweetened almond milk • 1 cup pumpkin

INSTRUCTIONS Coat your slow cooker with cooking spray, butter or coconut oil. Add all the ingredients into slow cooker and mix well. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. If you have a programmable slow cooker, set it to cook on low for 7 hours and then switch to warm. In the morning, give the oats a good stir as the oats will settle to the bottom. Portion into a bowl to serve and top with pecans, maple syrup and almond milk. Source: https://www.eatingbirdfood.com/slow-cooker-pumpkin-pie-oatmeal

CALL TODAY! (516) 681-8070

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Patient Success Spotlight

“I would recommend everyone to come to Next Step PT.” “I came to Chris for PTafter I got my ACL repair surgery. Everyone at Next Step Physical Therapy was great and friendly. Chris was great at understanding my injury and what exercises I needed to return to full strength and all the sports activities I did before the surgery. When I came back from surgery I couldn’t even move my leg but within 2 weeks, Chris had me walking without my brace or any aid of others. Now that I’m fully recovered I have more strength and range than my friend who went through the same procedure eight months before me. I would recommend everyone to come to Next Step PT.” -P.K.

Here we are in December. Hope everyone is finding some time to enjoy the season. We’ve been keeping busy.Thanks to everyone who came out for our celebration of National PTmonth in November. We saw way more people than we had thought so we really appreciate that and we gave out a ton of free check-ups to all of our past patients. We’re setting our calendar for the new year and have some exciting news on the horizon with some local organizations we plan on working with in the near future. From all of us at Next Step Physical Therapy - we wish you and your family a very happy and healthy holiday season. Talk to you next year!!! Chris Ostling

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