In Motion OC September 2018

In Motion OC September 2018

IN MOTION THE EXPERIENCE

SEPTEMBER 2018

THE EMOTIONAL JOURNEY BACK Physical Therapy Is More Than Just Physical

So much of physical therapy is focused on the physical aspects of recovery that it’s easy to forget how emotional components fit into the equation. Much of the doctor-patient exchange is centered around addressing key areas where the body is failing. But when you look at the journey back from an injury, the biomechanical aspects are just one small part of the story. There’s a minefield of emotions involved in recovery, and learning to navigate them is almost more integral to the process than anything physical. Anxiety, fear, pain, and even depression are common while patients are recovering. When you have a fundamental aspect of daily life removed from your routine, it can be crippling. You often fail to realize how important your health is until you spend every day wondering if you’ll ever be back to normal again. It’s similar to being sick. When you’re struggling with a bad cold or virus, you gain perspective on what it’s like to be completely healthy. But unlike a cold, which lasts just a few days, an injury may persist for months, years, or even the rest of your life. It’s very discouraging, but helping patients battle that discouragement is a massive part of what physical therapists do. A physical therapist deals with a wide range of emotions, and we continuously employ different skills to help with the psychological aspects of recovery. Some days, a patient is in pain, and they’re angry. It’s up to us to meet them where they are at and help them push through their struggles. From there, the recovery process becomes focused on clear communication with the patient. We need to show them the deficiencies we see, help identify their rehab goals, and give an objective evaluation. In some instances, a patient may have unrealistic expectations, and we have to bring the reality of the situation to them. In other cases, the patient

may not aim high enough, and we need to show them how much they’re capable of. Once we have that conversation about mutual expectations, it’s time to get to work and begin the physical rehab. But that doesn’t mean the emotional journey stops, and we’re equipped for that. “As physical therapists, we’re always walking the line between motivation and grace.” Empathy is one of the best ways to approach some of the emotional battles our patients face, but that’s only one tool we use. As physical therapists, we’re always walking the line between motivation and grace. It’s a challenge because every patient is different. What works for a college student coming back from knee surgery isn’t going to work for a retiree struggling with sciatica. Each patient requires a customized approach to get the most out of their rehab. But even with the best-laid rehab plan, unique challenges can cause setbacks, requiring us to adjust accordingly. When our therapists hit a wall with a patient, we focus on progression. Physical therapy is about getting healthier than you were when you walked in. Even if there are emotional or physical complications, we can always show the progression of where the patient was at day one and how far they’ve come since their original visit. Emotional battles are part of the process, and they cannot be ignored. Luckily, our therapists at In Motion O.C. pour just as much of their hearts into their jobs as they do knowledge. It has transformed the lives of thousands of patients, and we look forward to doing the same for thousands more.

17332 Von Karman Ave. Suite 120 Irvine, CA 92614

949-861-8600

InMotionOC.com

ORANGE COUNTY’S PREMIER PHYSICAL THERAPY CENTER

Published by The Newsletter Pro | www.TheNewsletterPro.com – Jeff Thomas

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INVOLVED BUT NOT OVERBEARING PARENT-TEACHER ETIQUETTE TO SUPPORT YOUR CHILD’S DEVELOPMENT

Helicopter parents are the bane of every teacher’s existence. With the return of back-to-school season, it’s vital to find a happy medium between the tiger mom who bares her teeth at the smallest setback in her child’s schooling and the laissez-faire parent who is totally disengaged from their kid’s education. Here are a few tips to keep you involved in your child’s educational development while fostering relationships with their teachers in a way that won’t drive all of you up the wall. 1. BE A LITTLE EMPATHETIC. Teachers are some of the hardest- working people in the world, wrangling the disparate needs of around 25 children day in and day out while attempting to get them to actually learn something. It’s a high-stress, low-paying job. In the midst of grading 300 research papers written by 12-year-olds, the last thing they need is the added pressure of concerned parents bearing down on them. If you can approach a teacher from a position of understanding and be willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, you’ll be off to a good start. 2. SHOW UP AND KEEP AN OPEN MIND. Ask any teacher in the country, and they’ll undoubtedly tell you that one of the best predictors of a child’s success is whether or not their parents make an appearance at parent-teacher conferences. We’re all familiar with the childhood singalong song, “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes.” It’s an iconic tune that almost every kid learns at a young age. If you’re a parent of young children, you’ve probably sung this song your fair share of times in recent years. If you pause for a moment right now, you can probably hear the melody in your head. But the song does more than explain anatomy to toddlers. It also serves to illustrate some of our services. vertebra, the first portion of your spine, is called the Atlas for a reason; it holds up your skull. It also allows your head to move. A complex network of muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones is required to support your head and allow your head and neck to go through a full range of motion, so headaches, migraines, and limited mobility are all common issues. Fortunately, we have treatments for them. SHOULDERS Tendonitis, bursitis, rotator cuff tears, arthritis, and other conditions can create discomfort and severe shoulder pain. 17 HEAD Stress loves to accumulate in the head and neck. The C1 MORE THAN JUST A CHILDHOOD SONG HEAD, SHOULDERS, KNEES, AND TOES

Your engagement should go beyond that. Use the teacher’s preferred method of communication to stay in semi-regular contact with them — always ensuring that you keep an open mind about any praise, suggestions, or concerns they have about your child. 3. TEACH YOUR CHILD TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. Aside from leaving your kid completely to their own devices, one of the worst things you can do is swoop in to solve their problems for them at the slightest hint of adversity. Maybe that D your kid got on their algebra test really was their fault. It’s important to acknowledge your child’s missteps, but you should also try to equip them with the tools necessary to advocate for themselves. Learning to articulate what’s going wrong or what they need from their teacher will help them to develop positive and effective communication skills. The key is to work together with your child’s teacher without being overbearing. Don’t come in with guns blazing at the first sign of an educational slip. Think of your kid’s schooling as a collaborative effort — maybe one in which you’re a little less involved than the teacher — and you’ll be giving your child the best chance of success. muscles attach to the shoulder blade, and each of these points can cause problems for even the healthiest of people. Our team of experts provides state-of-the-art care techniques aimed at prevention and healing for all shoulder injuries. KNEES Pain and instability can often be caused by damage or overuse of the ligaments and cartilage in your knees, such as the meniscus and ACL. In some cases, individuals facing surgery for tears or knee pain can avoid an invasive and expensive operation with physical therapy. Our team of PTs can also get you back on your feet faster after surgery. We recommend consulting with a physical therapist before any surgery, especially of the knee. TOES Yes, that’s right. We even have treatment for your toes. Well, maybe more for your foot as a whole, but complications like turf toe and broken metatarsals are extremely common, and we can help you get back on your feet — literally.

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Published by The Newsletter Pro | www.TheNewsletterPro.com

In Motion O.C. | InMotionOC.com

REHAB STARTS WITH US AND ENDS WITH YOU

3 CRUCIAL WAYS TO KEEP YOUR RECOVERY ON TRACK

Physical therapy sessions may happen in our clinic, but that’s only half the battle. Recovery occurs just as much at home as it does within our four walls. We pride ourselves on helping people get back to peak physical condition, but a lot of your recovery happens outside our office. Here are three factors that can make or break your progress after you return home. DIET To heal properly, you have to limit inflammation. Surprisingly, food is often the biggest culprit. Eating a diet high in inflammatory foods is a surefire way to put a roadblock in your rehab. Your body is already fending off enough as it heals itself; fried foods and meals high in sodium only add to the battle. If you want to reach your recovery goals and get the most out of your physical therapy, it’s essential to eat anti- inflammatory foods that promote whole-body health. MINDSET Many patients will look at their injuries through a lens that prevents them from fully understanding what their body is — and isn’t — capable of. Not

every trauma is as simple to grasp as a sprained ankle. Each one has a unique cause and comes with its own set of limitations. If you want to reach your full rehab potential, it’s important to understand what your body is capable of and how to give it proper recovery time. EMOTIONS In the cover, we talked about the emotional journey back and some of the feelings of frustration patients go through. That stress often amplifies at home. The burden of physical and emotional recovery can be difficult not just for you, but for those closest to you as well. It’s important to find activities that promote a healthy mental state. For some people, this is the biggest challenge of all because the event that caused the injury — such as running, hiking, or a sport — is, in fact, an emotional leveler for them. If you’re struggling with the emotional and physical burden of an injury, reach out today and let us show you how physical therapy can help.

BEANS & GREENS

Rigatoni

Ingredients

Inspired by Bon Appétit magazine.

• 12 ounces rigatoni pasta • 1 bunch Tuscan kale, rinsed • 1 15-ounce can cannellini (white kidney) beans • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

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Juice of 1 lemon

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Salt, for pasta water and to taste 2 ounces fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (optional)

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Directions

1. In a large stock pot, boil 6 quarts of liberally salted water. On another burner, heat a large skillet to medium-low. 2. Add pasta to boiling water and cook for 3 minutes less than the package recommends. 3. While pasta is cooking, add beans, red pepper, and 1 tablespoon of

oil to skillet. Cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. 4. Add cooked pasta, kale, and 1 cup pasta water to skillet. Toss vigorously as kale cooks, about 4 minutes. 5. Transfer to bowls, top with a squeeze of lemon, sprinkle with cheese or salt, and serve.

3 In Motion O.C. | InMotionOC.com

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

17332 Von Karman Ave., Suite 120 Irvine, CA 92614

The Emotional Journey Back

The 3 Keys to Parent-Teacher Etiquette What a Childhood Song Can Teach You About Our Rehab Services Physical Therapy Happens at Home Too The Best and Worst Foods for Inflammation

FIND THE RIGHT FOOD BALANCE The food you eat plays a major role in how your body functions on the cellular level. Some foods can wreak havoc on your body, while others can make you feel great. This is especially true when it comes to that all-too-common ailment, inflammation.

Now, for the good stuff. Eat these foods to reduce inflammation:

BLUEBERRIES: Many studies call blueberries one of the best fruits you can eat to ease symptoms of inflammation. These blue orbs of goodness are packed with antioxidants, vitamin C, polyphenols, and so much more. Eat a handful every day! SALMON: As a source of healthy fats and omega-3 fatty acids, salmon is one of the best protein choices for people with inflammatory conditions, or for those who want to keep inflammation at bay. BROCCOLI: One of the most nutritious and easily accessible vegetables around, the little green buds that cover the tops of broccoli are loaded with anti-inflammatory compounds.

Here are a few examples of foods that lead to inflammation:

SUGAR: One of the biggest culprits behind inflammation, sugar is far worse than eating fatty foods. It’s best to skip foods that have added sugar (and this includes sugar of any kind, including corn syrup, fructose, and sucrose). Many manufacturers now label food with more specific kinds of sugar to hide the fact that they added sugar to their product. Be sure to read labels carefully! REFINED CARBS: Basically anything made from white flour falls into this category, including bread, pasta, baked goods, and cereals. Research suggests that refined carbs may be a bigger contributing factor than fat in obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. ALCOHOL: Too much alcohol puts a burden on your liver, an organ that helps flush toxins out of the body. You know all of those detox diets? They don’t work. In fact, the only way to detox is to let your liver do its job. When you consume alcohol, it’s harder for the liver to pump out the toxins in your body. When it can’t do its job properly, the result is inflammation.

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