ARI: Is Back Pain Slowing You Down?

Health &Wellness The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

Getting To Know The Advantage Rehab Staff MIKE SAVAGEAU, PT, OWNER

Mike graduated from the University of North Dakota with bachelors in Physical Therapy. He initially traveled the United States working in a variety of settings treating a wide variety of conditions. He has been practicing physical therapy independently since 1999.

Mike was also the first therapist in the area to be trained in treating Lymphedema bringing this specialty to many needing relief. He has the knowledge and skills to treat most musculoskeletal and neurological problems/disorders.

He has been married to his wife Colleen since 1992 who is a Speech Pathologist in the Osakis school district. They have 3 children, Annalise, Lauren and Daniel. Beside spending time the the kids he enjoys biking, golfing, boating and gardening. Mike makes certain that the care in his clinic by his providers always be one on one. The time you take to spend getting well is taken seriously and appointments are never doubled up.

Health & Wellness The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

IS YOUR BACK PAIN SLOWING YOU DOWN? “ I Was Experiencing Back Pain, So I Decided To Do Something About It.”

INSIDE:

• How To Take Care Of Your Back • Healthy Recipe • Relieve Back Pain In Minutes • Patient Success Spotlight • October is Physical Therapy Month

Discussing Back Pain and Relief with Mike Savageau, PT

• Repetitive injury to muscles and tissues around the spine with poor lifting • of the spine, hips and muscles of the thighs • Poor coordination of the abdominal, pelvic and back muscles Most people don’t seek treatment soon enough and continue to suffer with a nagging ache or pain in their back.They may even feel symptoms travel to the buttocks and legs. Many people feel that not much can be done for back pain and use medication to numb the pain to get through the day. However, medication mostly masks the pain and does nothing to address the root cause of the problem. Solutions to Back Pain Treating back pain starts with determining the true cause. A thorough evaluation of your movement, strength, posture and joint mobility can tell a lot about the true origins of your pain. Only then, can the proper plan be formulated to get you out of pain quickly and back to the activities you love. Whether you just tweaked your back or have been suffering for a long time, seeing one of our spine specialists can help you return to a more active and pain-free life.

Dear Valued Client,

Is back pain causing you to move a little slower and more cautiously? If left untreated, chronic back pain can lead to long-term spinal joint and possibly nerve damage. Back pain is one of the

MIKE SAVAGEAU PT/CEO/Owner

most common physical complaints that people suffer from and more than 80% of the US population will experience back pain at some point in their lifetime. Back pain can interfere with your ability to bend, kneel, lift, reach, do work and enjoy time with your family. Not to mention, it can make you down right irritable and affect others around you. Why do I have Back Pain? Back pain occurs for a number of reasons, but has a few simple root causes: • Weakness in the spinal and core muscles of the trunk • Poor posture and strain on the spine with slouched sitting

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HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR BACK

1. Keep a Good Posture When you are standing, imagine a string through the top of your head lifting you straight up. This puts your neck, shoulders, spine and hips in natural alignment. With sitting, make sure you sit back in the chair with your feet on the floor and your lower back supported. Your shoulders should not slouch when sitting. Avoid soft couches when you can. 2. Lift Properly Picking things up is a normal part of our day. Even if you pick up something light, your back muscles have to lift the weight of your upper torso and control that movement. Make sure you always face what you need to pick up, squat keeping your spine straight and push with your leg muscles.This helps reduce the

excessive pressure on your spine. 3. Stay Flexible Flexibility is key to maintaining a healthy back. By keeping your body flexible, the normal forces of movement and lifting can be distributed across the spine, rather than focused onto a few segments, which can then fail. An easy stretching routine everyday can keep you feeling great and put a spring in your step. 4. Stay Strong You have hundreds of muscles, which control the movement of your spine. Major muscles that support the spine are called your core muscles and include your abdominal, pelvis, spinal and hip muscles. By keeping your core muscles strong, you support your spine and have the ability to easily control lifting, quick

movements, bending and a lot more. 5. Physical Therapy Our physical therapists are medical experts in evaluating spine and body movement. By having a regular check up, you can make sure your body is in good condition to tackle the activities you love. If you have a history of back pain, injury or are currently experiencing aches and pains, we can analyze your problm and construct a treatment program that will work best for your individual problem. With soothing hands-on therapy and targeted easy exercises we can help you return quickly to feeling your best. Even if you suffer from severe pain we can help you get out of pain and living the life you deserve. Call Today!

Relieve Back Pain In Minutes Try this movement if you are experiencing back pain.

Healthy Recipe

INGREDIENTS • 1 (64 fluid ounce) bottle apple cider • 3 cinnamon sticks EASY HOT APPLE CIDER

LOWER TRUNK ROTATIONS Lying on your back with your knees bent, gently rock your knees side-to-side. Repeat 8 times on both sides. Loosens Low Back

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• 1 teaspoon whole allspice • 1 teaspoon whole cloves • 1/3 cup brown sugar

DIRECTIONS In a slow cooker, combine apple cider and cinnamon sticks. Wrap allspice and cloves in a small piece of cheesecloth, and add to pot. Stir in brown sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, and keep warm.

CALL TODAY! (320) 219-9680

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Physical Therapists Are The Mechanics Of Your Body

Patient Success Spotlight

Think PT First

“I was first referred to Advantage Rehab after suffering from an unexplained acute muscle problem in my mid back that left me completely immobile for two days. My doctor was pleased with my results at ARI and felt the staff was very knowledgeable. Once I began PT I saw continued improvement throughout the 3 week duration. I truly felt that the staff had my best interests at heart and did their best to get me back to 100 percent as quickly as possible. I especially appreciated the ease of getting appointments that worked with my schedule as well as the fast ‘in and out’ that their facility allows.” - Tara B. I saw continued improvement!

Why You Need To Come Back In For A Tune- Up: � Move without pain

� Sit for long periods comfortably

� Bend and move freely � Balance confidently and securely

� Walk for long distances � Live an active and healthy lifestyle

Take Care of Your Aches and Pains Before It’s Too Late.

OCTOBER IS NATIONAL PHYSICAL THERAPY MONTH

Did you know that October is National Physical Therapy month? That’s right, an entire month dedicated to educating people about the benefits of PhysicalTherapy—and it couldn’t come at a better time. Winter is one of the most trying times of the year for people struggling with chronic pain. Add the risk of falling due to icy conditions to the cold weather that aggravates even the mildest arthritis issue and you’ll find a huge increase of people who would benefit from pain management and support. Take the time this month to start figuring out the most important things you need to know about the benefits and perks of physical therapy. Here are a few bits of information to help kick off your focus this month: • Physical therapy is most beneficial when used before an issue becomes chronic. So many people wait until they’ve been dealing with pain for an elongated period before seeking support from a physical therapist. But there is no reason to wait! Physical therapy can have the biggest impact if used shortly after your initial injury. The longer you wait, the more difficult it will be to heal. • Muscle aches and joint pain tend to grow worse over time.The longer you let your pain go untreated, the more severe the pain is likely to become and the more difficult the pain will be to treat. The best thing that you can do is seek treatment as immediately following the development of your pain

as possible. Physical therapy can have a huge impact on alleviating pain from muscle and joint aches, but the earlier you start, the better off you’ll be. • Chronic pain, especially back pain, is incredibly common in the United States—surprisingly so. More than100millionAmericans over the age of 18 struggle with

back pain. As a result, Americans spend more than $50 billion dollars on back pain relief every single year. A lot of this goes to pain medication, which masks the pain without addressing the issue—meaning the pain always comes back. About 30% of adults over 18 struggle with back pain, and that number is even higher for those who are over 65. Physical therapy is the best strategy to overcome back pain and is helpful at all ages. Your physical therapist will tailor therapy methods to your needs, helping you achieve the best results possible. Call (320) 219-9680 to schedule your appointment with one of our therapists today!