Advance Physical & Aquatic Therapy

The Advance Bulletin The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

Staff Spotlight: Cole T. Racich, PT, DPT, OCS Patient Quality of Care Supervisor

Advance Physical & Aquatic Therapy

Congratulations Cole! Cole has been promoted to a new position in our company. He is taking on the role of our... Patient Quality of Care Supervisor. In this role Cole will be managing all of our doctoral of physical therapy students as a clinical education coordinator and in doing so he will make sure that all clinicians and students are delivering same great quality of care across the board.

Favorite conversation I’ve ever had with a person? My daughter explaining how traffic is really just a fun “car parade” Favorite movie of all time? Impossible to answer, but you can never go wrong with Point Break Favorite book of all time? The Adventures of Robin Hood- I buy a different copy in every bookstore I visit Favorite ice cream ever, and from where? Mint Chocolate Chip from The Buccaneer in Avalon, NJ Teacher who changed my life, and why? My grandfather was a career history teacher- although he never taught me he instilled a lifelong desire to never stop learning Perfect day out: what, where, with whom? Taking my daughter on any new adventure where she can play outside The best paid entertainment I’ve ever seen? Seeing Weird Al Yankovich in concert

Favorite color? Kelly Green

Favorite song? Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus

Favorite food I’ve cooked? Fish Tacos

Favorite food from childhood? A slice of pepperoni pizza from Circle Pizza in Avalon, NJ Favorite drink on a hot summer day? Mint iced sun tea made by my grandmom

Favorite drink on a cold winter night? Barry’s Irish Tea

(Continued inside...)

Advance Physical & Aquatic Therapy

The Advance Bulletin The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

Is It Back Pain or Sciatica? Does life ever feel like one large pain in the back? Backpain isdifficult todealwithonadailybasis,yet for so many people, this is a total reality. By certain estimates, as many as 85 percent of adults in the United States struggle with back pain at some point in their lives. The most common type of back pain experienced is in the lower back, and it can happen for any variety of reasons. Being in a car accident can cause you to experience lingering back pain for years after the accident. Accidents at work can lead to similar consequences. But sometimes the cause of your back pain isn’t as straightforward. Back pain canalsodevelop foranynumberofcommon reasons — things thatyoudoeverydaywithout thinking twice. An old desk chair that doesn’t provide much lumbar support can take its toll over time, as can wearing shoes thatdon’thavemuchsupport,orevengaining weight, particularly around the stomach area. Workingwithaphysical therapist is,handsdown, the best thing that you can do when you are looking to overcomebackpain.Aphysical therapistcan identify the cause of the back pain and present you with helpfulstrategies thatcanstrengthenyourbackand reduce theseverityofyourpain.Physical therapy for back pain often includes a combination of targeted massage, flexibility and range of motion training, musclebuilding,and targetedstretching techniques. Using these strategies in combination with anti- inflammatory medication, as recommended by your physician, is often considered the most-efficient approach tohandlingbackpainand is recommended by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. While there is back pain that develops as a result of strain or sprain, there is also something called low back degenerative disc disease, which happens when thediscs inyourspineweaken.This frequently developsasa resultof repetitiveback injuryandcan also develop as a result of age. With degenerative disc disease, the space between the discs begins to collapse and become unstable and will cause back pain to develop. When you work with a physical therapist to overcome back pain as a result of degenerative disc disease, your physical therapist will begin by strengthening core muscle groups, which includes the abdominal wall, and will provide youwith targetedmassageandstretching techniques to alleviate pain. Call us today for more information! Look inside to learn more about our programs and say good-bye to those aches and pains! Find The Answer to Your Pain Questions and Live an Active Life Again

Understanding Back Pain Being educated about your back pain can help you make the right choices to overcome it as quickly as possible. One of the biggest problems with back pain is that it lingers.This leadsmanypeople todeal with back pain for years on end without seemingly any end in sight.

Too many people consider back pain a normal experience of their lives and don’t immediately seek support thatcouldmake thepainan issueof thepast.

advanceaquaticpt.com

Where Is Your Pain Coming From? While some back pain is easy to identify as pain, such as is the case with degenerative disc disease, there are other situations in which the pain may be a bit more complicated to understand. One of the most common back issues experienced in the United States is sciatica pain, and this sort of pain is often a lot more difficult to identify — especially by those who aren’t familiar with the problem. Sciatica pain develops in the nerves that connect the lower back to the legs, and so while the pain itself is generated from the back, a lot of time, the experience of the pain is more largely associated with the upper legs. What’s more, sciatica pain doesn’t always develop like pain in the traditional sense. Sciatica pain instead causes a buildup of tingling, numbness and weakness in the lower back and upper legs, and the pain isn’t consistent either. The sensation will typically run through the leg in waves, causing discomfort at seemingly unpredictable times.

How can you tell the difference between back pain and sciatica pain? The answer is that sciatica pain is characterized by the following factors: • Constant pain is only present in one side of the buttocks or leg • The pain becomes worse when you are sitting • The leg pain develops more as a burning, tingling or searing sensation, and not as a plain ache • There is a sharp pain that occurs at times, making it sometimes difficult to stand or walk • The pain is radiating, shooting down the leg and sometimes even into the feet and toes

If you are experiencing back pain and you haven’t talked to a medical professional about the concern, then now is the time to take action. Working with a physical therapist can cut your time struggling with back pain literally in half. For more information about overcoming back pain, contact us. Call us today to learn more about our how to relieve your pain from back pain or sciatica. Source: https://www.spine-health.com/conditions/ sciatica/what-you-need-know-about-sciatica

Staff Spotlight: Cole T. Racich, PT, DPT, OCS Patient Quality of Care Supervisor

Try this movement if you are experiencing pain Exercise Essential

Favorite hobby activity that makes me get lost for hours? Surfing Most rewarding time I’ve ever spent volunteering?

Helps Relieve Back Pain

THORACIC EXTENSION KNEELING PUSH UPS

We used to spend Saturday’s providing food and clothing to the homeless in Philly through our church, but the reward (and best gift you can give) is having a solid conversation with someone in need and giving the gift of respect. My greatest skill (past or current)? Handstands The best advice I’ve ever been given? Start each day by making your bed The best birthday I ever had and why? In 2008 my uncle got me and my mom tickets to Game 5 of the Phillies’ World Series Championship three days before my birthday The coolest natural wonder I’ve ever seen? Snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef while living in Australia The one item I would take to the desert island? A surfboard. I’ll be good, no need to rescue me The most fun road trip I’ve ever taken, where and with whom? My wife and I spent three days driving between Umbria and Tuscany in Italy visiting different hill towns and wineries

Kneel on knees with buttock touching heels. Hands and forearms on the ground in front of you. Push up to lift your chest and upper back only.

www.simpleset.net

advanceaquaticpt.com

WE ARE HOSTING A NUTRITIONSEMINAR Without proper nutrition, the body can have a difficult time supporting your lifestyle, managing pain and even inhibit healing. Join Janelle Lacey, RD, LDN for a discussion on the principles of nutrition and tips on how to make your food work for you. This will be the first session of our monthly health empowerment program and you won’t want to miss it.

Say no to diets in 2019 and beyond. Say yes to real, lasting change that enables you to live freely. We’ll meet in the clinic at 10am on February 2– Hope to see you there! Please call: 610-544-8500 or email: [email protected] to register. We only have 20 spots available for this event so please reserve your spot ASAP!

How toApproach a NewYear’s Resolution

Focus on Process, Not Results. Don’t focus on a result, with no identification of a process for how to get there. Intensely focusing on results paradoxically makes us less likely to achieve them. Instead of focusing on “losing 10 pounds,” try focusing on going for walks or eating healthy salads for lunch — you will probably end up losing some weight in the process. And you’ll probably enjoy the journey a lot more. The focus of our resolution should be the process — the infinite present moments in which transformation will occur — rather than the single instance of its attainment.

Consider Resolution Alternatives. If the pressure of New Year’s Resolutions is too much, consider a few alternative ways to set your intentions for the upcoming year: Make a Vision Board: A vision board compiles images that represent what you want for yourself in the upcoming year. It’s a great way to have a visual reminder of your intentions. Choose a Word of the Year: Many people have embraced the trend of choosing a word for the year — like breathe, trust, dance, fly — that encapsulates the feelings, attitudes, and

behaviors they desire in the year ahead.This word can guide your choices and actions — instead of setting firm expectations for yourself, you can ask if a particular behavior aligns with your word and your intentions. Ultimately, New Year’s Resolutions are about growth and improvement. They are about bringing health and joy and ease into our lives. With mindfulness we can bring awareness to our habits and hold ourselves with compassion and kindness as we seek meaningful transformation.