Northern PT: 6 Simple Steps to Make Your Knees Feel Great

Northern PT: 6 Simple Steps to Make Your Knees Feel Great

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SIMPLE STEPS TO MAKE YOUR KNEES FEEL GREAT! 6

• 6 Simple Steps To Make Your Knees Feel Great! • A Telltale Symptom Of Arthritis • Healthy Recipe • Free Injury Consultation

Newsletter

6

SIMPLE STEPS

• A Telltale Symptom Of Arthritis • Exercise Essential • Healthy Recipe • Free Injury Consultation INSIDE

TO MAKE YOUR KNEES FEEL GREAT!

4. Go walking – Sitting for prolonged periods leads to stiffening and weakening of the whole body, especially the lower legs. Try to get out and consistently walk 20-30 minutes a day. Start with a time that you can tolerate and never push through pain. 5. Ice and heat – Heat helps with circulation flow, and feels great to soothe arthritic knees. A hot soak in the bath can go a long way to soothing aching knees. However, if your knees tend to swell after being on your feet for too long, use an icepack wrapped in a pillowcase for about 10-15 minutes. This reduces inflammation; be sure to check your skin regularly to make sure it does not get very red. 6. Get a regular physical therapy checkup – Think of your physical therapist as the mechanic for your body. Give your knees and body a regular checkup. We evaluate the movement of your joints and prevent problems before they really begin to develop. Regular visits to your physical therapist can make a difference in the long-term health of your knee joints, and keep you from spending a fortune on more expensive and invasive procedures.

Knee pain doesn’t have to slow you down. There are many ways to naturally relieve knee pain, and get your joints moving the way they should. Here are some tips to help your knees feel great: 1. Stretch your inner thighs – The adductor muscles on the inner thighs can tighten over time. This increases the pressure on the inner aspect of the knee. Try this stretch; in standing with your feet apart, keep one foot flat on the floor, then lean away bending the opposite knee. Feel the stretch on the inner thigh, but be gentle! Hold for a good 30 seconds and repeat 3-5 times in a row on both sides. 2. Get your kneecap moving – Freely moving patellas (kneecaps), are a sign of good knee health. In a sitting position with your leg out straight, hold onto your kneecap and gently push it down towards your toes and back up towards your head. This should not hurt! Repeat 10 times each direction and then do side to side. Repeat 2-3 times in the day. 3. Strengthen your hip and quadricep muscles – Do exercises to strengthen the outer hip and your gluteus muscles. The stronger your hips are, the better supported your knees are. In addition, doing knee extension exercises while sitting helps to strengthen the quadriceps muscles, which help to support the knee joints. Talk to your physical therapist about which exercises are right for you.

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Have you noticed in recent years that your knees seem to be getting bigger? Is this correlated with more popping, grinding or even pain when you bend, squat or kneel? This can be a sign of advancing stages of arthritis. The knees have two main fat pads, which reside just above and below the kneecap. These help to cushion the knee and assist with lubricating fluid flow around the joint. With arthritis, inflammation in the joint causes the fat pads to gradually thicken, choking the joint fluid flow. This leads to a vicious cycle of decreased lubrication, more wear, pain, and swelling. Will I need surgery for my knees? The good news is that recent studies show 60-70% of knee osteoarthritis patients can avoid surgery by getting PT first. (1) In fact, surgery should always be considered as a last resort after conservative measures have been tried. Furthermore, physical therapy is actually 40 times less expensive than a total joint replacement! (2) Improve your joint lubrication A physical therapist can actually help the lubrication in your joints through improved joint motion, strength, balance and coordination. The better lubricated your knee joints, the less friction and wear occur, reducing inflammation and pain. During knee treatments, our therapists work to improve your patella (kneecap) and joint mobility. This improves the mobility of the tissue around the joint, especially the fat pads. This in turn, leads to improved blood flow, joint lubrication and decreased swelling. The result is fast pain relief, improved motion, strength, and abilities to do physical activities. Walking, bending, jumping and squatting can then be done without pain. Put your knees on the right path to health with a visit to your physical therapist. If your knees are feeling tight, stiff, weak, or are just starting to bother you, come see us, before it becomes a REAL problem. Call us today and talk to your physical therapist about your knees. ARE YOUR KNEES GETTING BIGGER? A TELLTALE SYMPTOM OF ARTHRITIS

(1). Katz JN, Brophy RH, Chaisson CE, et al. Surgery versus physical therapy for a meniscal tear and osteoarthritis.NEnglJMed.2013 (2).http://www.healthline.com/health/total-knee-replacement-surgery/ understanding-costs#1

Free Tai Chi Monday nights at 6pm at NPT! Golden Ball Leaders take into consideration the ability and stamina of every participant. These gentle warm-up exercises and simple postures increase circulation and stamina, and can be done standing or sitting down; some people do a little of both. It is easy to accommodate individual needs. Golden BallTai Chi practice strengthens the body, calms the mind and lift the spirits. It is also a proven method to help develop better balance. The carefully designed Golden Ball postures of gently flowing motions encourage a natural release of tension and increase circulation. We feel more energized. This evidence-based system, used all over the world, improves health and in older adults usually helps our posture as natural flexibility is restored. Clinical tests point to the value of this exercise in aiding people to strengthen weakening of bones and improves coordination. Find out more at the following link! www.nekcouncil.org/wellness/

Northern PT Events

Every Thursday morning from 6:30am - 7:30am our very own Jennifer Legacy-Gray, PT runs a Pilates class at Northern Physical Therapy. The cost for the class is $10.00. This class is for all abilities.

If you are interested please email Jesse Dimick at [email protected] to reserve a spot!

Exercise Essential

Patient Success Spotlight

“Northern Physical Therapy is filled with great people who are helpful, caring and always there with a smile. This is overall a good place to be. Thank you!” - H.A. “...filled with great people who are helpful, caring and always there with a smile. ”

Helps Improve Balance & Strengthens Legs

SINGLE LEG STANCE FORWARD

“Thank you Northern Physical Therapy!”

Stand on one leg and main- tain your balance. Next, hold your leg out in front of your body for 10 seconds. Return to original position. Then switch and repeat 6 times. Maintain a slightly bent knee on the stance side.

“Matt and Jesse were fantastic, very knowledgeable, very thoughtful, and both helped me a lot with ankle fracture recovery, and more. Thank you Northern Physical Therapy!” - K.S.

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Greek Turkey Burgers

Come Back In For An Evaluation Whether you want to come in for a check-up, suffered a recent injury or you want to improve your health, you can choose the physical therapy practice you want! Come back to Northern Physical Therapy for a consultation today!

INGREDIENTS • 1 cup chopped spinach, thawed • 1 lb 93% lean ground turkey • ½ cup crumbled feta cheese • ½ tsp garlic powder • ½ tsp dried oregano • ¼ tsp salt • ¼ tsp ground pepper • 4 small hamburger buns, preferably whole-wheat • 4 tbsp tzatziki • 12 slices cucumber • 8 thick rings red onion (about ¼-inch)

Good For A FREE Injury Consultation Beat Aches & Pains!

Mention or bring in this coupon for a FREE Consultation with one of our physical therapy specialists! • Recent injury • Nagging aches and pains at work • Back and neck pain • Joint pain and movement problems • Walking or balance difficulties while working

DIRECTIONS Preheat grill to medium-high. Squeeze excess moisture from spinach. Combine the spinach with turkey, feta, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper in a medium bowl; mix well. Form into four 4-inch patties. Oil the grill rack. Grill the patties until cooked through and no longer pink in the center, 4 to 6 minutes per side. (An instant-read thermometer inserted in the center should register 165°F.) Assemble the burgers on the buns, topping each with 1 tablespoon tzatziki, 3 cucumber slices and 2 onion rings.

CALL TODAY! (802) 626-4224