Outpatient PT_Relieving Neck Pain

Outpatient PT_Relieving Neck Pain

NEWSLETTER Fall Prevention Event at Kent Senior Center

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NEWSLETTER

"My Life Didn't Have to Be A Pain In The Neck!"

Neck pain can be a constant ache or sharp pain with movement, stopping you from enjoying life’s activities. Neck pain is very common affecting approximately 2/3 rds of the population at one point or another. People with neck pain suffer mainly from one of the following conditions: Degenerative Disc Disease The discs are the fluid filled sacs between the bones of your neck. The normal aging process shrinks the discs and dries them out. Repeated stress and strain also weakens the tissues that make up a disc. When this happens, the disc loses its ability toabsorbshock. Inturn,thiscausesrubbing and changes in the shape of the joints in your neck, which can be painful. Muscle Strain When there is an injury to the neck or you overuse the shoulder and neck muscles, a strain can occur. When this happens, the neck muscles may go into spasm to help support and protect the sore area. Mechanical Neck Pain Mechanicalpainusuallystartsfromchanges in the neck joints. As discs start to collapse, the space between the neck bones narrows, and the joints may become inflamed. The pain is usually chronic and is typically felt in

themiddle part of the neck. However, it may spread from the neck into the upper back or totheoutsideoftheshoulder insomecases. Radiculopathy Pressureor irritationonoraroundthenerves of the neck can affect the nerves’ electrical signals. The pressure or irritation can be felt as numbness on the skin, weakness in the muscles or pain along the path of the nerve. Weakness in the spine muscles can causeabnormalpressureon thenervesand increased chance of radiculopathy. If you are suffering from neck pain, our SPINE Program is ideal to quickly relieve

yourpainandprevent itfromreturning.From long-term neck pain, to recovering from a complicated surgery, we can relieve your pain quickly, returning your natural mobility and strength. Our treatments are designed to help ease pain and to improve flexibility, strength, posture and function. We even teach you how to protect your neck in the years ahead. Look inside to learn more about our SPINE Program and say good-bye to that aching neck!

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Are You Hurting Your Neck While You Sleep?

We spend one third of our lives sleeping. Therefore, how you sleep and the bed you sleep on can have a dramatic effect on the support of your body. When you sleep you need to be aware of how your neck and spine are supported. There are many different types of beds on the market today which can be very confusing for consumers. The best type of bed is the one that you try out and feel most comfortable using. Typically, a bedthat isfirmunderneath,with a softer top helps to provide support as well as contour your body. If your mattress is old,

then think about investing in a new one so that your neck and spine are supported well. The best positions to sleep in for your spine are on your back or sides. Avoid sleeping on your stomach since your spine ends up twisted, especially your neck. Over the hours of repetitive sleeping on your stomach, you can damage the joints of your spine and compress the nerves exiting your spine. Use a pillow to help support your body and take the weight of your legs off your spine. If you like to sleep on

your back, place a pillow under the backs of your thighs and knees. This should place your knees in a slight, supported bend which takes pressure off your lower back. If you sleep on your side, be sure to put a pillow between your knees. This helps keep the alignment of your spine, and takes the pressure of your upper leg off the spine. Have 1-2 pillows under your head to keep your neck in proper alignment. If you need 2 pillows stagger them so that one pillow overlaps the other by one half. The lower half goes under the shoulders, while the

upper half supports the neck. As part of our SPINE Program, our physical therapists can show you exercises, stretches and techniques to relieve your pain and prevent it from returning. If you are suffering with neck or back pain, call us today to learn more about our SPINE Program and discover howwe can relieve your pain, returning you to a more active, pain-free life!

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Star t Feeling Better Today!

7 Convenient Locations To Serve You!

Puyallup 2930 S Meridian Suite 120, Puyallup, Washington 98373 Phone: (253) 445-2733 Fax: (253) 445-2399

Kent East Hill 13106 SE 240th Street, Suite 103 Kent, WA 98031 Phone: (253) 631-1933 Fax: (253) 631-2094

Covington Satellite 27005 168th Pl SE, Suite 200 Covington, Washington 98042 Phone: (253) 639-4788 Fax: (253) 639-4789

Auburn 701 M St NE, Suite 102 Auburn, Washington 98002 Phone: (253) 833-8766 Fax: (253) 833-6748

Maple Valley 26837 Maple Valley-Black Diamond Road SE, Suite 200 Maple Valley, Washington 98038 Phone: (425) 413-4425 Fax: (425) 413-4429

Kent 8009 S. 180th Street, Suite 112

Covington 16720 SE 271st St, Suite 200 Covington, Washington 98042 Phone: (253) 630-5808 Fax: (253) 630-6438

Kent, Washington 98032 Phone: (425) 226-7827 Fax: (425) 251-5757

Kent Business Expo

Have YouMet Your Deductible Yet? Have you met your annual insurance deductible? If you have, your therapy may be free. How do you check to see if your deductible has been met? You can call your insurance and ask them or you can call us and we will gladly check your benefits for you.

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Exercise Essentials

DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING

Good For Your Whole Body

While lying down on your back, place one hand on your breast bone and one hand on your abdomen near your navel. Slowly take a deep breath in and focus on trying to get your hand on your navel to rise while the hand on your breast bone remains still. Repeat for 2 minutes.

Massage Therapy Visit one of our Licensed Massage Therapists at a great low price!

$ 55 $ 50 $ 45

per visit

per visit

Single Visit

Four Visits You save $20

Eight Visits You save $80

7 Convenient Locations To Serve You!

Puyallup 2930 S Meridian STE 120, Puyallup, Washington 98373 Phone: (253) 445-2733 Fax: (253) 445-2399

Kent East Hill 13106 SE 240th Street, Ste 103 Kent, WA 98031 Phone: (253) 631-1933 Fax: (253) 631-2094

Covington Satellite 27005 168th Pl SE, Suite 200 Covington, Washington 98042 Phone: (253) 639-4788 Fax: (253) 639-4789

Auburn 701 M St NE, Suite 102 Auburn, Washington 98002 Phone: (253) 833-8766 Fax: (253) 833-6748

Maple Valley 26837 Maple Valley-Black Diamond Road SE, Suite 200 Maple Valley, Washington 98038 Phone: (425) 413-4425 Fax: (425) 413-4429

Kent 8009 S. 180th Street, Suite 112

Covington 16720 SE 271st St, Suite 200 Covington, Washington 98042 Phone: (253) 630-5808 Fax: (253) 630-6438

Kent, Washington 98032 Phone: (425) 226-7827 Fax: (425) 251-5757

Being Grateful is Good For You!

“We notice the positives more, and that magnifies the pleasures you get from life.”

GRATITUDE AND HEALTH Feeling thankful can improve your health in both direct and indirect ways. Some research shows that the experience of gratitude can induce a sense of relaxation, improve the immune system, and decrease blood pressure. But grateful people also tend to cultivate better health habits, like eating more nutritious food, exercising, and avoiding risky behaviors. In addition, the optimism that stems from gratitude can create a healing attitude: research shows that people with optimistic attitudes have better outcomes after medical procedures. GRATITUDE AND JOY Robert Emmons, an internationally renowned scientific expert on gratitude, has found that acknowledging the good in life has a tendency to amplify positive emotions, such as joy and contentment, because it helps us slow down. “I think gratitude allows us to participate more in life,” he says. “We notice the positives more, and that magnifies the pleasures you get from life.” Consider the last time you had a good cup of coffee—did you pay attention to

the warmth of the cup on your hands, or the feeling of pleasure as you took the first sip? It’s easy to ignore these small moments of positivity in our day as we rush from one activity to another, but stopping to appreciate them makes them more powerful. GRATITUDE AND RESILIENCE Practicing gratitude can also make you better equipped to handle the difficulties of life that inevitably arise. In fact, according to Emmons, it’s an essential part of the process of healing from trauma. Even despair can be mitigated by the experience of appreciation for the good, however slight it might be. Many survivors of the Holocaust, when asked to tell their stories, remember most strongly the feelings of gratitude for food, shelter, or clothing that was offered to them. This sense of thankfulness for the small blessings helped them maintain their humanity despite experiencing a horrific tragedy. Many people with life-threatening illnesses also report decreased distress and increased positive emotions when they practice gratitude. Recent MRI studies have mapped the gratitude circuitry in the brain, which activates a sense of reward, fairness, and decision-making— all aspects that help facilitate survival and post-traumatic growth.

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