Physical Therapy Specialties_Feel Better Without Neck Pain …

Health & The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

Feel Better Without Neck Pain, Quickly!

Why does neck pain happen?

There is a golden rule, that the structure of your body governs its function. Your body, especially your neck, relies on good flexibility, posture, strength and coordination. In our daily lives, we place tremendous strain and demand on our neck. Poor posture with sitting or stress causes weakness in our postural muscles. In addition, this causes long-term damage to the muscles, joints, ligaments and tendons of the neck. This chronic strain and stress on the neck causes inflammation, which over time will increase aches and pains.

INSIDE: • Feel Better Without Neck Pain, Quickly! • Do You Want To Have Relief and Better Motion for Your Aching Neck?

Health & Fitness The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

Physical Therapy Specialties can relieve your pain, increase your range of motion, and get you moving again!

“I decided it was time to get relief and better motion for my aching neck.”

Do you find your neck aching at the end of the day or stiff in the morning? Do you have headaches more than once a week? You are not alone. According to the Institute of Medicine of The National Academies, over 100million Americans suffer from chronic pain. Over 15% of those, suffer from chronic neck pain and 27% with back pain. In a survey conducted with over 300 chronic pain sufferers, 59% reported an impact on the quality of their life and 77% of those surveyed reported

feeling depressed. Even small amounts of pain can lead to a downward spiral in quality of life, energy, and well being. However, it doesn’t have to be this way and dependency on medication is not the answer. Discovering and treating the root cause of your pain is the answer. Our team of specialists can treat the mechanical cause of your pain. The neck is an incredible part of your body with 7 vertebrae (bones), over 16 joints and many muscles in the front and back of your neck. The greatest

concentration of muscles and tissues is in the upper neck, at the base of your skull. This is where many of the larger muscles that support the head attach to support your head and neck. It is also where the vertebral and carotid arteries travel through your neck, entering your skull to supply your brain. Needless to say, this is a very tightly packed area and muscle tension can affect blood flow to the scalp, causing headaches. The experts at Physical Therapy Specialties can help you relieve neck pain and feel better again.

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Exercise Essentials Try these simple exercises to help keep you loose and pain-free... Share this with a friend or family member to help keep them healthy, too!

Helps With Neck Pain

Helps With Neck Mobility

CHIN TUCK SITTING Sit with good posture. Tuck your chin and gently nod ‘yes’. Repeat 6 times.

SCALENE STRETCH Sit with good posture. Hold the front of your neck with your hand. Look up into the corner away from your hand. You should feel a stretch in the front part of your neck. Repeat 6 times.

Always consult your physical therapist or physician before starting exercises you are unsure of doing.

Who do you know that needs our help?

Refer a Friend Do You Have Friends or Family Unable to Do The Following? 9 Move without pain 9 Bend and move freely

9 Balance confidently and securely 9 Sit for long periods comfortably 9 Walk for long distances 9 Live an active and healthy lifestyle

If you know someone suffering with aches and pains give the gift of health. Refer them to Physical Therapy Specialties today. Pass along this newsletter or have them call us directly for a Physical Therapy Consultation.

Call Today! 925.417.8005

“Do You Want To Have Relief and Better Motion for Your Aching Neck?”

What can be done? Neck pain is most often relieved by simply restoring the proper movement and mechanics of the neck. Think of your neck much like the machinery in a car. Keeping it well-maintained and in good alignment will allow it to perform well.

Here are the key areas you need to focus on to reduce your neck pain:

• Have good posture with sitting and standing. • Restore your flexibility to the neck muscles and joints. • Strengthen your mid-back muscles and shoulders to support your neck. • Improve coordination of your neck muscles. • Eat well, reducing consumption of processed foods and food that increases inflammation in your body. • Seek professional help for aches and pains lasting more than 3 days. At Physical Therapy Specialties we are muscle and skeletal specialists who analyze your posture and movement, then help you restore posture, flexibility and strength. Physical Therapy Specialties relieves neck pain Many people have discovered the benefits of seeing the experts at Physical Therapy Specialties first when they have aches and pains. Our medical professionals are experts in analyzing your posture and movement, spotting your true trouble source. From there, our training allows us to create a proper treatment plan that will quickly relieve your pain, improve your posture, mobility, strength and coordination. We even teach you how to maintain your improvements with specific gentle exercises. Think of us as the mechanics for your body. Come in for a regular tune up and your neck and back will be as good as new. To learn more about how our SPINE Program can help you eliminate your neck pain, call us today.

Neck pain is one of the most common reasons for missed work. You are not alone. Now is the time to take the steps to keep your neck pain under control before it gets worse.

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, a doctor referral is not needed. In the state of California you have direct access to physical therapy!

Save time

See our physical therapists for: • Recent injury • Nagging aches and pains • Back and neck pain • Joint pain and movement problems • Walking or balance difficulties

Improve your health naturally

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SITTING SAFE

Sitting posture may be one of the most stressful of all positions for your neck. It is important to frequently shift and avoid prolonged positions and thereby minimize stress on your spine and joints. Most of us can use help in correcting our posture. Sitting slouched or contorted to one side can set you up for repetitive stress injuries and pain, COMPUTER MONITOR AND YOUR EYES It’s important to have your eyes lined up with the area of the computer screen you focus on the most. When using an average size monitor, it is best to line up the top of the screen with your eyes when looking straight ahead. Our eyes are most comfortable when they can scan downward from the top of the screen, but your neck should not bend forward or jut forward to focus on the screen. Stacking books under the monitor is a simple trick if you need to raise your Anything you use on your desk such as phone, mouse, or water bottle should be within one foot of you. Reaching forward repetitively can be a stressor on the body. ARMS When your arms are stretched forward it causes the shoulders to rotate forward, causing a loss of strength in the upper back. To avoid injuries in the upper back keep your arms at a comfortable 90 degree angle in a neutral resting position. Use your chair armrests. BACK Your upper back should be at a comfortable resting position with support to your back maintaining the natural curve of the lower back. If you don’t have a chair that has lumbar screen. DESK

VERTICAL ALIGNMENT While seated we don’t want to reach forward because for every inch the head is forward the neck and spine are taking on an extra 10 pounds of weight causing major strain to your back and neck. It feels like that too! Making small changes to your posture makes a big difference in how you feel. Bad sitting habits can lead to considerable pain over time. Fortunately for us, most injuries are preventable! You may feel awkward when you first adjust your work station, but don’t give in to your bad habits. Try to slowly add these changes instead of all at once so your body can adjust easier. Your body will love you for it!

support, get creative! Use a small pillow or even a jacket to support the low back! LEGS AND FEET Try not to sit for long periods of time with your legs crossed or just your toes touching the floor. Both of your feet should be resting flat. If you are a tall person, raise your chair so that your thighs are parallel to the floor. This might mean that you need to adjust the height of your desk to fit you…whether you are tall or short. Sometimes petite individuals need to use a small stool under their feet.

www.pt-specialties.com

“I have always had a good experience and happy with the results.” Patient Spotlight What our patients have to say!

“I was referred to Stephen at PTS at my Orthopedics Dr.’s recommendation, with “runner’s knee” (though I am not a runner) and IT-band syndrome. I have found Stephen to be wonderful in identifying and addressing the pain areas. Through his PT techniques, stretching exercises, and (in my case) taping my knee, I am getting back to normal. This is the second time I’ve come to PT Specialties; the first time was for a different issue. I have always had a good experience and happy with the results.” Carol Z.

Talk to the experts! • Ida Hirst, PT • Dina Stepanek, PT

IMPROVE Your health in our warm water therapy pool!

I ncrease range of motion M ove freely P rotect joints R educe pain O btain cardio fitness V i tal ize muscle strength E nhance flexibility and balance

• Melissa Giustino, PT • Stephen George, PT • Caitlin Cooper, PT • Kristina Chang, PT • Jennifer Freitas, PT • Michael Petrak, PT

“The water therapy gives me the opportunity to exercise and not injure myself. The water is so deliciously warm! I can do more without over exertion. ”

Email us: [email protected] CALL TODAY! 925.417.8005

Pool Therapy and Water Classes Offered Daily. Schedule is on our website.