Centra: Is Balance Setting Up An Injury?

Centra: Is Balance Setting Up An Injury?

Live Life Pain-free

Health & Wellness Newsletter

IS YOUR BALANCE SETTING YOU UP FOR AN INJURY? NEWSLETTER

Live Life Pain-free

Health & Wellness Newsletter

NEWSLETTER

IS YOUR BALANCE SETTING YOU UP FOR AN INJURY?

INSIDE : • Did You Know?

• Relieve Aches & Pain In Minutes • Lower Body Strength

• Steady All of Your Dizzying BBPV Symptoms

How is your balance? Have you checked it lately? Poor balance and coordination is the number one cause of trips, falls, and injuries. It even greatly affects back pain and posture. You don’t have to be old to have non-optimum balance. In fact, a majority of sports injuries are attributed to not having the right balance reflexes needed to adapt to the surface, causing sprains, strains and other injuries. Our balance and vestibular system gives us the ability to walk on two legs, run and be active. Our balance and vestibular system develop as we grow from a baby all the way through adulthood, and then begins to decline. Most people don’t know their balance is not optimum until they suffer a sports injury, trip and fall, or lose their balance in the shower. No matter what your age, balance affects your ability to be active. Can you do this? • Stand next to a counter, sink or chair barefoot with your hand gently grasping the counter surface.

• Put one foot directly in front of the other, so that one heel is touching the opposite toes. • Gently lift your hand up, but keep it close to the counter in case you need to grab it quickly. Try to hold this for 10 seconds (only do this if you feel safe or have someone nearby to help you). • Now try it with your eyes closed. • Do you wobble a lot or even lose your balance? Your balance needs work! 5 reasons for our decline in balance: 1. Changes in our vestibular system 2. Changes in muscle mass, flexibility and strength 3. Changes in eyesight 4. Diminishing reflexes 5. Previous injuries to ankle, knee, hip or spinal joints

Call today to learn what can be done to improve your balance.

YOU DO NOT NEED A DOCTOR’S PRESCRIPTION TO SEEK PHYSICAL THERAPY IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA YOU HAVE DIRECT ACCESS TO PHYSICAL THERAPY

DID YOU KNOW?

How balance affects sports performance. The more aggressive you are in sports, the better your balance and reflexes have to be. Many ankle, knee, hip and back injuries in running, tennis and other sports are attributed to poorly performing balance. By incorporating simple balance exercises into your workout routine, you can set yourself up for success and prevent injuries, as well as enhance your sports performance. How balance affects back pain. How you walk directly impacts your back and can actually be a big contributor to back pain. By improving balance, coordination and strength in your hips, pelvis and legs, your spine will be supported and guided, reducing strain. This in turn, helps your back function normally without aggravation and inflammation. Balance activities are an important component of our SPINE Program for relieving back pain. Preventing falls. According to the Centers For Disease Control (CDC), over 2.5 million adults were treated for nonfatal injuries in emergency departments in 2013. In older adults, falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries. Most people don’t think about keeping their balance in shape, until it is too late and they fall, fracturing an arm, leg or injuring their back. The good news is that most falls can easily be prevented, simply by the regular exercising of your balance system. What you can do. You can improve your balance, and it involves performing simple balance exercises. The first step in preventing an injury or fall is testing your balance and being honest with yourself that your balance needs work. Our physical therapists can

make a big difference in improving your balance and vestibular system, improving your ability to be active, safely. Call us today to learn more about our specialized programs and how you can get back to an active, pain free lifestyle!

Call us today to schedule an appointment!

HEALTHY RECIPE: WEDGE SALAD WITH BLUE CHEESE & HERB DRESSING

INGREDIENTS Blue Cheese & Herb Dressing • ¾ cup crumbled blue cheese • 2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil • 2 tbsp white-wine vinegar • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard • 1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley • 1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano

• 1 medium clove garlic • ¼ tsp kosher salt • ¼ tsp ground pepper

Salad • 6 heads lettuce • ½ cup crumbled blue cheese • 3 pieces bacon, cooked & crumbled • 2 scallions, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS To prepare dressing: Place ¾ cup blue cheese, yogurt, oil, vinegar, mustard, parsley, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper in a blender or food processor. Blend until almost smooth. To prepare salad: Cut each head of lettuce in half lengthwise and place on a large salad plate. Dollop 2 tablespoons of the dressing over each serving and top with more blue cheese, bacon and scallions. Serve with extra dressing on the side, if desired.

rehab.centrahealth.com

Steady All of Your Dizzying BBPV Symptoms How is BPPV treated? Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo can hinder your daily life, limiting your ability to perform even the simplest of tasks. Fortunately, Centra Rehabilitation has some of the most advanced techniques for diagnosing and treating BPPV. Vestibular rehabilitation is a form of physical therapy focuses on the vestibular system located within the inner ear and the ways in which we can strengthen it. Since the vestibular system sends the gravitational messages to your brain about your body movements, focusing on balance-specific exercises can help in strengthening this system, thus diminishing your BPPV symptoms. Canalith repositioning maneuvers, such as the Epley maneuver, are forms of physical therapy that focus on treatment-specific head and body movements for BPPV patients. These exercises help in moving the calcium deposits out of the inner ear canal to alleviate blockage and allow gravitational messages to be more easily received by the brain. As the blockage shrinks, the BPPV symptoms will lessen. Dizziness is common and can have many causes. Vertigo, however, is a little different. While dizziness is typically synonymous with “lightheadedness,” which creates the illusion of being unsteady, vertigo is typically a response to a physiological factor that is causing a quite literal imbalance in your body. Those experiencing vertigo have reported feeling as if they are “rocking” or “spinning,” even when they are sitting still. What exactly is BPPV? Vertigo in general is most commonly caused by an imbalance in the inner ear, also known as the “vestibular system.” Your vestibular system helps you maintain your balance and center of gravity by sending messages to your brain regarding your movement. When this is impaired, the necessary messages become blocked from your brain, and your movement becomes affected. You may feel as if the world is spinning around you, you can’t focus your vision for prolonged periods of time, or you can’t stand/move properly without feeling like you’ll topple over. In addition to the imbalanced sensation of vertigo, some accompanying symptoms of BPPV may include: • Double vision • Arm or leg weakness • Sweating • Hearing loss • Headaches or migraines If you believe you may be suffering from benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, contact Centra Rehabilitation today. Our licensed physical therapists will design an individualized treatment plan based on your specific needs, in order to help you regain your balance and ease your symptoms. Find balance with Centra Rehabilitation. Our specialized treatments and balance therapy programs will help you get back on your feet in no time!

NEW PROVIDER AT GRETNA MEDICAL CENTER

Amber McKinney, PT, DPT, Amber McKinney, PT, DPT, has been practicing physical therapy for three years with prior experience in acute care and acute rehabilitation with special skill development and focus on treating neurological deficits in the post stroke and traumatic brain injury populations. Her outpatient interests include treating patients with back and neck pain, neurological deficits or disorders, and post concussive syndrome. Amber is accepting new patients at Centra Rehabilitation – Gretna Medical Center, 291 McBride Lane, Gretna, Virginia. To schedule an appointment, please call 434.656.4607. Education Radford University • Bachelor of science, Exercise, sport and health education

Marymount University • Doctorate, physical therapy

rehab.centrahealth.com

CALL US TODAY IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING AN INJURY

LOWER BODY STRENGTH

VISIT A CENTRA LOCATION NEAR YOU!

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Are Your Legs Strong Enough? by Krista Leake PT, DPT, ATC Does your lower body have the strength it needs to do its job? Have you ever wondered if you were weaker or stronger than your peers? You need lower body strength to be able to get out of a chair, to get off the floor, and to have good balance. Lower body weakness is one of several risk factors associated with falls. There is a simple test you can do at home on yourself to see how your lower body strength compares to your peers. The test is called the Five Times Sit-to-Stand Test. The Five Times Sit-to- Stand Test (FTSST) measures the functional strength of the lower body. It has been established to be a valid and reliable test for adults over the age of 65. It is also able to predict recurrent falls. How to Do the Test. • Equipment needed is a chair that is 17-18” high with a backrest and a stop watch and someone to time you. • Sit with your arms folded across chest and back against the chair. Feet should be comfortably under you. • Stand up and sit down five times in a row, as quickly as you can. Be sure to stand up fully and try not to let your back touch the chair between each repetition. Do not use the back of your legs against the chair. • Document the time to complete the test. Time starts as soon as you attempt to stand up and stops when you body touches the chair following the fifth repetition. How to Interpret the Test. If you are not able to stand up without using your arms, then the score is 0. Below is a chart that has some averages of time for different age groups. Lower or faster times means a better score. What to do if you are testing weak or not able to do the test. If you were not able to complete the test or your time was slower than the average times listed in the chart, then you may not have the strength you need to be functioning at your highest level. Previous studies have demonstrated that lower than average performance is associated with reduced lower extremity muscle strength, impaired balance, reduced reaction time and psychological factors such as pain and vitality. The good news is that for most people strength can improve with work and it has been demonstrated that people even in their 90’s can improve strength with exercise. If you are testing slower than average, it is recommended that you get further assessment from a physical therapist to help identity if there are other issues related to weakness and balance you may be experiencing. A scheduled appointment with a physical therapist will allow you to get further testing and to develop a program with you to improve your strength and function. Call us - 434.200.7600. Tips to strengthen you lower body. One of the best exercises to do to improve your lower body strength is sitting to standing up just like you did for the test. One recommendation is every time you sit down for a meal, stand up and sit down from a sturdy chair 10 times. Do that 3 times a day and you are well on your way to developing better lower body strength! Normative values Age bracket Time in seconds 60-69 70-79 80-89 11.4 12.6 14.8

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Relieve Aches & Pain In Minutes Without Pain Medication! Try these movements if you are experiencing pain.

ALTERNATING STEP TOUCH Stand “tall”, with sturdy step stool positioned in front. Step one foot at a time onto the stool. Alternate legs.

TANDEM WALK - WALL Stand with the fingertips of one, or both, hands resting on a wall. Place the feet ‘heel to toe’ with the left foot forward. Steady yourself in this position. Step forward with the right foot, placing the heel directly in front of, and touching, the toes of the left foot. Step forward with the left foot, placing the heel directly in front of, and touching, the toes of the right foot. Repeat this sequence, moving forward down the hallway. Reverse direction, moving backward down the hallway.

Strengthens Legs

Improves Balance

Exercisescopyrightof

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

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Discover How To Live Pain-free

At Centra Rehabilitation, you will receive hands-on therapy treatments by our friendly, caring health experts during focused and individualized sessions. It’s time to call Centra Rehabilitation if: • You’re tired of living in pain • You want to feel better and move better • You have been in an auto accident or injured on the job • You want to prevent injury OUR OUTCOMES SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES

1. Call and talk to a therapist

2. Discover why your pain has come back

3. Schedule your custom recovery program today

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