Ascent PT. Life Doesn't Have To Be A Pain In The Neck

Ascent PT. Life Doesn't Have To Be A Pain In The Neck

Our Monthly Climb The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

LIFE DOESN’T HAVE TO BE A PAIN IN THE NECK

Head & Neck Pain 101 • Relieve Neck Pain In Minutes Seasonal Recipe • Patient Success Spotlight

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Our Monthly Climb The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

LIFE DOESN’T HAVE TO BE A PAIN IN THE NECK

Headandneckpain isnotthetypeofpainthatyoucanpushthroughanddealwith for too long. For one thing, chronic pain in the head or neck is often associated with some sort of chronic health concern — one that you need to deal with, not ignore.Secondly,whenyouaredealingwithconstantpain inyourheadorneck, it becomesdifficulttoconcentrate.Thiscanhaveanegativeeffectonyourpersonal relationships, your career and more. The most common cause of neck or head pain is a muscle or joint problem. Workingwithaphysical therapistcanhelpyou to identify thecauseof the trouble and begin taking steps to correct the issue, allowing you to find relief from the

pain without having to commit to long-term pain management — which often includes the use of pain medications that are potentially harmful to your health and not likely to work as well over time. Unlike pain medications that become less helpful the longer they are used, physical therapy provides long-term relief from pain by correcting the joint or muscle concern with targeted therapies like flexibility exercises, muscle strengthening techniques, and guided stretches that target core joints and muscles. Of course, not all neck or head pain is the same, so understanding the basics of what you are dealing with is the first step to achieving relief.

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Head & Neck Pain 101

HEAD PAIN 101 There are a lot of different types of headaches that you may experience, and each can be caused by its own different reason. For example, migraines can be caused by environmental factors, food allergies or even as a result of stress. There are headaches that can develop due to sinus pain and headaches that will develop whenyouaredehydrated.Therearealsoheadaches thatwilldevelopwhenyouare exposed too long to loudnoises.There isnosingularfix foreachof thesedifferent typesofheadaches,which iswhyattemptingtotreateveryheadacheyouexperience with the same medication frequently doesn’t work. One of the most common causes of headaches that are easily treatable with physical therapy is radiating headaches, which are caused by stress in the joints and muscles of the neck.This causes pain to radiate from the top of the neck into the head, especially surrounding the ears.There are a lot of reasons why radiating headaches could develop, including as a result of lack of movement and stiffness in the neck. This buildup of irritation can be treated with regular physical therapy, especially through the use of massage and flexibility exercises that target the muscles in the neck. NECK PAIN 101 Inmanysituations,painthatdevelops intheneckcanbeassociatedwithoneoftwo majorproblems.Thefirst isupper-backpainthatbeginstoradiate intotheneck.The second isarthritis.Physicaltherapycanbeusedtoaddressbothtypesofneckpain.

generally worse when there are sudden changes in weather or at the end of the day,andwhileover-the-countermedicationmaymake thepain lesssevere, itwon’t eliminate the pain entirely. The biggest problem posed by cervical arthritis is that the pain will typically cause a loss of range of motion in the neck, which actually increases your risk of injury as a result of a sudden movement and causes regular discomfort and frustration as you are not able to utilize your neck in the way you normally could. There are plenty of situations in which pain in the neck as a result of cervical arthritis grows so severe that it can cause chronic poor posture and even a reduction in height. ADDRESSING THE CORE PROBLEM Themajorityofneckandheadpaincanbehelpedwithonesimplestrategy:strength building. It frequently happens that the absolute cause of the start of a pain in the neck or head is a result of poor posture or quickened motion, and building core strength,aswellasstrength in theneck,canmakeahugedifference inyourability to handle tasks without experiencing chronic pain. Keep inmind that theneckandheadaresensitiveareas,soattempting to treat the pain at home can be dangerous and may not be effective. Working with a physical therapist is the safe way to ensure that you are practicing positive techniques to find relief from your aches and pains. Ifyou’resufferingfromneckpain,callAscentPhysicalTherapyat 503.427.0118 to schedule your appointment today, or visit ascentptnw.com for more information.

Cervical arthritis causes frequent aches in the neck and shoulders. This pain is

Relieve Neck Pain In Minutes Try this simple exercise to keep you moving

Healthy Seasonal Recipe

CHOCOL ATE HA ZELNUT BISCOT TI

RELIEVES NECK PAIN

• 1 1/3 cups all- purpose flour • 1/2 tsp baking powder INGREDIENTS

www.simpleset.net

• 1/2 cup chocolate hazelnut spread • 1/2 cup sugar • 1/2 cup brown sugar • 1 egg • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 3/4 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts

• 1/2 tsp baking soda • 1/4 tsp kosher salt • 1/2 cup butter, softened

INSTRUCTIONS Preheat oven to 375˚. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Set aside. In another bowl, combine butter, chocolate hazelnut spread, sugar, and brown sugar. Using an electric mixer, cream ingredients together, about 4 min. Add egg and vanilla and beat until smooth, about 1 min. Using a woodenspoonor rubberspatula,stir inflourmixtureuntilmixed.Addhazelnuts and stir until mixed. Spoon out the cookie dough onto a cookie sheet, spacing the mounds about 4” apart. Use the tines of a fork to flatten the cookie dough. Bakeuntil lightlygoldenaround theedges,about10-12min.Useametalspatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool.

Neck Flexion Sit in a chair with good posture. Slowly lower your chin towards your chest as far as low as you comfortably can, then raise your head, looking up towards the ceiling as high as you comfortably can. Repeat 6 times.

For more information, call Ascent Physical Therapy at 503.427.0118 or visit our website at ascentptnw.com

Provider Update

Patient Success Spotlight

“These fellas are top notch. Very caring, really intelligent, great at what they do. Through my painstaking weeks of physical therapy there, Patrick was extremely tentative and knew what I needed. What is so important about these guys, is that they truly listen to their patients. They don’t push them, making you feel like you are just a paycheck and a slot in their calendar... I watched and listened as they cared for others too. These guys CARE! They make you feel like family. I cannot sing enough accolades, or articulate how much Patrick helped me in my recovery from neck surgery. Thank you Patrick! Happy New Year to you, your loved ones, and all on staff at Ascent Physical Therapy.” - Malia T. “I cannot sing enough accolades, or articulate how much Patrick helped me in my recovery from neck surgery.. Thank you Patrick!”

LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO NOT FILL IT WITH LOVE AND KINDNESS

The air is crisp and the holiday season is fast upon us! I had a blast participating this year in thecityofSandy’sTrickorTreat event. There were well over 1000kids(notanexaggeration) thatstoppedbyourSandyclinic for some delicious candy and someterribleDad jokes(you’re welcome)!

One of our first newsletters we produced focused on the topic of “18 summers” andhowshortourtime iswithourchildrenbeforetheygrowup. It’shardtobelieve we’ve been helping our communities going on nearly 5 years and hopefully many more to come. My son, Rylan, was only 4 years old, and daughter, Rowan, was only 2 months old, when we opened the doors of Ascent. Here is a recent photo from Cathedral Park by the St. Johns Bridge of my children and our dogs. Not to be sappy or cliché, but cherish all of the moments because life is too short to not fill it with love and kindness.

Special Offer

If You've Met Your Annual Insurance Deductible, You Could Qualify For PhysicalTherapy At No CostTo You! An insurancedeductible istheamountofmoneythatyoumustpaybefore your insurancecompanypaysforyourmedicalservices. Ifyourdeductible is met, your PhysicalTherapy may not cost you anything. Patientswithfamilyplansorthosewhohavehadmajorsurgeriesorhave a chronic illness are especially likely to have a $0 balance remaining on theirout-of-pocketexpenses.Thismeansthatthecostofphysicaltherapy could be minimal or completely covered by the patient’s insurance plan. If you are close to or have met your insurance deductible for the year, then now is the time to come in for Physical Therapy! Are you feeling achesandpains?Need toworkonyourcore?Letushelpyougetahead start for 2020. Have you undergone surgery recently? Call us today at 503.427.0118 to schedule an appointment with one of our physical therapists. We’ll guide you to affordable treatments that will place you one step closer to pain relief. Have You Met Your Annual Insurance Deductible?

Don’t let pain become a way of life!

FREE NECK PAIN ANALYSIS

Call 503.427.0118 to schedule your appointment today!

16126 SE Happy Valley Town Center Dr #200 Happy Valley, OR 97086

Offer valid for the first 25 people to schedule. Expires 12-31-19.