Northern PT_5 Keys To A Healthy Spine

Northern PT_5 Keys To A Healthy Spine

Newsletter

www.nptvt.com 1 2 “Don’t You Think YouWould BeMore ProductiveWith A Healthier Spine?” Discover The 5 Keys To A Healthy Spine 1. Watch your sitting Sitting is the position that puts the most pressure on the low back. It is important to break up your sitting time throughout the day and take frequent breaks. Work in standing or walking tasks at various times throughout the day, limiting your sitting to about 30 minutes at a time. 2. Protect your spine with better posture How you sit, stand, stretch and lift all play a role in the pressures on your spine. We all know to bend with our knees, not our back when lifting, but do you really do it? Really bend down deep with your knees to pick up objects off low shelves, such as in the refrigerator or shoes off the floor. When standing, walking and sitting, imagine a string pulling you up through the top of your head. This brings your neck, shoulders and back into better alignment. (continued inside)

Newsletter “More Productivity With A Healthier Spine?” Discover The 5 Keys To A Healthy Spine 3 3. Tighten your core muscles Your core muscles are made up of your abdominal muscles, spinal muscles and pelvic / hip muscles. It is very common for these muscles to become weak with prolonged sitting, before/after pregnancy, after surgeries or injuries. Strengthening your abdominal and hip muscles can go a long way to providing the necessary muscle support to your spine. Speak with one of our experts on what exercises are right for you. (CONTINUED FROM OUTSIDE)

“Motivation comes from working on things we care about.” -Sheryl Sandberg Quote of The Month:

4 5 4. Improve your nutrition Your body is a machine and it needs the right fuel to run. Since you use your body all day long, it needs to rebuild itself constantly. The ligaments, tendons, muscles and discs in your spine need the right nutrition to stay healthy. Make sure to eat dark green leafy vegetables, lean protein and stay hydrated. Avoid smoking and fried foods, which actually harm your tissues and make pain more prevalent. 5. Get your spine moving Your body was made to move, especially your spine. It is common for areas of your spine to tighten up, placing too much strain on other areas. These areas, then become irritated and painful. Restore the flexibility in your spine with gentle, specialized hands on therapy as well as specific exercises. Participate in Yoga and Pilates to improve your stability, strength and spinal balance. “If you hurt your low back, starting PT within the first 14 days can save you (on average) $2,700. ” Make your back as healthy as it can be this year by investing in it. Physical therapy is the right solution to improving your spinal health and saying goodbye to that aching neck or back. Prevent future pain by seeing one of our specialists today. Call us to speak with one of our experts.

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(802) 626-4224

www.nptvt.com

“How Would I Know If I Have A Healthy Spine?” Finding The Source & Resolution To Pain Caused By The Spine

Most of us will experience back or neck pain at some point in our lives. It is the price we pay for walking on two legs. If you suffer from the occasional ache or have chronic low back or neck pain, the goal is to relieve the pain, without the need for surgery. In fact, recent studies point to the fact that patients who underwent a common fusion procedure for the spine, were more likely to have a second surgery within 2 years*. The best way to avoid the need for spine surgery, is to improve the health of your spine, and

our treatments play a key role in making that happen. WHY DOES YOUR NECK OR BACK HURT?

One thing to understand about neck and back pain is that it is mechanical. Just like a car can have problems with moving parts, so can your spine.The daily barrage of strain on our backs with sitting, lifting improperly, and poor nutrition, can wreck havoc on our spines.

Most spine pain comes from the following 4 trouble areas: 1. Poor posture and alignment 2. Lack of knowledge on how to bend, lift, sit, sleep 3. Lack of muscle strength 4. Poor flexibility and muscle coordination

The good news, is that your body is adaptable and you can always improve what you have. With the right treatment and training, your back or neck can usually make a full recovery. Physical Therapists are the mechanics of the body, and seeing one of our specialists first can often help you avoid expensive testing or medical procedures. Northern Physical Therapy Can Help You Maintain A Healthy Spine, Naturally! *Anand Veeravagu, Tyler Cole, Bowen Jiang, John K. Ratliff The Spine Journal, Vol. 14, Issue 7, p1125–1131 Published online: October 14 2013

Health Tips

“How Should I Prepare For My Daily Runs?” 4 Amazing Tips To Buying Running Shoes

1. Visit your physical therapist to do a gait analysis. Checking whether you are a supinator, neutral or pronator is the first step into buying the right type of shoe. 2. Don’t think that more expensive equals better. Brands of running shoes vary greatly in price. Do your research. 3. Buy from a running store. Try on many brands and compare shoes that fit your gait.

4. Buy a shoe that you actually like. It doesn’t hurt to buy something you feel great wearing!

SUCCESS STORY

Come Back In For A Consultation 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! See our physical therapists for: • Recent injury • Nagging aches and pains • Back and neck pain • Joint pain and movement problems • Walking or balance difficulties

“Amazing experience. Friendly, knowledgeable and supportive staff. Therapy was challenging. Lindsey and Hannah were always respectful to my pain tolerance and my desire to accomplish goals. They had tons of ways to accomplish therapy. Courtney was great. Always a smile, always helpful, handled my insurance and scheduling efficiently. Therapists on the floor friendly and helpful. Northern Physical Therapy is a great place. I’ll miss stopping in. Lastly, therapy pool was the key to getting through my initial pain. So worth the drive to hop in pool and workout. A special thank you to Lindsey for the post therapy support. Telling me to call them in the future if things aren’t progressing was just what I needed to hear. I highly recommend Northern Physical Therapy is a great place.” “Always a smile, always helpful, handled my insurance and scheduling efficiently.”

CALL TODAY! (802) 626-4224

Mind Exercise: Sudoku Print sudoku http://1sudoku.com

Fruit Sparklers Recipe

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INGREDIENTS

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• 1 whole watermelon • 16 ounces fresh blueberries • Bamboo skewers

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Directions Cut watermelon vertically into 1 inch thick slices. Use a small star cookie cutter to cut out star shapes from the flesh of each watermelon round. Thread 7-10 blueberries into the center of each bamboo skewer, leaving enough space at the end for someone to be able to comfortably hold it, and a space at the top for the watermelon star. Place the watermelon star on top and set the fruit sparklers on a serving tray. Cover and refrigerate until ready to enjoy. 2 1 4 2 9 8 6 5 http://1sudoku.com 5 8

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n° 229777 - Level Medium

http://1sudoku.com

n° 222047 - Level Medium

www.nptvt.com 3 2 4 1 8 4 The rules of the game are simple: each of the nine blocks has to contain all the numbers 1-9 within its squares. Each number can only appear once in a row, column or box.

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