Marathon: A Pain In The Neck

Marathon: A Pain In The Neck

Marathon Monthly March 2019 Physical Therapy

Is Your Digital Lifestyle Affecting Your Posture? It’s time to discuss the affects of text neck.

Poorposture issomethingwenormallydonot think of as a contributor to neck and back pain. However, in our era of constantly being on smart phones, tablets, and computers, we often put our necks and backs in positions of prolonged stress. Over time, this contributes to increased stress to our vertebrae, disc and muscles supporting the spine. Text neck is the term used to describe the neck pain and damage sustained from looking down at your cell phone, tablet, or other wireless devices too frequently and for too long. Of course, this posture of bending your neck to look down does not occur only when texting. For years, we’ve all looked down to read. The problem with texting is that itaddsonemoreactivity thatcausesus to look down—and people tend to do it for much longer periods. It is especially concerning because young, growing children could possibly cause permanent damage to their cervical spines that could lead to lifelong neck pain. We often see patients who have suffered from back and neck pain for years who could have been treated very easily when the pain started with simple postural corrections and stretches. If you have been suffering from back or neck pain, come see one of our therapists for an assessment of what is contributing to your pain.

TOP HACKS TO KEEP YOU OFF YOUR PHONE 1. Move your phone elsewhere when you sit down. 2. Turn off notifications. 3. Choose an end point for your browsing session. 4. Don’t use your phone in bed. 5. Take distracting apps off your home screen. 6. Set your phone to grayscale. 7. Delete social media apps from your phone. 8. Turn your phone off.

(516) 487-9810

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Neck Pain 101

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8 1 4 3 6 8 5 7 5 4 In many situations, pain that develops in the neck can be associated with one of two major problems. The first is upper-back pain that begins to radiate into the neck. The second is arthritis. Physical therapy can be used to address both types of neck pain. Cervical arthritis causes frequent aches in the neck and shoulders. This pain is generally worse when there are sudden changes in weather or at the end of the day, and while over-the-counter medication may make the pain less severe, it won’t eliminate the pain entirely. The biggest problem posed by cervical arthritis is that the pain will typically cause a loss of range of motion in the neck, which actually increa es your risk of injury as a result of a sudden movement and causes regular discomfort and frustration as you are not able to utilize your neck in the way you normally could. There are plenty of situations in which pain in the neck as a result of cervical arthritis grows so severe that it can cause chronic poor posture and even a reduction in height. Addressing the Core Problem The majority of neck and head pain can be helped with one simple strategy: strength building. It frequently happens that the absolute cause of the start of a pain in the neck or head is a result of poor posture or quickened motion, and building core strength, as well as strength in the neck, can make a huge difference in your ability to handle tasks without experiencing chronic pain. 1 4 2 4 3 9 7 2 4 http://1sudoku.com n° 326113 - Level Hard 4 8 7 1 6 3 8 2 5 8 4 5 7 4 6

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9 8 6 Keep in mind that the neck and head are sensitive areas, so attempting to treat the pain at home can be dangerous and may not be effective. Working with a physical therapist is the safe way to ensure that you are practicing positive techniques to find relief from your aches and pains.

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Helps Strengthen Neck

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8 7 CERVICAL CHIN TUCK While lying on your back with a small rolled up towel under the curve of your neck, tuck your chin towards your chest. Maintain contact of your head with the surface you are lying on the entire time. 4 2

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Patient Success Story

It’s Time For A Free Tune-Up Are you Experiencing a new pain that you’d like us to examine FOR FREE before it gets worse?

“Before PT, I used to suffer from headaches and dizziness which sometimes causes me to lose balance. During my time at Marathon Physical Therapy I was treated with various maneuvers to focus on my vertigo and various neck stretching to alleviate my symptoms. I really appreciate Kevin and Joe so much, because they played essential roles to my recovery frommy vertigo. Thanks and God bless you more!“ - Claire “My Recovery FromMy Vertigo” Healthy Recipe Guacamole With Tortilla Chips

Negin is administering Laser Treatment to a patient’s left knee and lower leg which will help lessen inflammation, improve flexibility at the knee, and also REDUCE pain. You get your car inspected every year, shouldn’t you do the same with your joints?

INGREDIENTS Chips: • 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas • Cooking spray • 1/2 tsp salt • 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder

• 1/3 cup chopped onion • 1/3 cup chopped plum tomato • 3 tbsp chopped cilantro • 1 tbsp fresh lime juice • 3/4 tsp salt • 2 ripe peeled avocados • 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded & finely chopped • 1 garlic clove, minced

Why You Need To Come In For Another Check-Up:

Guacamole: • 3 tomatillos

� Move without pain � Bend & move freely � Balance confidently & securely

� Sit for long periods comfortably � Walk for long distances � Live an active & healthy lifestyle

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 375°. To prepare chips, cut each tortilla into 8 wedges; arrange tortilla wedges in a single layer on 2 baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle wedges with 1/2 teaspoon salt and chili powder; lightly coat wedges with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 12 minutes or until wedges are crisp and lightly browned. Cool 10 minutes. To prepare guacamole,peelpaperyhusk from tomatillos;wash,core,andfinelychop. Combine tomatillos, onion, and remaining ingredients; stir well. Serve guacamole with chips.

Take Care Of Your Aches & Pains Before It’s Too Late!

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www.marathonptny.com

Marathon Physical Therapy

www.marathonptny.com Tel: (516) 487-9810 Fax: (516) 773-7315

The Expert Care You Need and Deserve

556B MIDDLE NECK RD GREAT NECK, NY 11023

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Page1:IsYourDigitalLifestyleAffectingYour Posture? Page2:Neckpain101 •ExerciseEssential •Sudoku Page3: Healthy Recipe •PatientSuccessStory •It’sTimeForAFreeTune-Up Page4:Life Doesn’t Have To Be A Pain In The Neck INSIDE

Life Doesn’t Have to Be a Pain in the Neck! Head and neck pain is not the type of pain that you can push through and deal with for too long. For one thing, chronic pain in the head or neck is often associated with some sort of chronic health concern — one that you need to deal with, not ignore. Secondly, when you are dealing with constant pain in your head or neck, it becomes difficult to concentrate. This can have a negative effect on your personal relationships, your career and more. The most common cause of neck or head pain is a muscle or joint problem. Working with a physical therapist can help you to identify the cause of the trouble and begin taking steps to correct the issue, allowing you to find relief from the pain without having to commit to long-term pain management — which often includes the use of pain medications that are potentially harmful to your health and not likely to work as well over time. Unlike pain medications that become less helpful the longer they are used, physical therapy provides long-term relief from pain by correcting the joint or muscle concern with targeted therapies like flexibility exercises, muscle strengthening techniques, and guided stretches that target core joints and muscles. Of course, not all neck or head pain is the same, so understanding the basics of what you are dealing with is the first step to achieving relief. Head Pain 101. There are a lot of different types of headaches that you may experience, and each can be caused by its own different reason. For example, migraines can be caused by environmental factors, food allergies

or even as a result of stress. There are headaches that can develop due to sinus pain and headaches that will develop when you are dehydrated. There are also headaches that will develop when you are exposed too long to loud noises. There is no singular fix for each of these different types of headaches, which is why attempting to treat every headache you experience with the same medication frequently doesn’t work. One of the most common causes of headaches that are easily treatable with physical therapy is radiating headaches, which are caused by stress in the joints and muscles of the neck. This causes pain to radiate from the top of the neck into the head, especially surrounding the ears. There are a lot of reasons why radiating headaches could develop, including as a result of lack of movement and stiffness in the neck. This buildup of irritation can be treated with regular physical therapy, especially through the use of massage and flexibility exercises that target the muscles in the neck. Call us today for more information! Look inside to learn more about our programs and say good-bye to those aches and pains!

(516) 487-9810

www.marathonptny.com

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Shoulder Problems Are Common We Reveal The #1 Single Best At Home Test For Shoulder Pain. Attention Shoulder Pain Sufferers! • Do You Have Trouble Reaching Back Into the Back Seat in the Car? • Does Your Shoulder Bother You When You Sleep on That Side at Night? • Do You Have Problems Reaching? Up on to a Shelf? Or Behind Your Back When You’re Getting Dressed?? If so, then here’s a quick and easy to test to find out what may be causing your shoulder problem… Shoulder problems are common… a At any age.

a But specifically between the ages of 35 and 55 years old… a There’s a problem that commonly occurs in the shoulder. a The big, fancy Physical Therapy name for it is: Shoulder Impingement.

Shoulder Impingement looks like this:

…And what happens is this. See the bone sticking out called the “acromion”? (By the way…that’s a view of the right shoulder…from the front…and the acromion is part of the shoulder blade). Well under the acromion is a small space… And in that space is one of your rotator cuff muscles (the supraspinatus). (Don’t worry…I won’t ask you to repeat any of the names!) Well, what happens is as we become “more seasoned” in life…and have more birthday candles on our birthday cake…that space can close down. In the beginning it can cause inflammation…And lead to “bursitis”, “tendinitis” and “arthritis”… And eventually begin to cause fraying of the tendon…And then a partial tear…Or even worse, if left untreated, can cause a full rotator cuff tear. Luckily, if you have shoulder pain and early signs of problems…there are steps you can take today to stop that from happening…But first we want to see if this is really what you have going on.

So here’s what to do. 1. With the painful arm, reach behind your back and up between your shoulder blades as high as you can. Note if you have any pain, tightness or achiness. 2. Then with the non-painful arm, do the same thing. If there’s a difference from side to side…then there’s a really good chance you have at least the beginning signs of “Shoulder Impingement.” That’s the #1 Single Best At-Home Test I can give you to see if you’re having trouble with your rotator cuff. If you’re looking for answers and looking to get back to normal again…then send me an email at

[email protected]. In the subject line write “Shoulder Pain Help”…and in the email tell me what you do day to day that gives you the most trouble with your shoulder…

Hope this helps, Negin

WHO DO YOU KNOW THAT NEEDS OUR HELP? REFER A FRIEND

Care enough to share how physical therapy helped you. Who do you know that could benefit from therapy? If you know someone suffering with aches and pains give the gift of health. Refer them to Marathon Physical Therapy today. Pass along this newsletter or have them call us directly for a Free Physical Therapy Consultation. Send them our way, they will thank you and so will we.

YOU HELP US, HELP OTHERS

556B MIDDLE NECK RD GREAT NECK, NY 11023 (516) 487-9810

Marathon Physical Therapy

www.marathonptny.com