Back Pain & Sciatica

ZPT GaZette The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

Getting To Know The Zionsville Physical Therapy Staff! Staff Spotlight: Katie Poisel, PT, DPT, OCS, ATC

Q: Where did you grow up? A: Fishers, Indiana

Q: What do you like to do when not fixing people in PT: A: Hiking, cycling, traveling, riding horses, reading, spending time with family, including adorable niece Abby and nephews Eli and Leo. Q: What do you like best about working at ZPT? (she joined the staff in October, 2015) A: Working as part of an energetic team! It’s like family when people come in, and we always try to keep people laughing and having fun. I like connecting with people of all different backgrounds. Every patient has a unique story and different goals, so I like the challenge of working with a variety of people. My co-workers are the best. Being in a smaller clinic allows me to really get to knowmy co-workers and patients on a personal level. Q: What is a unique fact that not everyone knows about you? A: I was on a competitive jump rope team for 10 years. I also went skydiving with my mom for my 18th birthday. Q: Future plans? A: Recently engaged to Seth. We met in college at the University of Evansville. He has a background in mechanical engineering and farming. Q: Favorite food? A: (tough to pick one!) brunch, sushi, Italian food, steak, sweets (my weakness!) Q: Strangest food eaten? A: Octopus, chocolate covered grasshoppers, and pig knuckles.

What do all those initials after her name mean? Her biography says it all: Katie Poisel holds a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training and a Doctorate of Physical Therapy, both from the University of Evansville. She became an NATA certified athletic trainer in 2012, and has helped numerous college and high school athletes return to sport after injuries in addition to providing on-field injury assessments in emergency situations. During her time at UE, she worked closely with AceCARE, a program promoting community health education and pro bono PT services. She also enjoyed going to new places and was able to travel during clinical rotations to various places, including Oklahoma City, South Carolina, and Belize, Central America. Following her time in Evansville, she completed a residency in Shreveport, Louisiana, further developing her skills and expertise in managing orthopedic conditions including back pain, neck pain, pre-/post-operative conditions and other musculoskeletal issues. She has been a Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist since 2016. She also enjoys mentoring students and future PTs as an APTA certified clinical instructor.

ZPT GaZette The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

April 2017

Dear ZPT friends,

INSIDE: • Getting To Know Katie Poisel • Natural Sciatica Relief • Workshop • Spring Into Action • Elaine’s Elixir Recipe

Greetings! Happy Spring! Congratulations on making it through another Indiana winter,althoughwe reallydidn’tstrainourselves this year withheavysnows or ice! As some of you may know, my husband, Kent, plays guitar in his spare time, and practices some of our favorite 70’s and 80’s songs, along with a few newer worship songs. He recently purchased a guitar loop pedal- recorder so that he could “lay down some tracks,” recording several measures then repeating it to play along with the tracks, with himself! Over and over. Sometimes the blues, some rock. It’s really pretty cool. I am reminded how much fun it can be to create music; some evenings he talks me into playing piano or drums along with him. If I bring out my saxophone, the dog usually goes to hide! We found out how the loop recorder also records the mistakes, the oops, the “clunkers,” and keeps playing them over and over. Until we record a better track over it. So there might be a life analogy here: are there any great habits that you have that should continue to loop into your life, when repeated they serve you well and provide you with strength and well-being? If so, keep repeating them. Play them over and over. Add to them. Are there any poor habits, any “clunkers,” like too many couch-sitting hours, poor food or drink choices, too much basketball watching (haha that was for Kent) or other habits that are literally slowing you down? And you keep repeating them expecting a different result? How about “laying down a good, new track” this spring? Start each day with a tall glass of water, 3 stretches, and a brisk walk outdoors. Mmmm…now that’s some good music! Come in and tell us how you are “tracking!” ELAINE MORRISON Owner

Patient Success SPOTLIGHT

“I hurt my back and saw RED trying to get into and out of bed. I couldn’t get my socks on by myself or work loafers because I couldn’t reach to tie myshoes.SincemyPTworkwithKatie, Inow easily putonmy socksand tiemy shoes. Plus, now I can even handle my tuba without hurting my back!” - Robert M. I now easily tie my shoes! Mention or bring in this newsletter for a FREE Back Pain Screening! Call In Now: 317.873.2033

Gratefully, Elaine

WIN A $20 GIFT CARD

Q W T H E R A P Y O E L N G R M B U P V X R C F S U N P N E E E P R M S O A W G R F R U A C T I V E C E O I T L S N X T I R T T P E A F N A S R E W Z O R R A B E A I L U N G E S L L L N H F D Y E X E

HOW TO ENTER OUR DRAWING! You could be the winner of a $20 gift card! Bring your completed puzzle into the clinic to enter for our prize.

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Attention Back Pain and Sciatica Sufferers!

• Do you suffer with back pain or leg pain when you stand or walk? • Do you have pain when you sit for long periods or drive? • Do you experience pain, numbness or tingling into your butt, groin or down your leg? • Does your back ever “go out” if you move the wrong way? • Are you afraid your pain will get worse if you don’t do anything about it?

If you have answered YES to any of the above questions (or have a stubborn spouse who is in denial) – the Lower Back Pain and Sciatica Workshop may be a life changing event for you… And it’s FREE!

Back pain and sciatica can completely ruin your life…we’ve seen it many times. • It can make you lean on the shopping cart when walking through the grocery store (how embarrassing)… • It can take your focus away on enjoying your life…like spending time with your children or grandchildren… • It can mess up your work or force you to do a job you don’t want to do… • It can ruin your travel plans… • And it can take away your ability to live life…having to rely on others…or to wait for you to sit down for a minute.

Announcing Sciatica and Lower Back PainWorkshop at Zionsville Physical Therapy on Saturday May 20, 2017 at 10:00 am. If you’re confused about what to do and looking for answers, here’s some of what you’ll learn: • The Single Biggest #1 Mistake back pain and sciatica sufferers make which actually stops them from healing… • A Sure-Fire Way to Pick the Right Treatment for the Cause of Your Pain (and save you a ton of time and money) • How a problem in your back can cause pain, numbness or tingling in your leg… • What successful treatment and permanent relief looks like without the side effects of medications, injections or surgery. • The 3 Most Common Causes of Lower Back Pain and Sciatica… • CALL our office today to register. Seating is limited. 317.873.2033 and mention this newsletter.

Elaine’s Elixir Recipe DIRECTIONS

5 INGREDIENTS • 1 cup hot water • Juice of one lemon, freshly squeezed • 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar • ½ Tsp. Turmeric • 1 Tsp. Honey, optional

Stir and enjoy early every morning. Because it’s good for you. (Wow, it sets your taster to SOUR!)

www.ZionsvillePT.com

NATURAL SCIATICA PAIN RELIEF

Bad Habits Can Increase Your Pain Some seemingly harmless habits can also contribute to the irritation of the sciatic nerve. A frequent bad habit is crossing of the legs for extended periods, which puts pressure on the nerve. In addition, sitting for long periods is bad for your spine. It is possible for you to prevent

or relieve sciatica simply by improving your posture. Physical Therapy Relieves Sciatica

The specialists at Zionsville Physical Therapy play a crucial role in evaluatingandtreatingsciatica,aswellasothercommonbackproblems. Our physical therapists are medical experts with years of training to evaluate your back problem, finding the root cause of your sciatica. An individualized treatment plan is created to guide you through the recovery process and maximize your success. When coming to Zionsville Physical Therapy, our friendly and knowledgeable therapists spend time with you. We train you on specific and easy exercises that will relieve the pain in your back and legs. In addition, our specialized hands-on therapy helps to gently loosen tight muscles and joints in your spine and legs. Your pain is quickly relieved and your flexibility restored, so you can feel likeyourselfagain.Ourcutting-edgetreatmentsaredoctorrecommended and are specifically designed for you to reach your healthcare goals.

Knowing all this should give you a headstart in warding off painful sciatica. After all, it may be as simple as learning to stand tall. Journalofneurosurgery:SpineFeb,2005Volume2,Number2.AaronG.Filler,M.D.,Ph.D.,JodeanHaynes,B.A.,Sheldon E.Jordan,M.D.,JoshuaPrager,M.D.,J.PabloVillablanca,M.D.,KeyvanFarahani,Ph.D.,DuncanQ.Mcbride,M.D.,Jay S.Tsuruda,M.D.,BrannonMorisoli,B.A.,UlrichBatzdorf,M.D.,andJ.PatrickJohnson,M.D.

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Spring IntoAction

If you are being slowed down this spring by pain, pain in the buttocks, leg, or even your foot, you may be experiencing sciatica. Sciatica is a common form of back and leg pain that is often misunderstood by sufferers. People frequently have questions about what sciatica is, why it occurs and how to find relief from the intense pain it can cause from the low back down to the feet. If you are suffering from sciatica, it is important to find its root cause. Many people often think an x-ray or expensive MRI is first needed to figure out what is causing pain. Having a lot of tests doesn’t mean you will find its root cause. Recent studies show that nearly 1 million of MRIs done for sciatica fail to find a treatable cause. With a new imaging technique called magnetic resonance neurography, 69% of the patients were found to have a trapped sciatic nerve deep in the buttock by a muscle called the piriformis. Both the piriformis muscle and the sciatic nerve are sensitive to abnormal pressure and irritation. Excessive sitting or driving, leaning over a walker or crutches, vacuuming, unusual twisting, changes in postural alignment such as scoliosis or pelvic torsion, poor foot and knee mechanics, weakened trunk strength and lack of flexibility can be factors which lead to compression of the sciatic nerve or structures nearby.

Thesciaticnerve is the longestand largestnerve inyourbody. Iteven reaches down to the foot and therefore, can be irritated anywhere along its path. With sciatica, theconsequentachecanbe feltanywhere from thebaseof thespine, the buttocks or the back of the thigh and legs. Even tingling sensations in the toes can be attributed at times to the impingement of the sciatic nerve. Our physical therapists have many techniques/forms of treatment that may help. Treatment may include McKenzie-based mechanical diagnosis and therapy, muscle energy techniques, mobilizations, spinal stabilization and core strengthening exercises, nerve slides/glides, or traction. All patients are unique with their pain and presentation and each treatment should address each patient’s specific needs.

CALL TODAY! 317.873.2033

www.ZionsvillePT.com