Gilbert Physical Therapy October 2017

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www.GilbertPT.com October 2017

The Gilbert Gazette

AN ODE TO TRICK-OR-TREATING

How My Kids Changed My Halloween Attitude

H appy Halloween, everyone! Growing up, I wasn’t sold on the idea of dressing up in fun costumes to trick or treat or attend parties when I was older. In fact, the most creative costume I ever put together was a Rocky Balboa-style sweatsuit that I wore after getting pressured to attend a college Halloween party. Though I’ve never been a fan, Halloween has started to grow on me, especially as the kids have gotten older and we’ve been able to do more activities together. Ever since they were little, Adrienne and I have dressed the kids up in costumes and toted them around to get candy from our neighbors. Since they’ve been able to comprehend the holiday, our kids have thoroughly enjoyed getting free candy and dressing up, and it’s been great to watch them get excited as the end of the month draws near. Emily and Alex have both been many different characters for Halloween. The first costume Emily ever wore was of a lion, and I laugh when I remember how she would try to eat the candy through the wrapper. We spent that night carrying her up and down the street because she was far too little to walk. The neighbors oohed and aahed over her adorable costume, and she got more candy than a toddler could eat in a year.

Emily has been characters from“Frozen” over the recent years, and Alex’s favorite

costumes have been a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle and a policeman. Last year, Emily was a good witch, as you can see from the picture, and Alex was a member of the SWAT team. Some years, Adrienne, the kids, and I travel to Adrienne’s hometown to trick or treat and participate in the parade. Every year, the local kids dress up in their best Halloween costumes, meet in a parking lot with the high school band, and walk down Main Street to show off their costumes and Halloween spirits. After the kids reach the end of the street, Halloween has officially started, and the kids run door to door to get their candy. It’s so much fun to watch! ADORABLE COSTUME, AND SHE GOT MORE CANDY THAN A TODDLER COULD EAT IN A YEAR. THE NEIGHBORS OOHED AND AAHED OVER HER

One of my favorite Halloween memories is from when the kids insisted on trick-or-treating in the snow, the same exact time a Penn State football game was on TV! If you know me at all, you know I love Penn State, and there was no way I could miss the game. So, we all bundled up, and the kids trudged through the snow while I walked alongside, watching the game from my phone. That was a fun Halloween! This year, the kids and I will pick pumpkins together, scoop out the guts, and carve out our creations. Then, Emily and Alex will get dressed up, and we will trick or treat around our neighborhood. As the kids have gotten bigger, their legs have gotten stronger, and they are able to cover more and more ground. We’ll see how far they get this year!

– Michael M Gilbert, DPT

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DO KIDS’ MENUS DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD?

Kids can be picky eaters. This is a fact recognized by parents and restaurants alike — hence the classic children’s menu featured at many restaurants around the country. These menus are virtually identical: chicken tenders, mac and cheese, grilled cheese, french fries, and so on. Kids’menus are loaded with fried foods and cheap carbs. Some parents love the kids’menu. It makes deciding on food easier. Or, at least, that’s what we tell ourselves. Kids’menus are populated with foods practically every kid loves. But they have a dark side. Aside from poor nutrition, the kids’menu changes the family dynamic. In an interview with Eater.com, television chef and host Alton Brown (who you may know from “Good Eats,”“Iron Chef America,” and “Cutthroat Kitchen”) said, “Never, ever, ever, ever, ever let

your kid eat from the children’s menu at restaurants and never, ever, ever make your kid special food to allow them to avoid whatever the family is eating.” Why? During his “Alton Brown Live!” tour, he explained that it comes down to control. By giving kids the option of the children’s menu, you relinquish culinary control to your kids. The next time you go out as a family or you make a delicious meal at home, they are more likely to demand “their” food. This is a habit a child can quickly adopt — and a habit that’s tough to break. Kids are picky eaters because, as parents and adults, we let them be picky eaters. We perpetuate bad habits. But it doesn’t have to be this way. In a Mom.me article, Dr. Cara Natterson suggests kids eat what the rest of the family eats. For instance, let them indulge in the appetizer menu, then build up to the entrée menu and let them share and sample your food. Encourage culinary exploration. When you encourage your kids to avoid the children’s menu, you give them an opportunity to expand their flavor horizons. More importantly, it helps them make healthier choices that aren’t loaded with fat and empty carbs. Make going out to dinner a learning experience, and before you know it, the phrase “kids’menu”will have disappeared from your family’s vocabulary.

October Testimonials Don’t Just Take Our Word for It

MUCH STRONGER!

BACK TO 100 PERCENT!

“Before PT, walking was painful and I was limping. I couldn’t ride my bike, rock climb, or go hiking. After PT, my knee is much stronger, and I am able to return to all of my previous activities. I feel no pain and have regained confidence in my knee and its strength.”

“Your staff is both cordial and knowledgeable. The therapy experience is actually pleasant here! The step-by-step sequences given to me were surprisingly effective. I know something about exercise, but I would not have expected to have the program work so well. I leave here with a much improved, pain-free range of motion and increased strength and endurance. All in all, it’s been the ticket for me to get back to 100 percent function again. Great job!” –Susan C.

–Naomi S.

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H aving experienced back pain myself, I created a series of stretches that shape the way my patients think about and seek treatment for their back pain. Life after a back injury is possible, but it all depends on the foundation you set in your recovery. Complete these stretches in order, and you will be well on your way to living a pain-free life. Exercise 1: Single Knee to Chest . Lay flat on your back. Pull your left knee toward your chest while keeping your right knee flat. This will target your glute muscle and your upper hamstrings while opening the space (foramina) in the lower back. This allows your nerves more room to exit the spinal canal and travel down the legs. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds and rest. Repeat three times on one side before switching legs. Exercise 2: Piriformis StretchWith Push . Lay flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Place your left ankle on your right knee. Place your left hand on your left knee and gently push forward. You should feel this stretch in your hip joint and buttock as it works your piriformis muscle. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds and rest. Repeat three times on one side before switching legs. THE FORMULA The Gilbert Sequence

90-degree angle with your elbows resting directly under your shoulders. Your forearms should rest straight out in front of your body. Maintain this position for one minute, without lowering your chest to the ground. The main purpose of this exercise is to restore lordosis (the curvature of the spine) to the lumbar spine, which can improve posture and relieve pressure on the spine. Exercise 4: Hip Flexor Stretch . Start in a resting lunge position. Inch your toe out to create a split stance wide enough so that your knee does not go past your toe. Lean forward, leading with your hips, toward your toe until you feel a stretch in the front of your hip and the thigh of your back leg resting on the ground. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds and rest. Repeat three times on one side before switching legs. Exercise 5: Hamstring Stretch . Lay flat on your back. Lift your left leg in the air and place a towel or stretching band in the middle of your foot. Grasping the ends of your towel or band and keeping your right leg flat on the ground, pull your left leg as far back as you can while maintaining a comfortable stretch. Hold for 30 seconds and rest. Repeat three times on one side before switching legs. This series of simple, yet effective, stretches should never take you more than 20 minutes, which means it will be easy to implement into your everyday life. Complete this routine daily, and you will be well on your way to experiencing a back-pain-free life.

Exercise 3: Prone on Elbows . Lay flat on your stomach and push up onto your elbows without raising your hips. Your arms should make a

Take a Break

It’s a great time of year to warm up with a cup of soup, and this comforting, guilt-free dish comes together in a flash. SAUSAGE AND BARLEY SOUP

INGREDIENTS

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Cooking spray

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tomatoes, and barley to sausage in pan. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat; cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in spinach; cook 1 minute or until spinach wilts. 1 (141/2-ounce) can Italian- style stewed tomatoes, undrained and chopped 1/4 cup uncooked quick- cooking barley 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh baby spinach

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6 ounces turkey breakfast sausage 21/2 cups frozen bell pepper stir-fry

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2 cups water

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add sausage; cook 3 minutes or until browned. Remove from heat. 2. While sausage cooks, place

3. Add stir-fry puree,

stir-fry and 2 cups water in a blender; process until smooth.

Recipe courtesy of CookingLight.com.

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717-591-0955 www.GilbertPT.com Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 7am to 7pm Tuesday, Friday 7am to 12pm

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

5103 Carlisle Pike Mechanicsburg, PA 17050

this issue INSIDE 1 2 3 4

How My Kids Changed My Halloween Attitude

Do Kids’ Menus Do More Harm Than Good? October Testimonials

The Formula: The Gilbert Sequence Sausage and Barley Soup

Is This the Most Bizarre Tragedy in History?

Is the Great Chicago Fire History’s

Most Bizarre Tragedy?

B y the time the last flame of the Great Chicago Fire fizzled out on October 10, 1871, 300 people were dead, a third of Chicago’s population were homeless, and 4 square miles of city were destroyed. Reflecting on the disaster begs the question: Was it the most bizarre tragedy ever? By October, 1871, Chicago only had 1 inch of rain all year, which is far less than the annual average of 35 inches. While the exact cause is unclear, historians commonly accept that a cow belonging to a Mrs. O’Leary started the fire in a barn on DeKoven Street by kicking over a lantern.

buildings were made of wood, and the newly developed tar on the rooftops was incredibly flammable.

As the fire grew, the firefighters hoped the Chicago River would be a natural firebreak, but the city’s riverside had recently gained more lumber and coal yards, causing the fire to jump the river. As the air over the city overheated, it came into contact with cooler air, and a spinning fire tornado developed. After the fire jumped the river, a burning piece of timber lodged on the roof of the city’s waterworks building, destroying it and halting the city’s water supply. By the time the fire died over a day later, 73 miles of roads and $4 billion (in 2017 dollars) of property were destroyed. All this came about because of a cow, a drought, a bad watchman, some short-lived building materials, and a literal fire tornado. Modern safeguards wouldn’t allow this to happen today, which is very fortunate. If the disaster happened the same way today, it wouldn’t displace 1,000 people; it would displace 1 million.

Firemen responded immediately, but a watchman sent them to the wrong place by mistake, giving the unusual

Southwest winds time to send the fire roaring

toward the heart of the city. Most of Chicago’s

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