Kinetic PT - October 2021

Kinetic PT - October 2021

OCTOBER 2021

847-515-8970 • www.KineticPTS.com

Octopuses, Superheroes, and Yoda, Oh My! Remembering My All-Time Favorite Halloween Costumes

One great thing about having kids is that they make Halloween a lot more fun. Dressing up is great as an adult, but kids take it to the next level! These days my boys are a bit old for Halloween costumes (although you never know with Nathan — he might surprise me this year), but October always brings back great memories of Halloweens past. In particular, I’ll never forget the year when both of my boys decided to dress up as superheroes. They were each under 10 at the time, and Zach, my older son, just had to be The Flash. Of course, being the theater kid that he is, it wasn’t enough for him to just dress up in costume — he needed to be in character all night, too. Zach really committed to the part. It started as soon as someone handed him candy on their doorstep. Instead of waiting for us, Zach made a zooming noise and sprinted as quickly as he could to the next house. He left us all in the dust! I can still remember Nathan wailing after him, “Wait! Quit running!” but of course, The Flash’s speed slows down for no one. Nathan’s costume was also on point that year. He made up his own superhero called “The Windenator,” who had the power to create gusts of wind and blow things down. To create his costume, Emilie bought a Green Lantern outfit complete with cape and fake muscles. Then, she printed out a tornado and glued it onto Nathan’s chest. He was beyond excited! As you might remember from past newsletters, our family also gets a kick out of dressing our French bulldog, Stitch, up for Halloween. One year, we squeezed him into a Yoda costume and let him

Another year, Emilie dressed up as a scuba diver and put Stitch in a matching octopus outfit. Then, she strapped him to her chest in a BabyBjörn. You should have seen the looks on the faces of the other trick-or-treaters when they saw her walking around the neighborhood. At first, they all thought Stitch was a human baby, and of course, he has a face only a mother could love! The reactions when they realized he was a dog dressed up in an octopus hat were priceless. Fortunately, Stitch is really laid back and loves being part of our Halloween high jinks. Usually my costumes aren’t quite as wild as the rest of the family’s. One year my neighbor and I went to a Halloween party dressed as Fred and Barney from “The Flintstones,” and another year I went as a character from “Teen Wolf.” Sometimes the whole Kinetic PT team gets in on the fun, although we have to pick costumes that don’t get in the way of our mobility. Our go-to costumes are M&M’s. We all dress up with different colored T-shirts. If you have a Halloween appointment with us this month, feel free to come in costume! Just don’t choose an outfit covered in glitter, like one of our patients did a while back. Let’s just say we were picking shiny purple flecks out of our carpet for a year after she left.

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Have a fantastic Halloween, and we’ll see you soon! –Mike Ulmer

onto the porch every time we opened the door for trick-or-treaters. A lot of people spoiled him with pets that night!

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Self-Help Books Can’t Do It All How Reading Fiction Can Benefit You

Many CEOs and other successful individuals continually espouse the benefits of regular reading. Many times, leaders read self-help books to improve their leadership skills and become more successful. This is all well and good, but even the most successful people in the world could be missing out on the unique benefits that come specifically from reading fiction. But what are those benefits exactly? GREATER EMPATHY When a psychologist analyzed 86 functioning MRI (fMRI) studies, he found that the same parts of the brain that fire up when reading fictional stories also fire up when we’re seeking to understand the thoughts and feelings of others. That’s because when the characters in the book we’re reading are thinking or feeling a

certain way, we tend to think or feel that way with them.

LESS STRESS AND BETTER SLEEP When we read fiction specifically, we tend to disengage from the world — and that’s a good thing! Our brains can’t always be functioning at their peak capacity. We need breaks, or else we’ll stress ourselves out and negatively affect other areas of our lives. Stress tends to keep us from sound sleep, but reading fiction before bed engages the imagination, taking us away from the stresses of everyday life before we drift off.

little more open-ended. While this fact might stress out some people, researchers have discovered that fiction readers don’t need “cognitive closure” as much as nonfiction readers. GREATER HAPPINESS Even if none of the benefits of fiction interest you, everyone wants to find ways to make themselves happy — and for many, that is reading fiction. According to one survey, 76% of participants said that reading makes them feel good and improves their lives. So, what are you waiting for? Dust off that novel you’ve been meaning to read and crack it open!

MORE COMFORT WITH UNCERTAINTY Even though many stories

(particularly those portrayed in popular movies) have nice happy endings, most people would agree that life sometimes leaves things a

Testimonials

“Now I can do what I love — SWIM!!

“Together with Emery, we developed a successful PT routine that strengthened my knee and kept me running. All of the exercises he taught me were easily transferable to a home regimen — no equipment necessary! Thank you to Kinetic and especially to Emery!”

“I went from barely being able to lift my arm to having full range of motion within a matter of weeks. Emilie is so patient and pushes when necessary. I feel so blessed to have found such an awesome place. Thank you!!”

–Pam Hendrix

–Todd Kane

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Start Healing Your Hip or Knee Pain Today

When your hip or knee starts to ache, it might be tempting to blame it on arthritis. But what if you’re “too young” for an arthritis problem, or you don’t have other classic arthritis symptoms, like the feeling that your joint is locking or grinding? If that dilemma sounds familiar, you might be experiencing a cousin of arthritis that gets a lot less attention: bursitis. WHAT IS BURSITIS? To put it simply, bursitis is a problem with the fluid- filled sac that lubricates your hip or knee joint. This sack is called the bursa, and bursitis crops up when it gets inflamed. This can happen because of overuse of the joint (e.g., while playing sports) or after a fall, car crash, or similar traumatic impact. Whatever the cause, pain is the result! HOW CAN I TELL IF I HAVE BURSITIS RATHER THAN ARTHRITIS? Symptoms of bursitis include sharp pain in the affected joint, achiness, stiffness, and worsening pain after you move around, walk, or climb stairs. If your bursitis is in your hip (aka trochanteric bursitis), you might experience pain at night when you lie on that side of your body. Inspired by Tasty.co Oktoberfest Soft Pretzels

You can tell bursitis and arthritis apart by pinpointing when during the day your pain is worst. If the mornings are particularly bad, you’re more likely to have arthritis. Arthritis is also more likely to make your joint stiff and inflexible. With bursitis, you’ll feel pain when moving your joint but still have a good range of motion. HOW CAN PT HELP? Physical therapy is the least invasive treatment option for bursitis and has fewer potential side effects than medication, injections, or surgery. In our clinic, we treat both trochanteric bursitis and bursitis of the knee. We use gentle, hands-on techniques to relax your muscles; joint mobilization to decrease joint stiffness; targeted stretches and exercises to build your strength and flexibility; and ice, heat, ultrasound, or electrical stimulation to decrease your pain. Everybody is different, but most people with bursitis can be back on their feet and enjoy their regular routines after a few weeks or months of treatment. Call our clinic today to learn more, and if you have a friend experiencing hip or knee pain, send them our way!

Sudoku

INGREDIENTS • 1 1/2 cups warm water • 1 tbsp salt • 1 tbsp sugar • 1 packet active dry yeast DIRECTIONS 1. In a bowl, combine water, salt, and sugar. Add yeast and let rest for 5 minutes. Add flour and 2 tbsp oil, then mix thoroughly into a dough. 2. Remove the dough from

• 4 1/2 cups flour • 3 tbsp oil, divided • 2/3 cup baking soda • 2 eggs, beaten • Coarse salt, for sprinkling 4. Cut dough into 8 pieces. Roll them into thin ropes, then twist ropes into pretzel shapes. 5. In a large pot, boil water. Add baking soda, then boil each pretzel for 1 minute, flipping halfway through. 6. Transfer pretzels to a baking sheet. Brush them with egg and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 10–15 minutes. Enjoy!

the bowl. Coat bowl with remaining oil, then return the dough, cover with

plastic wrap, and set it aside in a warm place for 1 hour. 3. Preheat oven to 450 F.

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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

847-515-8970 www.KineticPTS.com

11920 Oak Creek Parkway Huntley, IL 60142

INSIDE Mike’s All-Time Favorite Halloween Costumes PAGE 1

The Unique Benefits of Reading Fiction PAGE 2

Testimonials PAGE 2

How PT Can Help Kick Bursitis to the Curb PAGE 3

Oktoberfest Soft Pretzels PAGE 3

3 Haunted Destinations to Visit This October PAGE 4

Stay a while at Hotel Monte Vista in Flagstaff, Arizona.

October is one of the best months for travel in the U.S. With mild temperatures and gorgeous, colorful leaves everywhere, there’s no better time for a cross-country road trip. Add some Halloween flair to your October vacation with these three ghostly attractions. Visit the most haunted town in the U.S. — Waynesville, Ohio. Sure, New Orleans may have a spooky past, but it doesn’t compare to Waynesville. Many residents and visitors think this Ohio town is rife with ghosts. You may hear cries to “hurry up” at The Hammel House Inn, where many tunnels for the underground railroad came through, or you could see the apparition of a businessman

Guests at Hotel Monte Vista have often enjoyed long stays at the downtown Flagstaff, Arizona, hotel, but not everyone leaves. Constructed in 1927, the hotel is host to a number of reported ghosts. The most well-known is an elderly woman who would spend hours rocking in the chair in her room. Today, her chair can be found moving on its own. Another popular visitor is the ghost of a bellboy who knocks on doors and announces that room service has arrived — only, no one’s there. Is there a monster in Pine Barrens, New Jersey? This one’s for those who love mysterious creatures. Pine Barrens is a mass of forested land that spreads across seven counties in New Jersey — and its most famous resident isn’t human. The Jersey Devil has a long, storied history and is said to be a combination of many animals: Its body is shaped like a kangaroo with wings. It has the head of a dog but the face of a horse. The creature is believed to have had a sickly start to life in 1735 and has stayed to haunt the forest’s inhabitants and even those who visit the area today.

from the 1800s who “never checked out.” Other sources report hauntings at the town’s historical society, Museum at the Friends Home, including a little girl who moves toys and sits on the porch. The society leans into the local fascination and hosts regular walking ghost tours and ghost hunting classes.

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