Cornerstone PT & Wellness Center - November 2020

Cornerstone PT & Wellness Center - November 2020

NOVEMBER 2020

CORNERSTONE Monthly

77 Brant Avenue, Suite 101, Clark, NJ 07066

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CornerstonePTNJ.com

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732.499.4540

Cornerstone PT Patients

OUR PRACTICE IS TURNING 15!

YOU CAN CELEBRATE WITH A FREE SCREENING

This month, my team and I are celebrating Cornerstone Physical Therapy Health and Wellness Center’s 15th year in business. It’s crazy to think that the practice is almost old enough to get a learner’s permit, and in just a few years, it will hit voting age! In normal times, we’d celebrate the occasion with cupcakes, balloons, and a big party in the office, but this year, things will be a bit more low-key. As always, our patients are welcome any time — you’re family, after all — but we’re not planning a big gathering because our main goal is to keep people safe. Every year when this anniversary arrives, I can’t help but think how fitting it is that the landmark day shares a month with Thanksgiving. Looking around the clinic, I have so much to be thankful for. Fifteen years ago, we were in a smaller location, we weren’t doing home care, and we hadn’t yet purchased our Class IV Laser. It’s been amazing to see how we’ve continued expanding our services to help our patients, specifically our athletes and geriatric patients, who have so much more space for their needs in our larger location. I feel lucky that we snagged such a great location 10 years ago. Because we’re on the border of two counties, we can serve a bigger group of patients than ever before. I also have a soft spot for our home care program. It’s one of the things I’m most proud of instituting, and we just rolled it out a few years ago. My team and I love that we now have the option of taking care of patients even longer into their lives, perhaps past the point where they’d feel comfortable coming into the clinic. This program gave us a boost when COVID-19 hit, too, because we were already adept at helping patients one- on-one in a safe, private way. Last but not least, I feel like a proud dad whenever I look at our Class IV Laser. It’s a state-of-the-art piece of technology that only a few physical therapy offices have, and our staff is fully trained and certified to use it on all kinds of different conditions. By adding these services over the years, I think we’ve made an even bigger impact on people’s lives, and I’m beyond thankful for that.

VIP Referral Patient of the Month!

MARIA FERREIRA

The best compliment we can receive is to have one of our patients refer a friend or family member to our practice. If you refer someone and we are able to take them as a patient, both you and the person who was referred will be entered to Win a $25 gift card! It’s just our way of saying

On top of these advances in the practice, I’m grateful for my staff and my family this year. Miraculously, everyone has stayed healthy and safe through these unprecedented times, which is just about all a guy can ask for. Physical therapy was even deemed essential, so we were lucky enough to stay open through lockdown. I’m also thankful for patients like you — you’ve welcomed my team into your treatment family, and there’s no bigger compliment than that. As a thank-you, and a bit of a celebration of our office’s anniversary, I’m offering all of our newsletter readers FREE screenings this month. If you’re struggling with aches and pains and have been debating whether a physical therapist or other medical provider can help, this is your chance to find out. Reach out to our office today to schedule your free 20-minute anniversary appointment.

Thank You!

Wishing you a happy Thanksgiving,

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Top 5 Healthy

Life Hacks to Have an Awesome Morning

“Prior to PT, my dominant shoulder was constantly sore and in pain for no obvious reason. After starting treatment at Cornerstone, I learned not only the cause of my pain, but also how to effectively manage it on my own. Thank you, Tyler, Dave, and PJ, for creating a comfortable and friendly environment and for all your help and knowledge.”

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Getting your day started with coffee isn’t always enough. Sometimes, you need to give yourself an extra boost, especially when you have little energy or trouble focusing. For an awesome start to your day, here are five tips to get you going right off the bat. WAKE UP 5 MINUTES EARLY. What’s the power of five minutes? It can be more than you think. Spend this time doing simple breathing exercises or a quick meditation so you can get focused for the rest of the day. If that’s not your style, you can prepare a quick to-do list for your day ahead. Either way, it’s always nice to have a little extra time for yourself without losing too much sleep. START WITH GREEN TEA, THEN COFFEE. A cup of coffee at 7 a.m. can leave you burned out by 10 a.m. Try swapping it with green tea for a more gentle wake-up call. After that, you can brew your favorite coffee to keep you going strong. This practice also might help you consume less caffeine overall! TAKE A QUICK MORNING WALK — AND HAVE YOUR MEETINGS ON THE GO. Morning meetings can make us want to fall asleep again. Don’t spend all of them sitting down if you don’t have to! Not only will morning walks help you wake up, but they can also add some extra physical activity to your day. WRITE IN YOUR JOURNAL. Who says you have to journal at the end of the day when you’re tired and ready to sleep? You can journal in the morning about what happened yesterday and the things you’re looking forward to that day. Journaling can remind you of your daily goals and motivate you to stick to your commitments. PACK YOUR LUNCH (OR SNACKS!). Staying on track with your goals starts with having the energy to do them. Plan a healthy balance of fats, vegetables, carbohydrates, and proteins. This can be as simple as assembling dips, carrots, wraps, and salads each morning.

– Kaitlyn K.

“My experience at Cornerstone was nothing but the best. When I first started, I could barely stand on my right leg due to a knee contusion. After working with Tyler and Gianna, I feel so much better now.”

–Rosie S.

It’s time to try these tactics to jump-start your day!

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THE SECRET TO RELIEVING FIBROMYALGIA PAIN How Our Class IV Laser Can Help Reduce Your Symptoms

For centuries, the symptoms of fibromyalgia — muscle pain, tender areas on the body, fatigue, trouble sleeping — baffled doctors. They couldn’t puzzle out how these problems were connected or what could be causing them. Until the early 1800s, people actually assumed fibromyalgia symptoms stemmed from a mental disorder! Eventually, though, the truth came out. Today, we know fibromyalgia is a chronic physical condition, but it’s still shrouded in a lot of mystery. The first treatment for it didn’t hit the market until 2007, and there are still only a few ways to reduce fibromyalgia pain. Luckily, we have one of them right here in our office at Cornerstone PT & Wellness Center! In 2013, a study conducted by Florida State University found that Class IV laser therapy can reduce the pain caused by fibromyalgia and improve upper body mobility, too. The study was a double-blind, randomized control trial, which is about as good as it gets in the science world. It followed 38 women with fibromyalgia through a month of treatment. One group received Class IV laser therapy, and the other got “sham” therapy — basically, the scientists fooled them into thinking they were getting the laser treatment when they weren’t. All of the patients in the study were treated twice a week, and researchers evaluated them after each treatment. They filled out a questionnaire about how much pain they were in and took a “physical functional performance test” to see if their mobility improved. At the end of the study, the researchers found that the Class IV laser therapy outperformed the sham therapy, successfully reducing the patients’ pain and increasing their mobility!

We’re incredibly proud to have a Class IV laser here in our clinic. It’s an amazing high- tech tool for muscle and tissue repair and works wonders to mitigate chronic pain. If you’re coping with fibromyalgia and would like to try out the Class IV laser for pain relief, give us a call today at 732-499-4540. We’re here to help!

LUXURIOUS VEGAN CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Making chocolate mousse with avocados may sound strange, but we promise it’s a match made in heaven! This sinfully delicious recipe is a great holiday treat.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 oz vegan dark chocolate, chopped

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 large avocados, pitted and skinned

• 1–3 tsp maple syrup, to taste

• 3 tbsp cocoa powder

• Fresh berries, for garnish

• 1/4 cup almond milk

DIRECTIONS

1. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the dark chocolate. Heat in 15-second intervals, then stir and repeat until melted. Set aside to cool. 2. In a food processor or blender, combine the cooled chocolate and other ingredients. Blend until smooth and creamy, adding additional sweetener as desired.

3. Scoop into glasses and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Top with berries and serve!

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77 Brant Avenue, Suite 101 Clark, NJ 07066

732.499.4540 CornerstonePTNJ.com

INSIDE This Issue

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Our Practice Is Turning 15!

Testimonials

Top 5 Healthy Life Hacks to Have an Awesome Morning

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The Secret to Relieving Fibromyalgia Pain

Luxurious Vegan Chocolate Mousse

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Is ‘Glamping’ the Perfect Winter Getaway?

Is ‘Glamping’ the Perfect Winter Getaway?

When COVID-19 struck the U.S., travel restrictions had people canceling their vacation plans left and right. This meant that many would-be vacationers had to find some getaways a little closer to home — namely, camping trips and their fancier cousin, glamping trips.

STEP 1: DECIDE WHICH KIND OF LODGING YOU WANT.

Glamping shelters come in all shapes and sizes depending on the level of comfort you desire on your trip. The most rugged glamping lodgings usually still include a wood-

If you haven’t heard of “glamping” before, it’s essentially glamorous camping. You have access to the beautiful, rugged outdoors as well as all the comforts of home. While traditional winter camping certainly wouldn’t be a relaxing getaway for most people, glamping during the winter months can give you access to the peace of the outdoors like you’ve never experienced before without so much as a shiver or sniffle.

burning stove and a nice comfy bed, whether you opt for a log cabin or a specialized glamping tent (sometimes called a yurt). However, some of the more posh options include amenities like fresh linens, private bathrooms and showers, fully stocked kitchenettes, and even TVs.

STEP 2: DECIDE HOW YOU WANT TO SPEND YOUR TIME.

If you’ve decided to make glamping your go-to method of escape from the cabin fever that besets us all during the cold, dark winter days, you might be thinking: How can I make sure I have the best glamping experience possible? Luckily, there are a few tips and tricks you can apply to any glamping location to ensure that your time away from home is just as relaxing as that Caribbean cruise would have been.

Obviously, the point of glamping is to spend time in the great outdoors with winter activities, such as

snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and other fun snow activities. However, glamping really shines during the frigid evenings. You can retreat indoors, throw some logs in the stove, prepare some hot cocoa or cider, and just watch the snowfall from your window. There’s no right or wrong way to glamp. All that matters is spending time in the wilderness with all the comforts of home — all while feeling refreshed and at peace.

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