Advantage: Staying Active & Becoming Better Balanced

The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body Patient Connection “Is Pain Stopping You From Living A Healthy Lifestyle?” STAYING ACTIVE & BECOMING BETTER BALANCED

Here’s a simple test for you: Can you close your eyes and stand steady on one leg for 10 seconds? If not, then your balance is not up to par. Your ability to balance is an incredibly complex action that requires millions of nerves and hundreds of muscles to work together to help you move and stop you from falling over on your face. Many people think having poor balance happens in just older people. However, poor balance is one of the leading causes for sports injuries, chronic back pain and much more. Having poor balance often goes undetected until it is very severe and puts one at exceptional risk for injury. It is even worse for older adults, especially

over age 65, of which one third fall each year. People who experience a fall are at increased risk for future falls too. Major injuries, including fractures, head trauma, and soft tissue injuries, occur in about 10% of individual falls. However, minor injuries are much more common. Balance and walking progressively decline as you age. There can be fears of going up steps or curbs, walking on grass or walking in dark areas of your house. One reason is joint stiffness and weakness in muscles of the hips, lower extremities and feet. When there is a loss of the mobility in the ankle joint and multiple joints of the foot, you cannot adapt well to uneven terrain.

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Do You Know You Have More Than 5 Senses?

IMPROVE BALANCE & INCREASE ACTIVITY

Proprioception is your ability to sense the position of all your joints. With a lessened sense of proprioception, a person has to look directly at the limb they are moving in order to perceive its desired movement; something they used to do without even thinking about it. The good news is, that like any other activity, proprioception can be re-learned with physical therapy. There is a lot that can be done to improve your balance. The key is physical therapy. With hands on therapy to improve your joint mobility and simple strengthening and balance exercises taught to you, you can improve your balance, walking and feel like your normal self. Gait and balance programs at Advantage Therapy are ideal to improve your balance,

increase your walking stamina, improve your movement and get you back to living life at your maximum potential. Ask your doctor today about coming to Advantage Therapy and becoming better balanced.

Eating Right Never Tasted So Good!

9 INGREDIENTS • 1/4 cup olive or canola oil • 2 tablespoons lemon juice • 2 tablespoons honey • 1/4 teaspoon of salt • 1 1/2 cups Fat Free Vanilla Yogurt • 10 medium carrots, shredded • 1/2 cup dried cranberries • 1 small red onion, chopped • 1/2 cup chopped almonds

CARROT SALAD

DIRECTIONS In a small bowl, combine oil, lemon juice, honey, salt, and yogurt. Whisk until well blended. In medium size mixing bowl, toss carrots, cranberries, red onion, and almonds. Pour yogurt mixture over carrots and toss. Place salad into a serving bowl and serve.

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Think Advantage FIRST

You Need To Check-Up On Your Body For Several Reasons: • 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

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Always Accepting New Patients!

4 CONVENIENT LOCATIONS

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Health & Wellness Tips

The #1 cause of household fatalities in children is poisoning. Keep medicines, cleaners, and chemicals out of the reach of children. Consider a locking cabinet to ensure children cannot access them. Be sure to store detergent pods in a place where young children cannot access them. Can you tell the detergent pods from the candy in the photo?

For adults, slip & falls are the #1 cause of fatalities in the home. There are simple low cost and even FREE steps you can take to reduce dangers under your roof.  Eliminate clutter. Misplaced and miscellaneous objects on the floor can spell trouble for people of all ages, especially for those with poor balance. The simple fix: Clean it up!  Get rid of rugs. Rugs can be a decorative touch, but also a tripping hazard. The simple fix: Tape rugs to the floor, or remove them.  Use night lights and proper lighting. A poorly lit home is a dangerous home. The simple fix: Use cheap plug in lights in the bathroom and hallways.

If you have small children in your home, use outlet covers to prevent children from playing with electric outlets. As a reminder, do not overload electric circuits. Always use appliances and tools according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Make sure you have working smoke detectors. Change the batteries in the spring & fall.

Keep the exterior of your home well-lit at night. Turn on your exterior lights to discourage intruders. Keep landscaping & bushes trimmed to no taller than 3 feet to eliminate hiding places for burglars.

South Location 2017 W Woodland Street Springfield, MO 65807 417-889-4800 North Location 1845 E Turner St, Ste E Springfield, MO 65803 417-864-5800

Monett 864 E. Hwy 60, Ste A Monett, MO 65708 417-635-1185

Ozark 5528 N Farmers Branch Rd, Ste B Ozark, MO 65721 417-889-4800

Exercise Essentials Try this simple exercise to keep you moving...

Helps Balance

SINGLE LEG STANCE - FORWARD Stand on one leg and maintain your balance. Next, hold your leg out in front of your body. Then return to original position. Maintain a slightly bent knee on the stance side.

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The above exercise is designed to be performed under the instruction of a licensed physical therapist.

PATIENT RESULTS Got me feeling like a human being again! “I went to therapy at the Northside location after a motor vehicle accident. I had already been through therapy at one of the hospital’s and also to a chiropractor for 6 weeks. Seth was the therapist assigned to me and from the very first visit he made me feel comfortable, he answered any questions that I had and gave me a clear understanding of my injuries and what

he was doing to help me heal. He educated me on the different parts of my body and why each part hurt as it related to my injuries. He was definitely a lifesaver and got me feeling like a human being again. I would strongly recommend his services and Advantage Physical Therapy to anyone who needs a good physical therapist!” -Megan C.

Read more patient success stories on our Facebook page!

Call Advantage Therapy Today!

@AdvantageTherapyClinic

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