Don't Let Spinal Stenosis Slow You Down

Don't Let Spinal Stenosis Slow You Down

Health & Fitness The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

“ Why Are You Waiting Until Your Back Pain Worsens Before Seeking Treatment? ” Don’t Let Spinal Stenosis SlowYou Down

According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, spinal stenosis is a silent epidemic. It is estimated that 2.4 million Americans will suffer from spinal stenosis by 2021. Spinal stenosis occurs mostly in people 50 and over, but can occur in younger adults with a history of arthritis. What is spinal stenosis? Spinal Stenosis refers to the narrowing of the canals in your spine that are formed by the vertebrae. This narrowing can impinge on the nerves exiting your spine or the spinal cord itself. Symptoms can vary, but often include radiating pain to the back,

buttocks and even legs. Furthermore, weakness and poor balance in the legs can often occur, making it difficult to tolerate walking long distances and prolonged standing.

Inside: • Don’t Let Spinal Stenosis Slow You Down

(continued inside)

• Outstanding Patient Results

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• It’s Time To Relieve Your Stenosis Pain

• Staff Spotlight

Health & Fitness The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

IT’S TIME TO RELIEVE YOUR STENOSIS PAIN | OUTSTANDING PATIENT RESULTS | STAFF SPOTLIGHT

“Discover How Easy It Is ToGainBack PainRelief!”

Don’t Let Spinal Stenosis SlowYou Down

“Lumbar spinal stenosis, or the narrowing of the open spaces in your spine, can be treated just as successfully with physical therapy aswith surgery - andwith 15 percent fewer complications. ” -Annalsof InternalMedicine,April2015 If you believe you have spinal stenosis symptoms, then call us today to speak with one of our expert physical therapists. Our SPINE program has helped thousands of patients successfully relieve their back and stenosis pain. Foraminal stenosis This is the most common form of spinal stenosis. It refers to the narrowing of the foramen canals on either side of the spine formed by the vertebrae above andbelow the segment. Ineachcanal,spinalnerves exit the lower back to supply different parts of the pelvis and legs. With age and deterioration of the discs between the spine, the canals shrink in size and may also have bone spurs. This irritates the nerve roots, especially when the spine is extended. Sitting typically feels better, but standing and backwards bending increase pain. Is surgery needed? There is a big push towards fusion surgery for spinal stenosis and back pain. However, studies show that surgery should be a last resort, before conservative measures such as physical therapy are performed. In the vast majority of cases, surgery is not needed and people will have significant if not complete relief of their symptoms with physical therapy. Physical therapy targets the muscles and joints of the spine to build strength, improve stability of the spine and maintain the foramen as open as possible.

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Look inside to learn more about our programs and say good-bye to that nagging back pain and return to a pain-free, active lifestyle!

Outstanding Patient Results

Staff Spotlight

DUSTIN MILLER, PT Chandler Clinic Director Dustin graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Athletic Training and received his Master’s degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2005. He treats multiple conditions from the post-surgical to everyday related pains and injuries.

I can bend down and move my neck!

“I can now do the dishes standing up. I feel that I can run like I use to before my accident. It was hard for me tobenddownandstretchmyback and move my neck but, with Kinect Physical Therapy I feel much better. I can bend down and move my neck. I am happy again.” - Priscilla H.

He was one of the first in our company to be trained in Dry Needling, a very effective technique in treating neuromuscular related pain and musculoskeletal type conditions. He has had much success utilizing his experience and his skills in rehabilitating each patient from his/her individual injury and its associated problems. Dustin has been married for over 10 years, has 4 children, and has been in the valley since 2005. He tries to live up to his favorite quote which says: “There is no chance, no fate, no destiny; that can circumvent, or hinder, or control; the firm resolve of a determined soul.”

“My knee feels better, 90% of the pain has subsided and I have more mobility thanbefore.Bestofall Ican danceagainwith littleorno pain.” - Ted B. I have more mobility than before!

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Practice News

Kinect PT Loves Our Patients Every year for Valentine’s Day all of our clinics give out roses to the women and chocolates to the men. Our patients enjoyed their gifts this past Valentine’s Day with their physical therapists. Kinect PT loves our patients and thinks of them as family from the beginning of treatment until the very end. We enjoyed showing them some extra special love this past Valentine’s Day.

“It’s Time To Relieve Your Stenosis Pain!”

Spinal stenosis is a mechanical problem of movement in your body. While medication may help to numb the pain, it does not fix the underlying mechanical problem. Here are tips on how you can improve your stenosis and back pain symptoms: 1. ICE Icing at the low back area on the affected side helps to decrease the inflammatory process. Use a flexible ice pack with a moist thin towel to make it easier to tolerate the ice. Use for 10 minutes and off for 30 minutes. Make sure to check your skin often and stop if it becomes painful. Apply 2-3 times a day, especially after repetitive bending or standing activities. 2. Improve Hip and Spine Flexibility Restoring natural movement to the spinal joints, hip joints and sacroiliac joints, helps to relieve abnormal pressures on the sciatic nerve. It allows your body to move freely when doing normal everyday tasks and prevents injury and strains. Care should be taken when stretching to be gentle and work with your breathing. Never push through pain and avoid exercises that aggressively extend the spine. 3. Strengthening Your Core Your core muscle groups are the spinal muscles, abdominal muscles, pelvic and hip muscles. By doing exercises that combine these muscle groups together you can develop an internal corset that supports your spinal column. Gentle Pilates and core strengthening exercises

are good, however, be sure to consult your physical therapist before starting exercises you are unsure of doing. 4. Manual Physical Therapy Hands on specialized manual physical therapy techniques restore the natural movements of the spinal, hip and sacroiliac joints. This helps to open the foraminal canals in the spine. Physical therapists are the unique medical professionals who are trained extensively in these types of techniques. If you are suffering with back pain or spinal stenosis, don’t put off getting help as your condition weakens the spine further and can set you up for more extensive injury in the future. Call us today to speak with one of our physical therapists and see for yourself, what a difference our SPINE program can make for your back. Why You Need To Come In For A FREE Check-Up: � Move without pain Think Kinect FIRST: Giving The Gift Of Health

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Our Therapy Services

• Low Back Pain • Cervical Pain • Shoulder Pain • Knee Pain • Herniated/Bulging Disc • SI/Pelvic Pain • Arthritis • Sprains and Strains • Fractures

• Tennis Elbow • Rotator Cuff Injuries • Impingement Syndrome

� Sit for long periods comfortably

� Bend and move freely � Balance confidently and securely

• Balance Disorders • Difficulty Walking • Deconditioning • Muscle Weakness • Vertigo • And Many More!

� Walk for long distances � Live an active and healthy lifestyle

We are your therapists for life! We want you to stay healthy so all your check ups with us are FREE. Just call our clinic and schedule.

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SAN TAN VALLEY 480.568.4580

MESA 480.833.2778

CALL TODAY!

CHANDLER/SUN LAKES 480.802.8730

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Get To Know The Symptoms Of Sciatica 5 WAYS TO TELL IF YOU HAVE SCIATICA

Pain that radiates down the back of your leg, numbness or tingling that extends down to your foot, a quick jolt each time you cough or sneeze—sounds like sciatic nerve pain, right? How do you know for sure that shooting pain is nerve-related and not coming from somewhere else—like your muscles? Here are tips on getting to

the root of your agony, once and for all. 1. YOU FEEL WEAK IN YOUR KNEES.

Well, actually just one knee—and it runs throughout the entire leg. The sciatic nerve—the one that gets pinched and causes sciatica—is the largest single nerve in the entire body, running from the lower spine all the way down to the foot. When that nerve is pinched, its function is disrupted, resulting in all kinds of unwanted sensations, such as pain, weakness, and tingling. And while pain is pretty common (and oftentimes hard to diagnose), pain and weakness in a single leg acts like a red flag for doctors. 2. YOU’RE A WALKER, NOT A RUNNER. There’s a good chance your leg pain is sciatica caused by a herniated disc, not the less-common piriformis syndrome, which mainly affects athletes. The funny thing is that piriformis syndrome presents itself almost exactly like sciatica: pain, tingling, numbness starting in the buttocks and extending down the leg. But instead of a slipped disc causing the issues, your piriformis muscle (found in the butt near the top of your hip Specificity is key. Sometimes the pain you think is sciatica isn’t actually nerve-induced pain at all, but rather, something muscular. So how do you find out? Use your thumb, push around on the muscles in your lower back and see if you can find spots that affect your pain. If you can trigger pain by a push—not a gentle push, you want to exert at least 5 to 10 pounds of pressure—your pain is most likely muscular and the result of a shortened, tightened muscle. joint) is pressing on that touchy nerve. 3. YOU CAN’T TRIGGER YOUR PAIN.

4. THERE’S ONE TEST YOU JUST CAN’T PASS. It’s the main test docs use to diagnose sciatica caused by a slipped disc, and it starts with you lying down with your feet stretched out. The examiner then raises your straight leg between 30 and 70 degrees. Pain from this test—the kind that radiates down your entire leg, below your knee, and possibly even down to your toes—indicates sciatica. This is because when you stretch the affected leg, you’re also stretching the entire sciatic nerve, and if the nerve root is pinched, you’ll feel it through the stretching movement. 5. YOU’VE GOTTA GO A WHOLE LOT MORE. We’re not talking about getting up a few extra times each night, but rather, totally losing control of your bowel and bladder movements. When paired with the typical sciatica pain, doctors treat this as a “surgical emergency”. It’s extremely rare, but if the spinal column is putting that much pressure on the nerve, it can lead to permanent damage to bowel and bladder function, so be sure to see a doctor immediately. Written by Amber Brenza

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SAN TAN VALLEY 480.568.4580

MESA 480.833.2778

CHANDLER/SUN LAKES 480.802.8730

GLENDALE 623.934.1154

“Spring Into Action Without Pain! ” Simple Exercises To Relieve Sciatica Symptoms

SINGLE KNEE TO CHEST STRETCH An easy way to stretch your lower back, hamstrings and glutes. The single knee to chest stretch allows you to gently stretch and release tightness in the lower back. Stretching can help you become more flexible and increase the range of motion in your joints. You can use this exercise to ease any muscle tension or pain in these muscle groups, or perform it near the end of your pre-workout warmup or after your workout. How it’s done: Lie on your back and bring one knee to your chest, keeping the other foot flat on the floor. Keep your lower back pressed to the floor. Hold for at least 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat 2 to 4 times with each leg. ABDOMINAL BRACING The bridge exercise is designed to help you strengthen your core. Bracing is a technique for stabilizing the spine. Basically in bracing we tighten all the muscles surrounding the abdomen. As we contract the abdominal muscles the erector spinal muscles immediately go into joint action and support the back from the rear. How it’s done: Lay on your back maintaining the natural curve in your spine. Keeping this position, concentrate on contracting your abdominal musculature without hardening or tightening the muscles, not hollowing the abdominal area. Hold for 5-10 seconds and repeat 3-5 times; performing 1-3 sets.

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CALL TODAY FOR MORE ASSISTANCE!

SAN TAN VALLEY 480.568.4580

MESA 480.833.2778

CHANDLER/SUN LAKES 480.802.8730

GLENDALE 623.934.1154