AthleticAdvantagePT_Stand Tall with Physical Therapy

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STAND TALL WITH PHYSICAL THERAPY STRUGGLING WITH BACK PAIN OR SCIATICA?

ALSO INSIDE

You Can Find Relief From Sciatica & Back Pain • Service Spotlight: Dry Needling • Exercise Essentials • Meet the Team

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Did you know that over 80% of people across the world will suffer an episode of back pain at some point in their lifetime? If you are suffering from back pain or sciatica, you know how hindering it can be. With chronic back pain, radiating leg pain, or stinging sensations across the sciatic nerve, it can be difficult to live your life to the fullest. If you find yourself in pain when bending down, standing up, or lifting objects, it’s time to see a physical therapist. We are fully equipped to treat any back pain you may be experiencing. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and find out more about how our services can benefit you! The Differences Between Back Pain and Sciatica It can be difficult sometimes to determine the differences between general back pain and sciatica. Sciatica is a specific type of back pain that is caused by a compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve. Your sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in your body – it is approximately 2 centimeters wide, extending all the way down your back, your buttocks, underneath the piriformis muscle, and to the backs of your legs and your feet. It is made up of several nerves that exit your lower back from the lumbar and sacral levels (L4-S3), transmitting sensation and muscle control. Common culprits of sciatica development include weakness in the gluteal muscles or tightness in the piriformis muscle, as they can compress and irritate the sciatic nerve. Common Sciatica Symptoms: The sciatica symptoms reported from patients tend to vary. Some may experience a deep ache in the buttocks, while others experience a severe pain radiating down one of their legs. It is also possible to feel a tingling or numbness in the back of the leg, calf, or foot. If left too long without proper treatment, irritation can become more severe and affect the strength of your leg muscles. Common Sciatica Treatment: The safest, easiest, and most effective mode of sciatica treatment is through physical therapy. Physical therapy examines the root cause of pressure on the nerve and works to quickly alleviate that pressure. Our licensed physical therapists will analyze the movements of the muscles surrounding the sciatic nerve, in addition to the back and hip joints. They will design an individualized treatment plan based on the specific needs of each patient, in order to strengthen the affected muscles, improve joint flexibility, and prevent problems from occurring again in the future.

STAND TALL WITH PHYSICAL THERAPY STRUGG LI NG WITH BACK PAI N OR SC IATI CA?

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There are some tips you can follow to relieve your sciatica pain on your own. These can be done before coming in for treatments, or in tandem with your physical therapy treatments: • Performing gentle stretching exercises. • Avoiding prolonged sitting. Make sure to get up every 30 minutes and change positions frequently. • Putting a pillow behind your knees when sleeping on your back or between your knees when sleeping on your side. • Using your legs to bend down when picking up objects off the floor, rather than using your back. • Alternating ice and heat on the buttock to reduce inflammation. • Asking your doctor about coming to physical therapy, or giving us a call. How Successful Is Physical Therapy For Back Pain? A study found in the medical journal SPINE proves both the physical and monetary benefits to treating back pain and sciatica with physical therapy. It demonstrates that when doctors refer their patients for physical therapy treatments early on in the diagnosis, their patients have shown significant improvement and lowered treatment costs. YOU CAN FIND RELIEF FROMSCIATICA& BACKPAIN

In this study, patients saved an average of $2736.36 for their low back pain treatment simply by being referred to a physical therapist in the beginning. If you are suffering with back pain or sciatica, contact us to learn more about how you could benefit. We aim for speedy and effective recoveries at low costs. Don’t live with back pain any longer – stand taller with physical therapy. Contact us today at (214) 383-0623 to schedule a consultation or to find out more about how physical therapy can help get you back to your active lifestyle. Source: Primary Care Referral of Patients With Low Back Pain to Physical Therapy: Impact on FutureHealthCareUtilizationandCostsFritz,JulieM.PT,PhD,ATC*;Childs,JohnD.PT,PhD†; Wainner, Robert S. PT, PhD‡; Flynn, Timothy W. PT, PhD§ Spine: 01 December 2012 - Volume 37- Issue25-p2114–2121

OUR SERV I CES • Aquatic Therapy • Trigger Point Dry Needling (TDN) • Concussion Therapy • Dance Injury Rehabilitation • Electrical Stimulation • Instrument Assisted Manual Therapy • Joint Mobilization • Kinesio Taping • Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) • Manual Therapy • Therapeutic Exercise • Vertigo Treatment

DRY NEEDLING SERVICE SPOTLIGHT

WHAT IS DRY NEEDLING? • TriggerPointDryNeedling (TDN),often referred to as myofascial release or pressure point massage, involves the application of gentle yet firm pressure tospecificareasalong thebody,known as pressure or trigger points. THERAPY RESULTS • Manual pressure provided by a therapist is intended to relax and normalize trigger points within the fascia, an important tissue for protectingmuscles,tendons, ligaments, bones, and nerves and helping them move together in a coordinated way. • Dry Needling releases tension and stress, restoring normal movement, relieving pain, and reducing your risk of further tissue damage.

ME E T THE T EAM

SPOTLIGHT PAT I ENT SUCCESS

MADDIE GARDNER PT Tech

Madeline was born and raised in Richardson, Texas. She was involved in sports such as soccer and basketball all throughout her childhood and high school. Madeline graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas in December 2018, where she was

involved in thepre-physical therapy/occupational therapyassociation. In her spare time she also volunteered at the comet cupboard on campus, a food pantry initiative at UTD dedicated to helping students in need. Madeline’s interest in physical therapy began when her sister injured her hip and had to go to physical therapy. Watching what her sister did at physical therapy appointments and also seeing her get better week by week really sparked her interest. After becoming a volunteer and being promoted to a physical therapy tech, she has continued to find this field to be very rewarding and fun. Now that Madeline has gained knowledge and skills of rehabilitation she will carry those tools on with her as she applies for physical therapy school. Madelineenjoys takingweekend trips togohikingandcamping. Shealso likes to get her friends together to play sand volleyball to stay active. She loves going to live sporting events such as hockey and basketball.

LOW BACK TRACTION Lie flat on the floor in the center of an open doorway with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Make sure your lower back is touching the floor and you have a rug underneath you so that you do not slide. Hold a broomstick across the doorway. Push the broomstick against the door frame gradually and slowly with your arms for 5-10 seconds. You will feel subtle traction in your lower back. Release slowly. EXERC I SE ESSENT I ALS USE THIS TECHNIQUE TO RELIEVE SCIATIC PAIN hourseveryday,and there isalwaysat leastonepartofmybody that is in pain. My senior year of high school, I met Dr. Cody Johnson after years of dealing with reoccurring injuries, and let me tell you… he is a genius! He manages tofixevery issueSOquicklyandefficiently. Ihighlyrecommend seeing Dr. Cody. He will keep you injury free!” - A. N. IamcurrentlyaBFADancemajorat theGloryaKaufmanSchool ofDanceatUSC inLosAngeles,CA. Iamdancing for fourtoeight

Enhance Your Mobility • Activity • Performance • Life Call (214) 383-0623 Today! NOW’ S YOUR MOMENT !

Always consult your physical therapist or physician before starting exercises you are unsure of.

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