ManualEdgePT_Direct Access and the Benefits of Physical The…

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Monthly EVERY BREATH WE TAKE PART III

In my last 2 newsletter articles we talked about abdominal/ diaphragmbreathing and chest breathing, and how important each of themare to the normal pain free function of your body. This month, I’d like to talk about what happens to breathing as a result of your body’s response to trauma. Trauma can be the result of a physical event, like being in a car accident, playing sports, or suffering a fall. That type of trauma is pretty easy to understand for most of us. The harder to understand type of trauma related to breathing can be the result of a psychological or emotional event like sexual abuse, witnessing a tragic event, hearing bad news, or even listening to someone describe a past trauma. The negative impact on the body can be very serious, and the ability of you to function and live a pain free life can be impacted by any of these types of traumas. One of the many reasons that trauma impacts the body so negatively is because of the ‘shock’ it imparts to the central nervous system (brain) and the diaphragm. Have you ever had the wind knocked out of you? There are many ways it could happen, all usually involving trauma. I’ve experienced this, and believe me, I never jumped on the football like that again. All of my air was forcefully expelled frommy body in about a half a second. It took a while for me to be able to breathe normally again, and not being able to get air into my lungs was pretty scary. That lead to some panic and it put me into a full blow Fight-Flight-Freeze response. My sympathetic nervous systemwas going 100mph because I needed to breathe! Have you ever heard bad news or witnessed something tragic? If so, do you remember how your breath reacted? We often respond to this type of trauma by taking in a quick, short gasp of a breath, and then holding it. The breath is incomplete during this period of intense emotional reaction. The combination of the incomplete breath, holding the breath, and the emotion itself can cause the diaphragm to get stuck or spasm.

Now, combine a few of these physical and psychological/ emotional traumas described above over a several year period, and you have a recipe for a breathing disaster. As we know, now the rib cage no longer moves like an accordion. The dome tent-shaped diaphragm doesn’t work well because it’s in spasm so you can’t breathe into your belly. This all leads to trouble breathing and can contribute to back and neck pain, perhaps chest pain, headaches, and even a full-blown body wide pain syndrome. Like getting the wind knocked out of you by jumping on a football, the lack of the ability to breathe combined with psychological/emotional trauma, leads to a heightened Fight- Flight-Freeze response. The result is a constant level of low intensity panic or hyper-arousal that many of our patients experience on a daily basis. And lest this leads to fast and short breaths, and the whole cycle continues on. The treatment of the body’s response to this type of trauma can be very complex, often requiring other medical andmental health professionals, to achieve lasting change and pain relief for our patients. As Physical Therapists that treat trauma, one of the primary goals is to treat the ‘shock’ in the patient’s body and restore proper mobility to the breathingmechanism. The treatment of shock always starts with taking the spasm out of the diaphragm. I would like to tell you that doing all of the previously discussed breathing exercises and the standing backstroke exercise would be enough to remove the shock from the diaphragm. Unfortunately, it usually isn’t. That’s where we come in! Tim Bonack

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Monthly

Physiotherapy? It’s true, thanks to direct access laws in our state. If you require physical therapy for a chronic condition or injury, call our clinic today to learn more about how you can get started on your journey towards a pain-free life. In the meantime, keep reading to learn more about direct access legislation, and the benefits of physical therapy for improved health and wellness. DIRECT ACCESS & THE BENEFITS OF PHYSICAL THERAPY

Have you ever received an injury or woken up with a pain in your back, hips, legs, or shoulders? Your first thought was probably “I need to call my doctor and see if I can get in the office for a visit today.” So you call them, and you’re disappointed to hear there are no available openings for you to be seen for another week. This means another week of attempting to self-medicate, another week of sleepless nights and discomfort. This is typically the case in many situations of chronic pain, but it doesn’t have to be! Did you know that you don’t need to have a referral from your primary care provider to see a physical therapist at Manual Edge

If you are interested in coming back to physical therapy, or have any questions about how direct access works, our physical therapists would be more than happy to meet with you for a consultation to discuss how they can help. Call us today to talk to an expert about how we can help you recover!

Call Today 719-694-8342

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WHAT IS DIRECTACCESS?

Direct Access allows you to be in control of your healthcare and the speed at which you’re able to receive it. Direct access laws allow patients to receive an evaluation and treatment from a physical therapist without a physician’s referral. This means less time and money spent trying to find a solution to your pain and discomfort. New Mexico is one of 28 states that allow direct access to physical therapy. Their website outlines the requirements for a physical therapy clinic to treat direct access patients, stating: • “The PT must refer a patient to the patient’s licensed healthcare provider if the patient has not made measurable or functional improvement 30 days after starting therapy treatment. • If the patient is making measurable progress and improving, the 30- day limit does not apply. THE 30-DAY PROVISION ALSO DOES NOT APPLY TO: Treatment provided for complaints related to chronic neuromuscular or developmental conditions for patients previously diagnosed with such a condition. • Health promotion, wellness, fitness, or health maintenance services. • Services provided to patients who are, under federal law, participating in programs involving an education or family service plan.” (WebPT)

This also results in quicker access to healthcare that is more effective and long-lasting than prescription medications. The faster you get in to see a physical therapist for assessment and treatment, the sooner you can begin your journey to feeling better. Not to mention, it’ll save you loads of money in the long run, and it will also help you to get back to living a normal, active lifestyle much faster!

CALL US TODAY AT 719-694-8342 TO SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT!

EXERCISE ESSENTIAL

Helps Stretch Inner Thigh

www.simpleset.net

PEANUT BUTTER OAT BALLS A Great After-School Snack

HIPADDUCTORSTRETCH Begin in the side lunge position as shown. Your leg should be out to the side and slightly behind you, both feet flat on the floor. Keeping your back straight, lunge deeper to the side until you feel a stretch along the inside of your leg. Hold for 20 seconds and repeat 5 times on each leg.

INGREDIENTS: • 1 cup quick oats • 1/2 cup peanut butter • 1 Tbsp. ground flax seed

• 2 Tbsp. wheat germ • 1/3 cup honey • 1/2 cup mini baking M&M’s or mini chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS: Mix all the ingredients together either in a mixing bowl with a spoon or a Kitchen-Aid mixer with paddle attachment. Place mixture in refrigerator for about 15 minutes, or until chilled enough to roll into balls without being too sticky. When chilled and not as sticky, roll into balls and place on a piece of parchment paper on a plate and place in refrigerator, until set.

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WHY CHOOSE PHYSICAL THERAPY?

SHOULDER PAIN

Now that you’re up to speed on the benefits of direct access, you should also understand the benefits of physical therapy and what it can do for your overall health! Physical therapy is a safe, healthy, and effective way to combat a variety of acute and chronic pain conditions -- all without the use of harmful and addictive pain medication. A physical therapist is a movement specialist, educated in analyzing mobility issues with walking, running, jumping, bending, stretching, and almost every other form of physical activity. Physical therapists know exactly how to pinpoint your problem areas and create a customized treatment plan aimed at improving or relieving your pain condition. They can also teach you how to prevent future injuries from occurring, which is an added bonus if you’re an athlete or enjoy playing physically demanding sports. SOME OF THE MOST COMMON CONDITIONS MANUAL EDGE PHYSIOTHERAPY CAN HELP TREAT:

Manual Edge Physiotherapy offers the most effective techniques for rel ief from Shoulder Pain! To learn more about how we can help you, visit www.manualedge.com

CLINIC UPDATE

• Ankle & Wrist Sprains Or Strains • Arthritis • Lymphedema • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome • Back Pain • Herniated Discs • Neck Pain

• Shoulder Pain • Hip Pain • Knee Pain • Headaches • Joint Pain

Tim and Zoe on a dolphin watching excursion off the cost of California

• Sciatica • & More!

Manual Edge Physiotherapy physical therapists help patients strengthen their muscles and joints, improve their range of motion, prevent injury improve their balance, build endurance, and experience pain relief, all without the unwanted harmful risks of drugs or surgery.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF DIRECT ACCESS

Manual Edge Physiotherapy is here to provide support to you every step of your recovery journey. Our success depends upon your success, and we strive to create a warm, welcoming environment where you can heal safely and comfortably. Call our clinic to learn more about direct access and to schedule an appointment with one of our skilled and attentive therapists. We’re here to help you reach your feel better and reach your goals.

https://www.webpt.com/downloads/the-pts-guide-to-direct-access-law-in-all-50-states/

Tim’s wife Zoe celebrating her 50 th Birthday

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