Pittman_ 3 Easy Steps to Healthier Hips & Knees

The world around us has changed somuch in such a short period of time. The Pittman CONNECTION The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

It is hard to believe that we shut the entire world down. This is something that we will never forget and will be talked about for generations. It is right up there with Elvis’ death and the Kennedy assasination. Then, we have the protests and riots after the George Floyd murder. 2020 will not be a year that any of us forget anytime soon. I talk to my staff often about being uncomfortable. There was a much wiser man than me that talked about how a lobster grows. He has to first get so uncomfortable in his shell that he casts it off and finds a new, larger shell. But the stimulation for growth is being uncomfortable. I don’t know about you, but I have been pretty uncomfortable for most of 2020. Don’t get me wrong, it hasn’t been pleasant. It hasn’t been fun, but the growth that will happen coming out of all this pain and suffering, will be tremendous. I don’t know what it will look like but it will be glorious. My faith tells me that the Lord will not put anything on us that we cannot learn from, grow fromand be better from. Amen?? I amnot going toget political now. Just wanted to get that out there and move forward. If you didn’t know, we are back, operating at full capacity again. Still practicing the safety guidelines as put out there by the CDC and WHO. If you have been putting off coming to see us for safety concerns... well, come on down, you are the next contestant (for those of you who may not know, that is a Price is Right reference) . Baseball has kicked back up and we have a few tournaments under our belts. It has been a rough start to the year and our team is dwindling in numbers due to injury. I will go

into more detail on that in the Sports Injury section of this newsletter. BUT, it is surely fun to be able to get back to some sense of normal. Foster is having a good year so far. The whole social distancing thing has made himreally bored and he spendsway toomuch time on his PS4. Stone finally got a summer job. Not one that he is super excited about, but he will learn a lot from it. He is working on a lawn care crew. His first day, they logged 13 hours. He was so tired. Sophie is still at home as I write this. California isn’t fully open yet and it will be a little longer before she is able to work there. She does begin to travel (probably by the time this is published, she will be gone) to assist a choreographer as the (as Rudy calls it) Bonnie to his Clyde. She will be his right hand. They have a lot of work to do to catch up. She has been taking some classes at theUofMemphis while home. And getting tan!!! Brinkley is finally back at the dance studio after taking zoomdance classes all spring and early summer. That girl is a big ball of energy and sweetness. She had her “recital” at the studio last month. She is growing so fast. We are trying to help my Father-In-Law get all of the things he needs from Tupelo. They sold the last piece of property that he had and he is living with us full time. He has quite the collection of stuff and loves fishing tackle. We will be visiting Herb Parsons lake a bit. That’s about it. Thanks for listening to me ramble for a minute. Let us know if we can help you in any way. Stay safe and healthy. Jeremy

The Pittman CONNECTION The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

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3 EASY STEPS to Healthier Hips & Knees For many people, knee pain can be away of life, limiting their ability to climb stairs, squat down to get something off the floor, enjoy long walks, shop and a host of other daily activities. The knee joint is one of the most complicated joints in the body and has to bear up to 6 times your body weight with running or jumping. This incredible joint has to move over a million times each year and over 80 million times over a lifetime. This is also the reason why things can go wrong, causing injury and pain. Just like taking care of your heart is necessary for cardiovascular health, your joints need attention to maintain a healthy state. Here are some easy tips that can help you take care of your knees, increase flexibility, and alleviate joint problems: 1. Stretch your hamstrings, quadriceps and adductor muscles each day. By keeping these muscles flexible, you can balance the forces on your knee joints. This allows your knee joint to bend and rotate while your patella (kneecap) tracks properly. 2. Keep themuscles around your hips and knees strong. Especially the gluteal and quadricep muscles. Studies show that adults, especially over 55, who have stronger gluteals and quadriceps

tend to have less back and joint pain and more ability to do daily activities. 3. Exercise regularly. While this is good for the whole body, the knees especially need exercise to keep their cartilage healthy. The cartilage does not have much blood supply and requires its nutrition from joint fluid. Most of the joint fluid absorbs into the cartilage only through movement and compression of the knee. Therefore, it is important to do weight bearing exercise such as walking, running and other sports. However, if you have arthritis, it is advised to do lower impact activities such as biking, elliptical machines, aquatic exercises, etc. Having a regular physical therapy checkup ensures that your joints are working at their peak performance. In addition, any problems will be discovered early, preventing the onset of arthritis and joint injury. If you do have arthritis or have had surgery, then a regular physical therapy checkup is especially important. If your attention is on that sore knee, then it is time you called us for a knee joint analysis. Contact our expert physical therapists today at 901-850-5246 and see how wonderful life can be with freely moving knees.

Keys to Improving Your

SPORTS PERFORMANCE

Whether you are a high school athlete or just like to exercise for fun, improving your body’s ability to exercise is a good challenge. There are many different components that athletes include in training regimens, including balance, strength, nutrition, hydration, mental health, and flexibility. One of the most effective ways to train is to ensure you are improving your joint performance and stability. This focus can allow you to run longer, cut faster, and throw better. Joint Stability Improve your sports ability through joint stability. When a joint is more stable, muscles can function better. For knees, ankles and hips try balance exercises on uneven surfaces such as foam or a folded towel. Try standing on one leg while doing small knee bends. Joint Flexibility Joints need to be flexible in order to move through their proper range and allowmuscles to pull correctly. For many people who are runners, stretching must be done every day to maintain muscle and tissue elasticity. Dynamic stretching is often best, where the stretch is done in a moving fashion, such as in Yoga.

This is different than a prolonged stretch. Joint Strength Incorporate strengthening exercises into your sports routines. This is especially important for runners and weekend warriors. A little strengthening exercise can go a long way to prevent sports injuries and soreness. The stronger your muscles are around your joints, the better ability you have to play and avoid injury. Joint Coordination You have an inherent sense of where your joints are in space (proprioception) and how they are moving in space (kinesthetic sense). This allows your brain to coordinate the muscle movements around your joints. By improving your balance and coordination with specific exercises, you greatly reduce the chance of injury and will enhance your sports performance. If you would like to enhance your ability to run, play sports and prevent injury, then give Pittman Physical Therapy a call today at 901-850-5246 talk to one of our physical therapy specialists.

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Many of you know that my little man, Foster, plays baseball for the Dragons organization. He is 13. This year has been interesting as the boys on his team have all sprouted up. He is almost as tall as I am now. This is insane!!!! BUT, with this growth, comes some not so good things. Many of the boys have started to complain of nagging aches and pains. I get to deal with family members asking me to take a quick peek at this and that. I have had back pain, elbow pain, but the most common is shoulder pain. SO, I wanted to talk a little bit about this. Little League Shoulder Little league shoulder is an overuse injury caused by stress to the upper arm bone closest to the shoulder. The stress causes a widening in the growth plate, which results in swelling and pain in the shoulder. It is most commonly seen in overhand athletes between the ages of 11 and 16. If this is left untreated it can result in permanent bone damage. Why does this happen?? Baseball, when I was growing up, was a seasonal sport. We played all sports and rotated between seasons. Today, our kids are almost forced to pick a sport at the age of 8. This causes overuse. Especially, if the child is a pitcher. Tournaments are weekly. If the coach isn’t careful, the pitch count (the number of pitches that the child throws in a game) will get really high. They can Shoulder Pain in the Youth Athlete

of a Licensed Physical Therapist, especially the ones at Pittman PT ;), your child will be evaluated thoroughly to identify the weak, tight, and unstable structures. Then an individualized program will be implemented to help correct these issues. We focus on strengthening the shoulder and armmuscles. We then progress to work on the core, legs and hips (which contribute greatly to mechanics). Then we address any mechanics issues. What can I do about it? If you notice your child having any of the signs and symptoms noted above, rest and ice are the best places to start. Making sure that you are watching the pitch count and rest days is also very important. Physical Therapy and a throwing program are also recommended. Have a great Summer!!! - Jeremy

pitch multiple days in a row, multiple weekends in a row, and practice or weekday games as well. Couple this with the possibility of having poor throwing mechanics. Remember when I said Foster has sprouted up? Not only does this growth make him almost my size, but he now has to relearn how to use his body. All of the old ways of doing things have changed with his new found manliness. There can also be significant weakness noted in the upper back, shoulder and

surrounding stability muscles. What does this look like?

Kids that have this type of injury typically present with pain with throwing. WOW. That is obvious. They can also have pain with lifting the arm. Kids don’t complain that much so we also need to look for decreased speed and control with throwing as a sign to ask questions.

What can I do about it? If you notice your child having any of the signs and symptoms noted above, rest and ice are the best places to start. Making sure that you are watching the pitch count and rest days is also very important. Physical Therapy and a throwing program are also recommended . What does PTdo if it is a growth plate issue? I am so glad you just asked that question!! Under the guidance

Service Spotlight

therapy treatments and advancedmanual therapy techniques, we have found that the vast majority of our patients achieved the pain-free goals they were aiming towards. After conducting a comprehensive evaluation to assess the nature of your condition, your physical therapist will let you know if dry needling is the best course of treatment for you. We have used dry needling to treat several diverse conditions, fromchronic pain sufferers toathletes experiencing Most of our patients report feeling little to no discomfort when undergoing dry needling treatments. Our highly-trained physical therapists know how to make the process as painless as possible. Some patients may still experience a “twitch response” with the insertion of the needle. This iscomparable toaquickmusclecrampor ache. The 24-48 hours following a dry needling treatment delayed onset muscle soreness. Will Dry Needling Hurt?

may also result inmuscle soreness, which should go away on its own. Sore muscles can be treated at home by applying ice and/or heat packs and

drinking plenty of fluids. How Does It Work?

This treatment method is used as a way to relieve pain. When performing dry needling, your physical therapist will insert a sterile needle through the skin, into the underlying tendons, ligaments, or muscles that have been affected, in order to relieve pain, decreasemuscle tension, and improve mobility. While it isacommonmisconception, dryneedling is not acupuncture. It is based on amodern scientific study of musculoskeletal and neuromuscular systems. While there are some similarities, dry needling is strictly based on Western medicine principles and research. It provides an environment that enhances the body’s ability to heal, ultimately reducing pain in the process.

Dry Needling Dry needling is a safe and effective method of treatment provided at Pittman Physical Therapy to reduce pain and muscle tension, while simultaneously improving mobility. It has been proven to treat numerousmusculoskeletal issues, including acute and chronic injuries, overuse injuries, neck pain, headaches, back pain, sciatica, muscle spasms, muscle strains, tendinitis, knee pain, hip pain, fibromyalgia, tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, and more. There is a large variety of musculoskeletal issues that can be treatedwith dry needling. When paired with our traditional exercise-based physical

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Our physical therapists can teach you warm-up routines that utilize light weights, resistance bands, or targeted stretches to get your body ready for physical activity. Some light cardio can also be beneficial in your warm-up routine so that your muscle cells become oxygenated and ready to work. Maintaining proper form during your warm-ups is one of the main keys to avoiding injury. Your physical therapist will analyze your form to make sure you’re doing everything correctly in order to maximize results during your workout and help you get the most out of it. Warming up can make all the difference for those who are aging and active. A physical therapist can help you figure out where your problem areas are, so you can perform the correct warm-up routine for your needs. A routine that consists of a combination of exercises, stretches, and pain-relieving techniques that target areas where injuries are likely to occur is one of the best ways to avoid injury in the aging and active adult. Your physical therapist can also help you target poor techniques and correct them. Focus will be on the areas of your body that are repeatedly stressed and overused by your sport or exercise, thus determining your likelihood of injury and suggesting the best warm- up techniques for keeping you safe during physical activity. How Can a Physical Therapist Help Me with My Warm-Ups? PATIENT SPOTLIGHT "Pittman Physical Therapy has been there since the beginning of my injury adventures. Recently, I attended a basketball camp with my team at Briarcrest and dislocated my knee. Previously, Pittman had helped me recover from a foot surgery, so of course I went straight to them to help me with my knee recovery. I tried not to have surgery, but if I wanted to play Basketball my sophomore season, Dr. Biggers and my PT said I would have to have surgery. I was told that I would have a 6 month recovery, but with the help of my physical therapists and the hard work I put in, I fully recovered in 4 1/2 months. I worked with Mallory, Jeff, Tessa, Maranda, and a few other people in the practice. I will forever be thankful for the hard work they put into helping me play the sport I love most." Gracyn Steed RACYN STEED Amberlee S. AMBERLEE S. him back to his favorite sport! Thank you Jeremy, for suggesting Hudson see Jeff with him being a baseball player himself! Jeff was so kind, patient and truly cared about Hudson’s progress nd getting im back to 100%! Thank you for everything! We highly recommend Pittman PT for all ages and injuries! We want to give a huge shoutout and thank you to Jeff Edwards and the rest of y ur staff for work ng with Hudson and getting

We’ve updated to a whole new look! We’ve added more tools to help you recover more quickly from your aches and pains. Learn more about the pain you might be having with our conditions body diagram. Discover our many services that can get you back to pain-free living, fast! Don’t forget to download our Free e-books and sign up for our monthly health tips to further transform your life.

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Try these exercises to help maintain a healthy body Exercise Essentials

While lying or sitting, raise up your leg with a straight knee, keeping your toes pointed outward. Hold for 3 seconds, eturn to starting position, and repeat 5 times. STRAIGHT LEG RAISE Strengthens Knee

KNEE EXTENSION STRETCH Stretches Knee

While sitting, tighten your top thigh muscle as you press the back of your knee downward towards the ground. Hold the stretch for 10 seconds and repeat 3 times.

Exercises copyright of

Not all exercises are appropriate for every person. Please consult with a healthcare provider before starting.

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