Liberty Rehabilitation Specialists - April 2022

Liberty Rehabilitation Specialists - April 2022

APRIL 2022

LIBERTY NEWS REAL CARE. REAL RESULTS. FOR REAL LIFE

NORTH CENTRAL 415 Embassy Oaks Dr. #202, San Antonio, TX 78216 210.490.4738

NORTHEAST 2130 NE Loop 410, Ste. 212, San Antonio, TX 78217 210.656.5848

SOUTHSIDE 3138 SE Military Dr., Ste. 113, San Antonio, TX 78223 210.922.6292

MOVE WELL, FEEL WELL, BE WELL MOVEMENT: AN ESSENTIAL HEALTH COMPONENT

Japanese Tea Garden A year-round garden, the Japanese Tea Garden is a tranquil place to enjoy the great outdoors while taking in different beautiful views and scenery. Check out the 60-foot waterfall and diverse koi ponds, featuring Japan’s vibrant fish. Japan’s culture is reflected in this exhibit, perfectly crafted for hours of entertainment. The best part is that it’s pet friendly! So, as long as your dog is on a leash, you can bring him or her along! Cibolo Nature Center Dive right into nature at the Cibolo Nature Center, which features many different landscapes. You can walk through a native prairie, explore the spring-fed marsh, or wade in the creek. Beneath the oak and cypress canopies, the Cibolo Nature Center is a fun way to take in Earth’s beauty. San Antonio Missions This historical park offers so much of San Antonio’s history, with many things to do, food to eat, and places to stay. You can explore both the old and the new while taking in the richness of our city and its cultural past. Our best recommendation is to wear comfortable shoes — there is a lot to see and do! Chicken N Pickle This one is relatively new! It’s an indoor/outdoor space dedicated to 11 pickleball courts, dining, shuffleboard, bocce ball, many games, and more! It’s a great place to meet up with friends and enjoy a beautiful day under the San Antonio sun. Comanche Lookout Park With 96 acres of land to explore, you can’t go wrong heading out to Comanche Lookout Park. There are many areas to walk, run, work out, have a picnic, or just enjoy some time outdoors. With an elevation of 1,340 feet, this park is the fourth highest point in Bexar County! Which locations will you choose to visit and enjoy? Let us know about your experiences — nothing beats getting outdoors and moving! Remember: Move well, feel well, be well! – Mary Lou Lugo PT, DPT

Movement is essential for our overall health and to keep our muscles, joints, and bodies performing at their best. April is Move More Month and with the weather warming up, longer days, flowers blooming, and summer approaching, getting out, being active, and moving is so important this spring season! According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), staying physically active by walking can help you to live a longer life and even lower your risk for heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, depression, stroke, and certain types of cancers. This spring, we’ve compiled a list of local areas to visit. So, pick a couple, get up, enjoy the fresh air, and move! San Antonio Botanical Garden With 41 acres of vegetation, plant life, and greenery smack dab in the middle of the city, how can you go wrong? At the San Antonio Botanical Garden, there are so many areas to stroll through, taking in the beauty of flowers, plants, and trees. If you do some planning, there are many events, trails, tours, and activities to do, including storytime for kids as well! There are many gardens to explore and enjoy, each with their own distinct form of beauty. San Antonio Zoo A popular attraction, the San Antonio Zoo is an excellent place to get up close and personal with a variety of different animals while observing them in their habitats. There are many events and educational programs to take part in while spending some time outdoors with these amazing zoo friends. WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU! PLEASE TAKE A MINUTE TO COMPLETE A GOOGLE REVIEW FOR THE CLINIC YOU VISITED MOST RECENTLY:

NORTHEAST

NORTH CENTRAL

SOUTHEAST

• 1 WWW.LIBERTY-REHAB.COM

Published by Newsletter Pro | www.NewsletterPro.com

HEALING AS OLD AS DIRT HORTICULTURE THERAPY MIGHT HELP YOU TO RECOVER!

When you’re in pain, daily activities like walking to the mailbox or reaching for a plate from the cupboard can exacerbate inflamed joints and weak muscles. However, just simply being a human can intensify this pain, too. The reason is in your brain. For years, researchers have connected our mental well-being with our physical health. Study after study shows that those who suffer from mental illnesses also have intense bouts of pain. Physical therapy is a powerful treatment method designed to use your body’s strength and movement to stimulate physical healing. But to holistically recover from an injury or pain, you may have to also address your mental health. This spring, as April showers loom, consider a centuries-old practice that has shown time and time again to improve mental wellness. All it requires is a little dirt, patience, and the great outdoors. What is horticulture therapy? As the American Horticultural Therapy Association explains, horticulture therapy can improve cognitive and memory abilities, balance, language skills, and endurance, among

other benefits. It’s the practice of gardening to stimulate mindfulness. Dating back to

ancient Mesopotamia, the Persians were known for creating beautiful, calming gardens for this very purpose, and the first documented use of gardening for medical reasons is from the 1800s. Since then, connecting humans to plants is now a common treatment in many countries. What do I have to do? To effectively engage in horticulture therapy, you have to engage with nature. Plant a small garden in your yard and tend to it each day or week. Join a community garden, plant an indoor herb garden, or pluck weeds from your yard. If you’re not much of a gardener, try visiting local botanical gardens or hike a local trail and identify plant life each week. Or, ask your local nursery for suggestions about plants that are easy to care for. The goal is to physically and mentally connect with nature, which bonds you to a simpler form of life.

To learn more about horticulture therapy, connect with a local psychiatrist or counselor.

Everyone knows lasers can be awesome weapons in sci-fi, but not all lasers are deadly. In fact, they can help accelerate your healing process! But how? Let’s walk through laser therapy together — a highly safe, trusted treatment within physical therapy. The Science of Light It sounds like the murmur of a mad scientist to say that light energy from a laser can reduce your muscle’s pain and inflammation, accelerate healing in damaged tissues, relax your Heal Faster and Eliminate Pain With Lasers It’s Not Science Fiction — It’s Here

muscles, and even possibly stimulate nerve regeneration. However, science (or, in other words, decades of research) suggests that these effects actually occur. To put it simply, when a laser reaches a certain wavelength — specifically, within the infrared spectrum, which is greater than the red end of the visible light spectrum, but less than that of conventional microwaves — it can penetrate our skin, not unlike X-rays. With enough power, that wavelength can reach considerable depth for muscle therapy purposes. Lasers are excellent for physical therapy because they stimulate the building blocks of collagen, which is crucial for healing damaged tissues. Lasers can also decrease nerve sensitivity by decreasing bradykinin, a peptide that promotes inflammation. This is through normalizing ion channels, which act as cellular gatekeepers, and releasing endorphins,

the body’s natural pain reliever. Lasers can even have a pain-blocking effect on certain nerves in your body. Class 3 and 4 Lasers You’ll see two classes of lasers in physical therapy: Class 3 and 4. The main difference isn’t the wavelength, but the power used. This has a lot to do with the depth to which the laser needs to penetrate.

Class 3 operates at less than 500 milliwatts (mW) and is sometimes

referred to as a “cold laser” or LLLT for low-level laser therapy. These lasers don’t generate a lot of heat. Class 4 lasers operate at greater than 500 mW and do create a warming sensation on the skin, but they aren’t dangerous or harmful. The best laser is the one optimized to treat your particular injury or pain. Call your physical therapist with any questions — even just 1–2 treatments can make a significant difference.

2 • WWW.LIBERTY-REHAB.COM

Published by Newsletter Pro | www.NewsletterPro.com

Protein Doesn’t Equal Bulk! ENHANCE LIFELONG WORKOUT GOALS AND FIGHT AGING High-protein diets and protein powders are a bodybuilder favorite — which is probably why everyone thinks eating extra protein will make them bulky. But that’s not true! Here are four reasons why everyone agrees that protein is crucial to any healthy routine.

No. 1: Protein reduces your appetite and hunger levels.

growth, but it can also help maintain your muscle mass while you are losing weight or even aging. Who knew protein could be a part of your beauty regimen? No. 3: Protein boosts metabolism. Your body uses calories to digest and utilize nutrients in food, and it’s a lot easier for your body to process protein compared to other nutrients. That’s why high protein intake has been shown to significantly “boost” people’s metabolisms and increase the number of calories they burn. No. 4: Women need protein most, especially as they get older. As women age, protein becomes important to balance hormones as well

as keep weight off. This could be due to the abundant amino acids found in protein and how important they are to hormone production. In a 2015 study, hormone experts found that a diet of 20–30 grams of protein per meal can lead to significant anabolic and metabolic benefits for adults. The best way to consume protein is through high-protein meals. Don’t rely solely on protein powders, which often lack the additional nutrients, both macro and micro, that benefit a high-protein diet. Thankfully, there are many options for having this type of diet, even if you’re vegan. We hope this information will help you stay healthy for many decades to come!

While fats, carbs, and protein will affect your body in different ways, studies show that protein is the most filling. You won’t reach for midnight snacks as often, if at all. Not only does it help you feel fuller for longer periods, but it also accomplishes this with less food. In one study, increasing protein intake from 15%–30% of calories helped overweight women eat around 441 fewer calories every day without intentionally restricting their diet. No. 2: Protein increases muscle mass — and maintains it. Protein is in every cell in our bodies. For your muscles, protein not only helps promote muscle strengthening and

HEALTHIER, LIGHTER DEVILED EGGS

TAKE A BREAK!

Inspired by LiveEatLearn.com

INGREDIENTS

• 6 large eggs • 3 tbsp Greek yogurt • 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• 1 tsp lemon juice • Optional: Hot sauce, to taste • Optional: Paprika and chives, chopped, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large pot, add eggs and cover with water. Put on high heat, and then boil eggs for 10 minutes. 2. Once boiled, peel eggs by gently tapping and removing the shell. (Adding the eggs to an ice bath after boiling can make this task easier.) 3. Cut eggs lengthwise and place yolks into a medium mixing bowl. Set egg white halves open side up on a plate. 4. In a bowl, combine yolks, yogurt, mustard, lemon juice, and hot sauce (if desired) until smooth. 5. Transfer the yolk mixture into the egg white halves. Garnish with paprika and chives if desired.

• 3 WWW.LIBERTY-REHAB.COM

Published by Newsletter Pro | www.NewsletterPro.com

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

www.liberty-rehab.com

NORTH CENTRAL 415 Embassy Oaks Dr. #202 San Antonio, TX 78216 210.490.4738

1. Move Well, Feel Well, Be Well 2. Your Garden Can Help You Heal! How Lasers Eliminate Your Pain 3. Why Protein Will Fight Aging — And More Healthier, Lighter Deviled Eggs 4. The Truth About ‘Exergaming’ INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Experts Love Fitness Video Games — You Might, Too ‘EXERGAMING’ CAN MAKE REAL EXERCISE FUN

To make your fitness goals more fun, you might consider implementing fitness video games, such as Ring Fit Adventure for Nintendo Switch, into your routine. But do they actually work at keeping you in shape, or are they a gimmick? Which is better? A treadmill or an active video game? Recently, researchers from Brazil and the UK put together a randomized trial comparing the physiological effects of jogging on a treadmill compared to playing a few rounds on an active video game. All participants had Type 1 diabetes, and exercise is crucial to managing the condition. What went into this study? All participants, no matter their activity, were tested for heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen consumption efficiency, and endothelial function (a marker for blood fluidity). Health readings were collected

on three occasions, including immediately after the activity, 30 minutes after, and 24 hours after. The study went on for three weeks, with two workouts per week. The results? The health readings were not only very similar, but also the blood glucose levels among participants declined to safe levels after both activities — with the added bonus that individuals who played active video games enjoyed the exercise a lot more.

“Exergaming” is all about putting yourself in a workout you enjoy most, especially for those with diabetes, says

Dr. Jorge Brito-Gomes, a researcher at the Universidade Federal do Vale do São Francisco, Brazil. He told Eat This, Not That: "Gamifying exercise not only takes your mind off the exertion, but working toward rewards in the game or even competing against friends helps motivate you to keep coming back to do more." Looking for an active video game to try? Check out Ring Fit Adventure for the Nintendo Switch or Just Dance 2021 for all gaming consoles, or if you have a virtual reality headset, try Beat Saber, which starts out at low intensity as a rhythm game but can quickly turn into a mid- to high-intensity experience with increased difficulty!

Are games a replacement for gym exercise?

Not necessarily — it depends on your workout intensity and fitness goals. If you tend to go for mid- to high-intensity workouts, you need to find an active video game that allows you to achieve that level. When it comes to exercise, the human body doesn’t discriminate. Carrying heavy groceries burns calories just like weights do at the gym!

4 • WWW.LIBERTY-REHAB.COM

Published by Newsletter Pro | www.NewsletterPro.com