Advance Physical Therapy August 2018

THE MONTHLY ADVANCE

9362 W. Overland Rd., Boise, Idaho 83709 August 2018

as a necessity. After I made this foolish mistake, I went from having a poison ivy rash to a sunburn in no time. I’m happy to report, though, that everything else ran smoothly for the remainder of the summer. Even though I was never going to end up as a park ranger, I learned a lot during that summer. For example, you can bet I never step foot in the woods without checking for poison ivy. The job also taught me to be humble and practice self-discipline. When you’re working in the wilderness, you don’t have a manager over your shoulder keeping you honest; it’s on you to do the work and do it well. In a sense, being on a trail crew isn’t all that different from being on a football team. When one person tries to cut corners, it affects everyone else negatively. Most of all, I learned the value of a job well done. My father always told me about the “dignity of labor,” — that no matter what you were doing, it was always more rewarding to give your all. I understood what he meant, but I never really felt it until that summer with the trail crew. It’s stuck with me ever since. Oh, and I also learned that going to college was a good idea and that there were harder things in life than chemistry class. After all, two hours in a classroom is nothing compared to eight hours hammering railroad ties. —Al Jones PT, OCS, Cert. MDT I never step foot in the woods without checking for poison ivy.” “Even though I was never going to end up as a park ranger, I learned a lot during that summer. For example, you can bet

THE DIGNITY OF LABOR LESSONS FROM THE TRAIL CREW

Unbeknownst to me, I was sitting near poison ivy for the entire meeting! It didn’t show up until the next day, but when it reared its ugly head, it was everywhere. Not only did I have to get used to a new job I’d never done before, but I had to do it while I was in a state of permanent itchiness. Luckily, my roommate at the time, a fellow football player, knew a trick for clearing out the rash quickly. Even better, the trick required going to the beach. Apparently, ocean water helps heal poison ivy. So after our second or third day on the crew, we hit the beach after work. I’ll tell you, that saltwater made a huge difference. A few days later, I was poison ivy- free and ready to never smell calamine lotion again. After this misadventure came a trial by fire — or rather, a trial by sunshine. We were often working in a canyon, with the sun relentlessly bearing down on us. As you might guess, a bunch of us college football players thought we were used to being outdoors in the summer and didn’t regard heavy-duty sunscreen

Like many college students, I spent my summers doing whatever odd jobs I could find at Cal Lutheran. Because I was a member of the football team, I needed to be on campus for summer workouts. There weren’t a wealth of jobs in the area, but luckily our coaching staff had a few connections who would provide jobs to players. Between my junior and senior year, I had the most memorable of those jobs; I spent a summer working on the trail crew for Wildwood Regional Park in Thousand Oaks, CA. Our duty was mainly to carve out a path through the wilderness. That involved clearing brush, pounding railroad into rocky hills, and all manner of grueling, physical labor. I was comfortable with the nature of the work, but I was an utter trail novice at the time. My inexperience led to a hilarious mishap during my first day on the job. There were eight of us on the crew, and we were all gathered on the trail for a meeting with the head of the local parks and recreation department.

Advance: To move forward; to make progress; to move ahead.

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THE BENEFITS OF OPEN-SKILL SPORTS Want to Improve Brain Health? Grab a Sword!

Open-skill sports require players to respond to unpredictable circumstances in unpredictable ways. Fencing is a great open-skill sport because, while you have to learn the right way to hold the saber and move your body, you also have to think on your feet and react quickly to your opponent’s attacks. Researchers from the Foro Italico University of Rome believe that it’s the required adaptability that makes open-skill sports so good for your brain. You challenge your body with complex motor movements and your mind with fast decisions. In the study from PSE, the researchers reported that “the open-skill athletes used less brainpower to do the same thing than the closed-skill exercisers did.” WHAT’S THE BEST OPEN-SKILL SPORT? If fencing isn’t your thing, there are plenty of other great open-skill sports, including tennis, badminton, basketball, and racquetball. What are you waiting for? Swing by your local rec center and find out what open-skill sport will be your new favorite pastime!

Did you know fencing is making a comeback? No longer just for heartsick gentlemen of the Regency era, fencing is increasingly being taught in public schools, displayed in the pages of popular indie comics, and practiced among seniors. Plenty of baby boomers are picking up swords, or “sabers” — and it’s not because they’re preparing to fight dragons. Exercise is important no matter your age, but some activities are more beneficial than others. Research published in the journal Psychology of Sport and Exercise (PSE) suggests activities defined as “open-skill sports,” like fencing, can do more to improve brain health than “closed-skill sports.” OPEN OR CLOSED? The difference between an open-skill sport and a closed-skill sport lies in the dynamic nature of the activity. Going for a jog is great for your heart health, but your body is doing the same thing during the entire workout. This makes it a closed- skill sport. The same goes for swimming; you might have different strokes to choose from when you jump in the pool, but your brain is focused on repeating the action while doing your laps.

SERVICE HIGHLIGHT HIP YOURSELF TO RELIEF Physical Therapy for Hip Pain

hurry. Physical therapy can put you back in action. If you’re suffering from hip pain, give Advance Physical Therapy a call today.

hip femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). Pain on the side of the hip is usually the result of bursitis or tendonitis. In severe cases, we’ve even seen patients who are unaware they are suffering from a labral tear. In the event of a major tear, surgery may be required to correct the problem, but physical therapy on its own is effective for all but the most major hip injuries. At Advance Physical Therapy, we individualize each treatment plan based on the needs of the patient. That said, you can expect flexibility and range of motion exercises to be part of your treatment program. We will also focus on teaching sound body mechanics so that you minimize the risk of a repeat injury. As proper hip movement is essential to basic functional activities like walking, running, sitting, and standing, hip pain can slow your roll in a

Talk to anybody who suffers from hip pain and they’ll tell you that it can be extremely debilitating. You may not think your hips are as crucial to mobility as your arms and shoulders or as central to bearing weight as your back, but they are essential for body mechanics. In addition to being the meeting place for your femur and pelvis, your hip is home to many ligaments and muscles. Pain in your hip can affect your daily life, keep you from your favorite hobbies, and hamper your quality of life. Luckily, physical therapy can prove very useful in treating hip issues. Because hip pain can come from a variety of sources, it’s important to precisely diagnose the cause of your discomfort. Usually, we begin by conducting a simple test to pinpoint the location of your pain. Often, pain felt in the back of your hips is the result of a lower back issue. Pain on the front of the hip may result from arthritis or a

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3 INJURY RECOVERY STORIES

That Prove the Power of PT

injuries that severely limited his playing time from 1999 through 2001. However, he was back to his unstoppable best by the 2002 World Cup, leading Brazil to the title with an astonishing eight goals during the tournament, all while sporting one of the worst haircuts of all time. Seriously, look below and tell us that’s not one atrocious hairdo.

a full recovery in an astonishing 10 months. Oh, and he would also rush for over 2,000 yards that year. BUSTER POSEY After bursting onto the scene and winning NL Rookie of the Year in 2010, Buster Posey suffered a gruesome injury early in 2012. During a collision at home plate, Posey fractured his fibula and tore ligaments in his ankle. How did he fare in 2013? He won the batting title, hitting a monstrous 0.346. Since then, he’s continued to be one of baseball’s premier catchers. RONALDO We had to include a soccer player in honor of the recently completed World Cup, and there’s no better example than Ronaldo — the Brazilian Ronaldo, not Cristiano. As one of the greatest strikers of his time, Ronaldo’s dominance was stalled by a series of knee

Playing sports comes with the threat of injury, whether you’re a professional athlete or rec- league regular. As sports science has advanced over the decades, so has the ability for athletes to fully recover from serious injuries. While the procedures and techniques used to get star players back on the field are constantly evolving, physical therapy is always integral to the recovery process. Here are a few famous cases where athletes returned to the field as good, if not better, than when they left it. ADRIAN PETERSON A combination ACL/MCL tear is a diagnosis that nobody wants to hear, especially not a running back who relies on their explosive lateral movement. That’s exactly what happened to All-Pro Adrian Peterson at the end of the 2011 season. In the past, rehabilitating an injury that severe would’ve taken at least a full year. With modern advances, however, Peterson was back on the field for the first game of 2012, making

Wisdom FROM HARRY

GRILLED LEG OF LAMB

I tried to be my friendly, doodle-like self, but after dragging her by her leash about 25 yards in the snow one winter day, she started to purposely avoid me. For the past year since her owner passed away, we have become closer. I can sense her sadness and loneliness, and I am playful with her, but much more gentle. I can tell she appreciates it, and she has warmed up to me. Sometimes we share the same couch together. So I guess if there is any wisdom to gain here, it would be this: Differences that cause discord can be disposed in time.

We have another dog in our family who we inherited from my owner’s mother, who passed away last October. The dog’s name is Malibu. Yeah, it’s true. She was shipped by air to Michelle’s mom, unordered, from one of Michelle’s sisters in California. The sister thought that a lady of 70-something years, with end- stage lung disease and who was on oxygen 24/7, needed a hyper-active, constantly barking, previously abused little American Eskimo dog to keep her company. Malibu and I did not get along very well in the beginning. My brand of friendship with other dogs is intensely playful, exuberant, and, I’ll admit, rough. So she was hyperactive, and I was playfully rough. That would be okay, I guess, except that she weighed about 25 pounds, and at that time, I was a svelte 50–60 pounds.

Ingredients

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1 4–5-pound boneless leg of lamb, not butterflied

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2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced

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1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

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Salt and pepper, to taste

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8 cloves garlic, smashed and coarsely chopped

Directions

3. Heat grill to medium-high. Season lamb with salt and pepper and grill until lamb reaches an internal temperature of 130 F (medium rare). Cook time will vary depending on size of lamb pieces. 4. Let lamb rest, covered with tin foil, for 15 minutes. Slice thinly and serve.

1. On a large cutting board, cut between the muscles on the leg of lamb to divide into 4 pieces, pulling apart with your fingers if need be. 2. In a mixing bowl, combine

olive oil, garlic, and rosemary. Add lamb and toss to coat. Marinate for 4 hours at room temperature.

—Harry

Inspired by Food &Wine magazine.

www.aptorthosports.com • 3

Advance: To move forward; to make progress; to move ahead.

ATTENTION BACK PAIN & SCIATICA SUFFERERS!

Have you experienced back pain in the last 30 days? Are you dealing with sciatica?

Do you think there’s nothing you can do to alleviate your back pain? Have you tried medications, injections, or surgery and still found no relief? Do you skip family activities because you’re worried about pain?

If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, then you need to know about the upcoming FREE Back Pain & Sciatica Workshop at Advance Physical Therapy.

At this event, you will learn:

• The biggest mistake made by those suffering from back pain and sciatica

• The three most common causes of lower back pain, including the sneaky cause that doesn’t usually show up on MRIs

• The top three strategies for

eliminating back pain for good

For details about the event and information on how to register, please see other side.

ADVANCE PHYSICAL THERAPY’S FREE BACK PAIN & SCIATICA WORKSHOP

WHEN Saturday, August 18th, at 10am WHERE Advance Physical Therapy 9362 W. Overland Rd. Boise, Idaho 83709

Space is limited and spots will go fast. If you’d like to register:

Go to advpt.ptworkshops.com OR call 208.672.8144

Back pain and sciatica can be debilitating, but there’s always a way forward. You deserve to live pain-free. Sign up for the FREE workshop to learn how.

9362 W. Overland Rd. Boise, ID 83709 www.aptorthosports.com (208) 672-8144

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INSIDE This Issue

Game Night Goes (Really) Retro My Most Memorable Summer Job Page 1 Fence Your Way to Better Brain Health PT Tips for Your Hips Page 2 From Injured to All-Star Grilled Leg of Lamb Page 3 Have You Played the Oldest Games in the World? Page 4 THE OLDEST GAMES YOU CAN PLAY TODAY

GO Originating in China around the 5th century B.C., Go — or “weiqi,” as it’s called in China — focuses on the virtues of balance, discipline, and focus.Two players go head-to-head, placing their pieces on the board to claim as much territory as possible while simultaneously capturing their opponent’s pieces. Go is likely the oldest board game still being played today, with an estimated 40 million players worldwide.Though the rules are simple, the strategies take a lifetime to master. These are a just a few games that people have been playing around the world for centuries. If you’re ready to add something new to family game night, try something old instead!

board, and evil vices, represented by snakes, would drag pieces back down.The phrase “Back to square one” is believed to have originated from this game. Snakes and Ladders made its way to England before being brought over to the United States, where it was introduced as “Chutes and Ladders” by none other than Milton Bradley in 1943. BACKGAMMON A blend of luck and strategy, backgammon originated in the Middle East around 5,000 years ago. Possibly an evolution of the ancient Mesopotamian game, the Royal Game of Ur, backgammon has players take turns rolling the dice to move their pieces off the board while trying to outsmart their opponent. Backgammon grew in popularity, spreading from the Middle East to the rest of the ancient world, and is still played by many today.

People love to play games.When you play Angry Birds while waiting in line at the grocery store, you are actually participating in a long history of gaming that dates back to the earliest civilizations. Through the discovery of ancient game boards, archaeologists learned that the ancient Egyptians played a game called Senet in 3500 B.C.The rules were lost to time, but fortunately, there are plenty of other ancient games we still have the rules for! SNAKES AND LADDERS Sometime during the 2nd century A.D., people in India started playing a board game associated with aspects of traditional Hindu philosophy — namely, the contrast between karma (destiny) and kama (desire).A dice was rolled to navigate a game board where good virtues, represented by

ladders, allowed players to move up on the

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