Kaizen PT - June 2021

JUNE 2021

KaizenSeattle.com | 206-524-6702

CREATING SUMMER MEMORIES AND REFLECTING ON HOW MY CHILDREN HAVE GROWN It’s summertime, and if our son Julien had his way, we would be camping all the time! We rented an RV last summer because camping and road trip travel were the safest options for family vacations. Since then, we’ve been traveling across Washington, and in every spot we stop, Julien decides he wants that to be his new home! We don’t have any locations or dates booked for summer just yet, but these vacations aren’t so much about the places we go. I’m really looking forward to making more memories as a family. As our children continue to grow, Theresa and I enjoy every moment we can spend with them. Our oldest, Dylan, turned 18 on May 16, and it’s hard to believe we will have another adult in the house. I met Dylan when he was just 7 years old, and since then, I’ve had the privilege of watching him grow up from a little boy to a teenager who’s driving and then to a young adult who’s taking college courses. He’s a great sibling to Julien and Allison, and he’s always willing to watch his brother and sister when Theresa and I need a break. As proud as I am of Dylan, I’m also glad we get to keep him in the house for the next year as he enters his senior year of high school. Dylan is in a program called Running Start, where high school juniors and seniors can take college courses. I’m proud of his initiative, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for his final year of high school. I know he will continue to make us proud. As for his younger brother, Julien, independence seems to have found him this year, too. The pandemic hasn’t affected Julien too much in the sense that he hasn’t known a school environment to be that much different. He didn’t think much about having to wear a mask because he had only been to school in kindergarten and part of first grade without wearing one. He and his friends adapted quickly, and now our soon-to- be third-grader is much more independent. It’s been pretty cool to see him come into his own at such a young age, but Julien wants to be perfect. At his age, it can be difficult for him to understand that making mistakes is just

part of learning more. He’s still learning that concept, and we admire his courage to try!

Our youngest, Allison, may have been the least impacted by the pandemic — or the most, depending on how you look at it. Of course, she really had no idea what was going on, as she is only 2 years old, but we do wonder if this impacted her social development. As we have started to spend more time with friends and family, we notice it takes her a few moments to warm up and be the bubbly, funny little girl she is. Lately, Allison has been showing us just how funny she is. She knows I use my AirPods a lot, so when she sees them on the counter, she will snatch them up and run away giggling! She always looks behind her to see if I’m following, too. It’s adorable to watch her do this, especially since she has been all about her mom since she was a little baby. I love that we have this fun game together. Seeing how much our children have grown in the past year is bittersweet, but as we approach another summer with the prospect of traveling and creating camping memories, I cannot wait to see what we can do together. I’m sure Julien will find a new home while we’re at it, too!

Enjoy your summer,

• 1 –Dr. Colin Sisco 206-524-6702

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A SURPRISING WAY TO FIGHT ALZHEIMER'S PHYSICAL THERAPY:

Alzheimer's disease is an ailment that continues to baffle us, even as we learn more about it than ever before. Doctors and scientists have made huge strides in understanding and fighting Alzheimer’s, especially in the past three decades. But for everything learned, more questions must be asked. Sometimes, things just work, and we aren’t sure why. For a long time, exercise and physical therapy were part of that. PT had a role in slowing Alzheimer’s, but doctors didn’t fully understand what that was. Today, we have a much clearer picture, and that provides hope for future understanding. There are two things at the root of PT’s connection to good Alzheimer’s treatment. The first is very basic: Alzheimer’s responds to physical activity. Just as certain mental exercises can help stave off or slow down the advent of the disease, physical activity has been shown in studies published by Harvard and in trade journals to have a positive effect on some Alzheimer’s outcomes. Obviously, it isn’t a frontline treatment, but staying active helps your brain continue to “work out” the parts that are connected to movement and body functions, which are negatively impacted by the mid and late stages of the disease.

we expect PT to progress and then slow down, even cease after a while. That’s because the injury has healed. But with Alzheimer’s, the goal of PT is to keep mobility high for as long as possible . It’s not a winning battle, but the longer we can stay active and mobile, the better our quality of life will be. Once the illness progresses to the mobility and physical function regions of the brain, physical therapy becomes all the more important. Because many late-stage Alzheimer’s patients can expect to be bedridden, increasing mobility as much as possible for as long as possible can help mitigate risks such as bed sores and other secondary ailments. According to a recent study published in the American Journal of Medicine, therapy and activity can decrease the disease progressing through the physical activity centers of the brain by as much as 50%. There’s no denying that Alzheimer’s is a frightening condition, and watching loved ones go through it is hard. But we aren’t powerless in this situation. We need to put together a treatment plan, and a holistic plan will include physical activity, and later physical therapy, to mitigate those aspects of the disease. It may not be a cure, but it is a smart and effective treatment based on hard science. Right now, that has to be enough.

To that end, physical therapy itself has a big part to play. The key goal is to retain mobility. If a patient has a broken leg,

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KALE, SEAWEED, AND OTHER NOT-SO-NEW SUPERFOODS There’s nothing so trendy as a new superfood or diet, and the “in vogue” ones change constantly. Older readers may remember the Atkins diets and other fads of the early 2000s, but younger ones may not even remember a time before the paleo diet was a thing — and it’s already almost a thing of the past. Many things we associate with these trends, though, are anything but new. We see this most clearly with the grains we turn to in the name of health. Westerners generally wouldn’t be familiar with quinoa, amaranth, teff, or kamut if it weren’t for their presence in the hippest healthy-eating Instagram feeds. Many of these foods

hail from Africa or the Far East, so it’s understandable we don’t know them all — but there’s nothing really new about them. People in the Americas and the Old World have eaten quinoa for 3,000–5,000 years. Teff, which is technically a grass seed, was one of the first domesticated plants, emerging thousands of years ago in what is now Ethiopia. Alternate sources of protein and fiber show a similar trend. Seaweed — the perennial favorite of Twitter dieters everywhere — has been consumed in China, Korea, and Japan since before recorded history. If you know anything about recorded history in those regions, then you know that’s a long time! And kale, whose reputation precedes itself, has been cultivated since at least 2,000 B.C. in Greece, Asia Minor, and other parts of the Mediterranean. So, the next time you dig into your favorite health food, take a moment to Google what you are eating. You might be part of a long line of human beings who have turned to that food for sustenance over the millennia!

GRILLED CHICKEN SHAWARMA Inspired by FeastingAtHome.com

TAKE A BREAK!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp ground cumin • 2 tbsp ground coriander • 2 tsp kosher salt • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper • 2 tsp turmeric • 1 tsp ground ginger

• 1 tsp ground black pepper • 2 tsp allspice • 8 garlic cloves, minced • 6 tbsp olive oil • 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

DIRECTIONS

1. To create marinade, whisk all spices with the garlic and olive oil in a medium bowl. 2. Add chicken to the bowl, coat well with marinade, cover, and let sit in the fridge for at least 20 minutes — or up to 48 hours. Strain off excess marinade before cooking.

3. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Grill thighs for 10–12 minutes on each side, or until a meat thermometer reads 165 F. 4. Serve with rice, vegetables, or pita bread with tzatziki.

• 3 206-524-6702

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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

206-524-6702 KaizenSeattle.com

5025 25th Ave. NE, #201 Seattle, WA 98105

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

1.

PREPARING FOR ANOTHER SUMMER AS OUR CHILDREN CONTINUE TO GROW

2. A SURPRISING WAY TO FIGHT ALZHEIMER'S 3. SUPERFOODS ARE NOT SO NEW ... GRILLED CHICKEN SHAWARMA 4. ‘TOO OLD’ FOR MARTIAL ARTS?

‘TOO OLD’ FOR MARTIAL ARTS? TELL IT TO MR. MIYAGI — and also beat down bad guy John Kreese in the process, despite Kreese being a much younger man. Mr. Miyagi is based on a “stock” character, or archetype, from traditional Asian martial arts culture. But there’s a grain of truth to it, whether you’re looking at real-life martial artists (Henry Plée comes to mind, who practiced well into his 80s) or fighting school founders in medieval Japan — who often viewed karate as integral to their understanding of Zen and other spiritual matters, and thus essential as they got older. Netflix’s “Cobra Kai” carries on the tradition, showing us a much-older LaRusso who takes on the Miyagi role, opposite his longtime “frenemy” Johnny Lawrence. LaRusso and Lawrence have both returned to karate in middle age, and even Kreese reappears, now in his 70s and as formidable as ever. Is that realistic? You bet! According to one study, the average karate practitioner is 55 years old, and the average martial artist is 46. Many in both groups report regular sparring and contact practice. If you’re a martial artist, you may have to make some adjustments as you get older, but you’ll never have to give up your discipline entirely. And if you’re new to the world of martial arts, it’s never too late to start — as long as you find the right teacher and school!

Martial arts get added to the list of activities we can’t do as we age, right? Unless you’re doing tai chi or aikido, most people think there’s no place in contact sports for aging folks.

Except, as it turns out, there is.

From hip shows like “Cobra Kai” (and its basis, “The Karate Kid”) to centuries of tradition, older people and martial arts actually mix quite well — and they can be a great throughline for an active life. Martial arts took off in the United States back in the 1980s with the “Karate Kid” franchise, which continues today. The original movies showed us Pat Morita, an Okinawan expatriate and karate master who trains Ralph Macchio’s character, Daniel LaRusso. Morita’s Mr. Miyagi is no spring chicken, but he’s able to take LaRusso to new levels of karate expertise

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join us for a FULL WEEK of FREE EXAMS!

JUNE 21–25

Dear Valued Patient,

The week of free exams will be held June 21–25. Appointments are free but limited in the number we can accommodate. Call or email now to schedule!

We have exciting news! To give back and thank our community for their continued support, we are hosting a full week of free exam appointments with our team of physical therapy experts.

Our expert team of physical therapists can help with all types of issues, including:

These exams are perfect for:

Back pain

Knee pain

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Sciatica

Pain in hands or feet

» All past patients who have not seen a physical therapist in more than three months

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» Arthritis

Problems walking

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Shoulder pain

» All present patients who have another problem not currently being treated

»

Sports injuries

»

Neck pain

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Balance or dizziness

» All friends and family of our past and present patients

»

Headaches

»

Your free exam consists of a 20-minute, one-on-one appointment with one of our physical therapists, who will talk with you about the history of your problem and ensure that you leave knowing:

If you are having pain or problems with walking, standing, sitting for long periods, going up or down stairs, getting in or out of the car, sleeping, driving, exercising, playing sports or working long hours, then this is an excellent opportunity to see one of our qualified therapists and find the cause of your problem. Call 206-524-6702 or email us at [email protected] to schedule your free exam before slots run out! And as a special bonus, all who attend a free exam appointment during the week of June 21–25 will receive a FREE copy of my book, “Back to Normal.”

1. The cause of your pain or problem

2. What a plan for successful treatment looks like

If you are a past or present patient, schedule your free exam by calling us at 206-524-6702 or send us an email to [email protected] . If you are referring a friend or family member, give them this insert and have them call us to schedule their free exam at 206-524-6702 or send us an email to [email protected] .

Sincerely,

–Dr. Colin Sisco Colin Sisco, Owner and Physical Therapist

www.kaizenseattle.com

206-524-6702

HERE’S WHAT OTHERS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT KAIZEN PT!

“Before coming to Kaizen Physical Therapy, I was having lots of pain in my lower back from overuse, work, and baseball over the summer. Since coming to Kaizen, I have had a plan in place to help combat my back pain, and now, after all my sessions, I feel better than ever and am ready to get back to going 100% in everything I do. Thank you to everyone at Kaizen and Dan in particular!” –Cade S.

“After fracturing my hip, I could only crawl and was in a walker for five weeks. After two weeks of physical therapy, I was healed enough to go snowmobiling and was better than before my accident. I’m still doing my rubber band exercises and feeling stronger daily!” –Fred W.

“I fell on concrete and hit the back of my head. When I came to, I could not close my jaw and it was uncomfortable to eat. Colin worked on my jaw and the muscles in my head and was able to realign my jaw after just a few visits. Now I can enjoy chewing steak again!” –Robin H.

“I injured some hip and groin muscles during a workout class and was subsequently experiencing a lot of pain in my day- to-day activities. After working with Barry, I have made tons of progress and seen so much improvement. Having never needed PT before, I was unsure what to expect, but Barry made the process so stress-free, easy, and even fun!” –Kasey I.

206-524-6702 KaizenSeattle.com