Accelerate Therapy. Relieve Shoulder, Elbow, & Wrist Pain

Health + Fitness N E W S L E T T E R

DISCOVER SHOULDER PAIN RELIEF A L S O I N S I D E Is Physical Therapy Right For You? • What Our Patients Are Saying Exercise Essentials • Healthy Recipe • Staff Spotlight B Y S T R E N G T H E N I N G Y O U R R O TAT O R C U F F

Health + Fitness Newsletter

DISCOVER SHOULDER PAIN RELIEF B Y S T R E N G T H E N I N G Y O U R R O TAT O R C U F F

It’s time to say goodbye to shoulder, elbow and wrist pain once and for all. Identifying the cause of your pain and taking steps to combat ill habits that may be contributing to your discomfort can have a significant impact on your quality of life. Wave goodbye to pain in your hands, wrists, elbows and shoulders with targeted techniques from your experienced physical therapists. WHAT IS CAUSING THE PAIN? Think about the tasks that make up the majority of your day-to-day life. It is oftensaidthat life inthe21stcentury iswayeasieron thebody than lifeduring any other time in human history — and it’s true that there is a fair amount of evidence to support this idea. Rather than spending all of your days working in a factory or on a farm, the vast majority of Americans work indoors, often at a computer for a predetermined number of hours week after week. But this new lifestyle isn’t exactly harmless for the body, either. There are plenty of ways in which the common tasks of 21st-century life put thebodyunderagreatdealofstress.Sedentary lifestyles frequentlycontribute to weight gain, which increases your risk for a long list of obesity-related diseases. This puts additional stress on your body, which could result in pain in crucial joints like your shoulders, elbows and yes, even your wrists. But even aside from that, there are a lot of potential issues that your body can face as a result of sedentary behavior in the workplace — including shoulder, elbow and wrist pain.

Shoulder, elbow and wrist injuries are especially common as a result of workplace injury and overuse. While it is sometimes possible to take action to prevent an injury from developing, it is especially important to be able to recognizewhenan injurydevelopsandtounderstandwaysthatyoucancombat that injuryby identifyingwhatmayhavecaused thepain todevelop in thefirst place.Common issues thatcan lead toshoulder,wristandelbowpain include:

• Athletic injuries • Muscle sprain • Muscle strain • Dislocationorhyperextensionof the joints

• Issues with poor posture • Carpal tunnel syndrome, which can develop from overuse of thewristandregular,repetitive motions, such as typing • Heavy lifting

GETTING A HANDLE ON WRIST, ELBOW AND SHOULDER PAIN One of the biggest concerns regarding pain in the shoulder, elbow and wrist is that it isdifficult to impossible toactuallyallow thesepartsof thebody time to rest. Every movement and action requires these body parts — and when the pain develops in both arms, as it often does, treating the pain becomes even more complicated. It is impossible to care for your basic needs without involving your shoulder or wrist, let alone get through a day at the office. This iswhysomany issuesregardingpain in theshoulder,elbowsandwrists typically become chronic. Since it is difficult to allow these body parts time to properlyrest, theycontinuebeingoverusedand thepaincanactuallyworsen.

www.accelerate-pt.com

T R E AT I N G S H O U L D E R , E L B OW , & WR I S T P A I N

Addressing the pain early on is the best way to prevent an issue from becoming chronic. Turning to medication and braces for pain management is not a long-term solution and will only push off the inevitable truth — that you need to find a solution for the problem that is causing you pain. Physical therapy is the ideal tool for support in this regard. Working with a physical therapist will provide you with an opportunity to understand what movements may be causing further discomfort, and can help you to strengthen thesurroundingmuscleswhile improvingrangeofmotion,which together will likely alleviate some of the pain associated with your injury. Don’t assume that pain in your shoulder, elbows or wrists will go away on its own. It is more common for the pain to worsen, and compensating for the pain by overusing the opposite arm can cause further injury to develop.

For support with learning how to manage the pain, and to learn exercises and techniques that can help you overcome the injury and restore proper strength and functionality to your shoulders, elbows and wrists, contact your physical therapist. Call your physical therapist at Accelerate Therapy & Performance to see how physical therapy can benefit you!

S TA F F S P O T L I G H T DR. DELAINE FOWLER Dr. Fowler and her family have had a busy 2019. She and her husband welcomed their third boy, Whitt, into their family in early February. Whitt has addedanother layerof funand joy to their lives. With threeboys,shedoesa lot of “boy stuff”. She thinks she is pretty close to being a Lego “Master Builder”. She continues to train for triathlons to stay fit and travel with her family. Currently she is studying Functional Movement Screening and Elemental Movements to continue sharpening her PT skills. This year Dr. Fowler continues to speak to as many people and groups as possible on how physical therapy, done right, helps people get out of pain and back to doing what they want and love to do. She has also continued to expand Accelerate’s Corporate Injury Prevention program. This program is now in five different states with nationally-recognized companies as well as several local companies in Rowan County. She is excited to help more people understand they can live their best lives when their bodies move better.

S E P T E MB E R B I R T H D AY B A S H ! LET’S CELEBRATE!

It is Dr. Delaine Fowler’s 40th Birthday this month! It is also the Salisbury office’s 11th Birthday and The Lexington office’s 3rd Birthday! We want to use this as an opportunity to celebrate all month with our patients. Thank you so much for being with us on this journey! For Delaine’s 40th Birthday, we are giving away 40 FREE physical therapy screens in the month of September. This is for you if you experience pain that inhibits your sleep, limits your function or prevents you from doing the things you love. To claim your FREE screen, call 704.630.9656 for the Salisbury office or 336.313.2411 for the Lexington office. We are also giving away Birthday cake and Massage gift certificates to celebrate! Visit us and register at the front desk after your screen!

C O M M U N I T Y H E A L T H F A I R SATURDAY, OCT. 19

H E A L T H Y R E C I P E COCONUT CARAMEL POPCORN

UPCOMING EVENTS

INGREDIENTS • 1/3 cup French vanilla Coconut Creamer • 1/2 cup unpopped kernels • 1/2 cup vegan butter • 3 Tbsp agave nectar, amber

• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar • 1/2 tbsp cinnamon • 1/4 tsp salt • 1/4 cup dried coconut flakes, unsweetened, toasted • 1 tsp vanilla

SERV I CE SPOTL I GHT Dry Needling is a technique using thin filiform needles to penetrate the skin and/or underlying tissues to affect and stimulate pain relief and impairments (Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy, May 2015). Physiologically, Dry Needling helps improve blood flow, decrease muscle banding, creates biochemical changes, and improves central nervous system conductivity. Dry Needling is ideal for back, neck, shoulder, elbow, hip, knee and ankle pain and dysfunction, reducing pain, improving range of motion, and restoring function. KNEE PAIN WORKSHOP TUESDAY, OCT. 22 6 pm at the Salisbury Location WEDNESDAY, OCT. 23 6 pm at the Lexington Location One of the mo t benefic al types of passive treat e t we offer at our physical therapy clinic is massage therapy. Therapeutic massag involv s a wide range of xplicit manual echniques delivered by your p ysical therapist’s hands that can be used to targ t specific ti sues in your b y, like muscl s, joints, etc. Anyone of any age can enefit from massage therapy. If you’re suffering f om condi ions ranging from back a d neck pain, fi romyalgia, arthritis, migraines, or other ailment, call your physical therapist to see how therapeutic massage can help you! SHOULDER PAIN WORKSHOP THURSDAY, SEPT. 12 6 pm at the Lexington Location THURSDAY, SEPT. 26 6 pm at the Salisbury Location

INSTRUCTIONS Pop favorite popcorn from yellow corn kernels over stove top or use favorite microwave popcorn brand. Spread on baking sheet and set aside. In a saucepan, melt vegan spread and stir in the agave, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt until dissolved. Take the pan off the heat and slowly whisk in the creamer until well combined. Return to heat, and continue to whisk for 10 minutes or until sauce reaches an amber color and thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in coconut flakes and vanilla. Let cool slightly beforedrizzlingoverpopcorn.Drizzlemixtureoverpopcornandblend inwithaspatula.Serve immediately. *This recipe issharedcourtesyofSoDeliciousDairyFree.

E X E R C I S E E S S E N T I A L S RELIEVE SHOULDER PAIN IN MINUTES! Shoulder Flexion

Liedownonyourbackonaflatsurfacewithyour armsup.Loweryourarmsouttothesides,keeping yourcore tight.Repeat6-10timesthroughout the day to relieve shoulder pain.

Exercisescopyrightof

Alwaysconsult yourphysical therapistorphysicianbeforestarting exercises youareunsureofdoing.