OPTM PT of Saratoga June 2018

OPTM PT of Saratoga June 2018

Monthly

The Greatest Gift of All Celebrating My Kids This Father ’s Day

Throughout the course of my life, I’ve experienced my share of incredible, powerful experiences. Getting married to the love of my life, starting a clinic that truly represented my patient-centered vision for care — I’m so grateful for everything that’s come my way. But in my eyes, the best gift I could ever receive in my time on Earth has been the birth of our two sons, Owen and Jake. With Father’s Day right around the corner, I’ve been reflecting on just how important these two little guys are to me, and how much they’ve transformed my life at the most fundamental level. Since the beginning, when Owen first came into the world, it’s been a constant stream of magical moments. After the overwhelming flood of unconditional love that came over me when I first looked into his eyes, then came the milestones: Owen sitting up, crawling, standing, taking his first step, walking, and of course, his unforgettable first word, “dada.” I remember his first birthday at Vasona Park, when nearly all our family and friends came out to celebrate. And then, before I knew it, he was halfway through his second year, and I was sending him off to preschool, getting emotional as I watched him take his first baby step toward independence. And now he just finished his first year of kindergarten. Four years after Owen showed up, Jake came along, completing our little family. I’ll never forget the sight the first time Owen held his baby brother in his arms, the first instant of an unbreakable bond between siblings. Even with the age difference — and despite the occasional sibling rivalries — Owen looks out for his brother every day, and they have a blast playing together. It’s really cool to see Owen reading to Jake, or Jake sauntering into his brother’s room to wake him up before he goes to school.

I keep talking about these big moments, but really, it’s the simple day-to-day stuff that means the most: eating meals together, taking walks in the park, going swimming, hanging out with the grandparents, building Legos with Owen, playing Hot Wheels with Jake. I love stopping by Owen’s room to say good morning before I head off to work, and driving him to school a few times a week, getting that vital one-on- one time to talk about whatever’s on his mind. Or dragging Jake along to the hardware store, seeing how intrigued he

Fabrice and his boys, Jake and Owen

is at every little thing. Usually when we go anywhere, we’ll head to Jamba Juice for a smoothie, at which point Jake will always yell, “Jamba Juice!” with glee. There’s no routine to what we do for Father’s Day. Usually, we just all make a point to spend time together and celebrate this family that we’ve built, whether it’s just us or alongside Lindsay’s folks. Honestly, though, it’s the perfect opportunity to look around and take stock of my kids and all the gifts they bring to the everyday. At every step, I do everything I can to spend as much time with them as possible, listening to them and working to understand what’s going on in their world. It’s vital to me that they know how much I care about both of them, even if it’s almost impossible to fully put into words. Dr. Fabrice Rockich

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Meet Phil Edwards One of the Most Experienced PTs in Saratoga

SUCCESS STORIES

To eliminate pain at the root and guide patients from injury to recovery, it’s vital for a physical therapist to have intimate

“This was an ongoing experience. At my first visit, my exercise metrics were awful. I had spent seven weeks on my back (i.e. I couldn’t get out of bed and couldn’t rotate) in the hospital after extensive back surgery; I couldn’t even walk. Celina, Laura, and Robert are excellent, friendly,

knowledge of the inner workings of the musculoskeletal system. The human body is an incredibly complex, interconnected set of components that work together to help us move. The more experience a physical therapist has with the processes of human movement, the more equipped they are to speed their patient toward recovery. This is certainly the case with Phil Edwards, a physical therapist at OPTM Saratoga with over 20 years of experience optimizing the movement patterns of patients and athletes. Throughout his career, Phil’s been an avid learner. As a result, he’s mastered a huge variety of techniques and strategies for treating his patients. As a licensed athletic trainer, board-certified orthopedic specialist, and certified Nike Golf 360 performance specialist, he’s able to deploy his massive skill set to guide patients of all stripes to full, lasting recoveries. With 13 years under his belt at OPTM Saratoga, Phil knows better than anyone that when it comes to physical therapy, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. “I mold each patient’s recovery program to their individual needs,” he says. “Patients don’t always respond to the same techniques. Much of the time, you need to try new things to facilitate their therapy program and achieve the optimal results.” Over thousands of hours of practice, Phil’s learned how to “maximize the efficiency of treatment while helping patients get better for the long haul.” “Someone will come in the clinic door with some kind of physical limitation,” Phil says. “What I enjoy most is helping them overcome and repair that limitation so they can get back to what they want to do in life.” When he’s not at the clinic, Phil spends most of his time with his wife, his 11-year-old daughter, and his 15-year-old son. When he has a rare chance, he loves to hike up to the golf course and play a few holes. We’ve been lucky to have Phil on our team these past 13 years. Even after such a long time in the field, he still constantly works to improve an already-impressive skill set and make his patients feel better than ever.

and very professional. I couldn’t be happier with the results that these three have gotten me to attain. Thank you very much OPTM Saratoga!”

–David Steininger 5/7/18

“When I first came in, I was not able to walk. I had torn my ACL and had just had replacement surgery. Through physical therapy, I was able to regain my strength and was back on stage dancing within a month! Since then, I have worked to regain my strength and

agility and am now back to normal! Phil and Laura were awesome through my entire experience. I’m super excited to get back to tennis with my new, improved ACL!”

–Krisha Minocha 4/26/18

“Throughout college, I would have periods of back pain to the point where I couldn’t get up or walk. I learned in January after an MRI that two of my spinal discs had tears and all of their spinal fluid had leaked out. My spine doctor advised me not to do many of my favorite exercises, like running, basketball, and weightlifting. I felt a bit lost, wondering what I could do with this injury. “Luckily, after going through physical therapy, I feel a lot more confident about staying active. Robert and Laura showed me several exercises that helped to strengthen my weakened core and lower back. I learned a lot about how my body moves and relearned my walking mechanics. Now I’m able to do intensive and low-impact cardio on machines like the elliptical or stationary bike. “Everyone at OPTM Saratoga, from the friendly receptionists to the knowledgeable therapists and aides, helped make this rehabilitation process as enjoyable as possible. Thank you all for helping to shape a more positive outlook on my future!”

–Eric Kong 4/10/18

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The 3 Most Common Causes of Shoulder Pain

And How Physical Therapy Can Help

1. Tendinitis, which is inflammation that usually results from repetitive, small traumas to the damaged area and can cause all kinds of other problems. 2. Bursitis, which occurs when the bursa — a sac in the shoulder responsible for lubricating the tendons of your rotator cuff — becomes irritated and inflamed. 3. Impingement, which is when the space between the upper shoulder and the rotator cuff narrows, becoming “pinched.” Often, this results in pain so bad you can’t lift your arm above your head. Luckily, these injuries are nearly always treatable with a round of physical therapy. At OPTM Saratoga, we specialize in treating shoulder injuries of all kinds, working with you to create a customized treatment plan that will heal your shoulder for good. Through exercises that increase your strength, flexibility, and range of motion, we’ll bring your shoulder back to baseline and stop the constant, nagging pain that occupies your every waking thought. If you’re aching with shoulder pain, don’t suffer in silence. Call OPTM Saratoga at 408-973-7700 and get on the path to recovery within just a few days! ONE-POT VEGAN SPAGHETTI

When was the last time you consciously thought about your shoulder? For most of us, the answer is probably “that morning a few weeks ago after I slept on it weird,” or “the afternoon last year when I wrenched it picking up my kids.” For many people, the answer may even be “never.” But for those of us who have recently suffered a serious shoulder injury, or have gotten used to shoulder pain over months or years, the answer to that question is probably “Nearly every single second.” Once pain becomes a part of your life, it’s difficult to think about anything else. Our shoulders are complex joints, consisting of an intricate ball-and- socket mechanism that keeps your humerus (upper arm bone) attached to your scapula (shoulder blade) and clavicle (collarbone). The entire structure is supported by a dense cluster of muscles known as the rotator cuff, a covering over the top of your humerus that links it to the scapula while still enabling your arm to move around freely in the joint. It’s a fascinating piece of human anatomy, but unfortunately, with so many moving parts, our shoulders are highly prone to injury. Athletes or manual laborers who regularly perform repetitive motions with their arms are particularly susceptible to shoulder damage, but injury can strike anyone at any time, usually in one (or more) of three ways:

TAKE A BREAK

This vegan pasta recipe is quick, delicious, and super healthy — a perfect weeknight dinner.

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups

• 1 cup cherry

vegetable broth • 9 ounces whole- wheat spaghetti • 1 small zucchini, • 1 red onion, chopped • 2 cloves garlic, minced

tomatoes, halved • 1/2 cup broccoli florets • 1 handful kale, roughly chopped • 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs • Salt and pepper, to taste

cut into semicircles

Directions

1. Bring broth to a boil in a large pot. Add all ingredients except the broccoli and kale, and simmer for 9 minutes. 2. Add broccoli and kale, and simmer 3 more minutes.

Remove from heat when pasta is al dente. 3. Transfer to a bowl and serve.

CAMPING FLIPFLOPS HAMBURGER JUNE

LEMONADE PICNIC POOL SMORES

SUNSCREEN SUNSHINE SWIMMING VACATION

[Inspired by veganheaven.org]

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18780 Cox Ave Saratoga, CA 95070 408-973-7700 www.optmsaratoga.com

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Fabrice Rockich on theGreatest Father’s Day Gift Ever Page1

What People Are Saying About Us Page2 Meet a PTWith Over 20Years of Experience Page2

The 3Most Common Causes of Shoulder Pain Page3

One-Pot Vegan Spaghetti Page3

3 FathersWho Risked It All for Their Kids Page4

3 Awesome Dads Fathers Who Put Their Lives on the Line for Their Kids This Father’s Day, thousands of dads will receive a “No. 1 Dad” mug to sip coffee out of at the office. But the following dads took that “No. 1” to a new level. Brian Munn gave his son a liver transplant. When doctors discovered that baby Caleb Munn had a rare disease called biliary atresia, they told his parents that he was unlikely to survive past age 2 without a liver transplant. Luckily, his father was a perfect match, and he eagerly donated part of his liver in March of 2015 to save his son’s life. Greg Alexander battled a bear for his son’s life. While camping in the backcountry of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Greg Alexander was startled awake at dawn by the screams of his 16-year-old son, Gabriel. He rushed out of his hammock to see a black bear dragging his son away by the head. Without hesitation, he kicked the beast in the side, and when that didn’t work, he leapt onto its back and started punching it in the face. When the bear finally released Gabriel, Greg threw rocks until it fled. His son was hurt but made a full recovery in the hospital over the coming weeks.

Artur Magomedov saved his daughters from ISIS. Artur Magomedov was devastated to discover that his wife had taken his 3- and 10-year-old daughters from their home in Dagestan under the cover of night, flown to Turkey, and crossed into Syria to join ISIS. But he resolved to get his kids back. After a long, hazardous journey, he arrived in Tabqa to embrace his two daughters. To leave the caliphate — under penalty of death — they hitched a ride to the border one night and crawled along a railway line until they were within 70 meters of the border. Then they ran under fire from Turkish border guards until they could scramble into tall grasses. After some help from the Russian consulate in Istanbul, they made it back home, together again and safe.

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