Professional Physical Therapy - February 2021

Professional Physical Therapy - February 2021

PRO PT PRESS

February 2021

Community Love What You Say Matters — But What You Do Matters More

charity, there’s more to be said (we think) for finding a local organization that will allow your dollars to help people right in your own hometown. For our clinic, that cause has been food insecurity, which affects more people than you might ever guess. Professional Physical Therapy has long been an active supporter of the Franklin Food Pantry and an eager participant in the annual Franklin Food Drive as well as other food drives throughout the year. We really encourage others to check out this very deserving cause and consider getting involved yourself by volunteering or donating. That being said, we certainly can’t talk about love and selflessness without mentioning the hard efforts of patients like you. Every Christmas, our office gets involved with a Santa Foundation program, taking the Christmas list from a deserving family and making sure the items are all checked off. Not only does our staff donate to the cause, but our amazing patients also show their love by donating items. With your help, we were able to help two large families last Christmas, so thank you very much! That kind of loving generosity makes Franklin and the surrounding area unique, in my opinion. More importantly, it makes it feel like home for Professional Physical Therapy. You might not believe this, but we are going into our 29th year in business. That’s 29 years of serving patients, supporting our community, and getting lots of love in return. One thing that I’ve really enjoyed seeing over the years is the generation effect; these days, our patients are sometimes the children — and even grandchildren — of people who came to us for help when we first opened our doors. We have been lucky to care for so many people over these three decades, and to see our patients’ families grow. Although I never know exactly what the future holds, I know that with love like this we will be ready for it.

Although we associate Valentine’s Day with romantic love and couples like Romeo and Juliet, the holiday offers much more than that. It’s a reminder of the power of love in our lives, and for many of us, love isn’t just about the person we’re with or the things we do together. Love binds families together, connects people in communities, and is at the root of helping others. And when I think about the ways Professional Physical Therapy gets involved with the community, I see love for that community as the reason for everything. We just want to give back a little of all the love we get from you! One way we’ve been lucky to help is with our Patient of the Month highlights. As you know, we highlight a person every month and celebrate their achievements in and outside of the clinic. But you might not know that there’s a charity component as well: The patient selects a cause or organization dear to their heart, and Professional Physical Therapy makes a donation. As you can imagine, the list of charities has been as diverse as the people we work with.

Still, there’s something special about supporting one cause over a long period of time. Although you can do good by giving to a big international

–Dr. Stacey Raybuck Schatz

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PATIENT of the MONTH

The Benefits

OF SPENDING TIME IN THE MOUNTAINS

Mahire Ishka AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY

In the famous Swiss novel “Heidi,” a little girl recovers from her fragile health — both physically and mentally — by spending time in the mountains. There are plenty of anecdotal stories about the medicinal effects of mountain air, but how much is supported by research? Here’s what there is evidence for so far: Cleaner, Pollution-Free Air One basic but important benefit of getting to a higher altitude is the escape from city pollution. It may surprise some city dwellers that air pollution is linked to asthma attacks for those with sensitive lungs and also to more serious conditions. Research suggests that prolonged exposure to air pollution may lead to chronic illnesses such as cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, and other lung diseases.

Up in the mountains, you’ll likely be able to breathe a little easier

Reduced Risk of Obesity and Heart Disease People who spend more time at high altitudes may also

experience a decreased appetite and lower risk of obesity. One study from 2017 even found that living at a higher elevation is associated with a lower risk of metabolic syndrome, which is a cluster of conditions that include high blood pressure, excess body fat, and abnormal cholesterol.

“I picked this charity because I lost my husband to kidney cancer. It is very clear to me that a cure needs to be found for cancer, so others are not affected by this disease. American Cancer Society does a great job with helping people who are suffering from cancer.” -Mahire Mahire came to Professional Physical Therapy in a significant amount of pain and was unable to move her arm. Her hard work and dedication to physical therapy makes her February’s Patient of the Month. She is making great gains and now able to reach above her head! Keep up the great work, Mahire! We at Professional Physical Therapy would be honored to donate to the charity of your choice if you become our next Patient of the Month!

Even more interesting, mountain air may passively improve your weight loss journey as well.

Natural Weight Loss

One German study followed 20 obese men who lived in an environmental

research station below the highest peak in the country. The subjects reached the peak

effortlessly by railway or cable car, and they were allowed to eat as much as they liked. By the end of the week, however, each had lost an average of 1.5 kilograms

or 3.3 pounds. Two factors are thought to have contributed to the weight loss: A naturally decreased appetite from the altitude (the men ate nearly 700 fewer calories than usual) and an increased metabolic rate. While there is still more to learn about the potential benefits of spending time in the mountains, these three studies give the greenlight for more high-altitude adventures.

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Relieving Pain Since 1992

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And then there are the posts just for fun, the ones where we show you tasty food that’s healthy (low-impact birthday cake) and … maybe a little less healthy — fast food recipes that you can make at home. (We know, we know, but they look so delicious. ) The Facebook page is also our chance to prove that we got jokes, like the one of the dog declaring, “Today is the day I catch my own tail!” And there’s no better way to ask the community important, driving questions, like “What are your must-have snow day items?” The answers to that were, again, surprising. We expected a few, like great movies and fuzzy blankets, but some were genuinely odd, like ice cream. As we learned, that’s actually a pretty common craving when the snow starts to fall. There are a lot of reasons that we love building this community online. One, as we mentioned in this edition’s cover, is that we’re entering our 29th year in business in 2021. Back when we first opened, we had to connect with people the old-fashioned way, with great service and the occasional flyer. Spreading news about a class or letting patients know that TMJ and jaw pain are often treatable took a lot of effort. And while we still use those methods to talk to patients, we also recognize what technology can do for us. With Facebook, we can reach out to the community and see how people are doing. For example: last month we asked people to post the last food picture they took, a habit we’re all guilty of. This is fun, and it got a great response — definitely good for building a community. But it also gives us some idea of what our patients are eating, which is very important to overall health.

As we said in the cover, the work we do comes from a place of love for our community, and nowhere is that more evident than on Facebook. We want our page to be the best place possible for staff, patients, and neighbors to mingle and have fun — and for us all to learn something from time to time. You should go see what we mean for yourself. Visit Facebook.com/ProPTInc. Leave a comment, let us know what you think, and help us make this online community great!

Balsamic Roasted VEGETABLE PASTA

We can’t wait to see you!

Inspired by TheFullHelping.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 tbsp grapeseed oil • 2 1/2 lbs mixed vegetables of choice, chopped into 3/4 inch pieces (parsnips, turnips, carrots, butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, etc.) • 1 red onion, chopped • 1 tbsp olive oil • 1 shallot, thinly sliced • 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Don’t forget to claim your FREE “Welcome Back Ticket” to Professional Physical Therapy and start living PAIN-FREE once again. If you’re a past client and you’re in pain, please call us. Even if the offer doesn’t specifically apply to you, we’d love to help you out. Remember, this offer expires Feb. 28, 2021.

• 8 oz uncooked pasta • 1/2 cup vegetable broth • 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar • 2 handfuls arugula • Salt and pepper, to taste • Nutritional yeast, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. 2. In a large bowl, combine grapeseed oil, vegetables, and onion. Toss until evenly coated, then spread the mixture across two foil-lined baking sheets. 3. Sprinkle vegetables with salt and pepper, then roast them for 35–40 minutes. While vegetables are roasting, cook pasta according to package directions. 4. When vegetables are done, heat olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Sauté shallots and garlic for 4–5 minutes. 5. Add the root vegetables and onion, pasta, vegetable broth, and vinegar to the pot and stir until warm. Add the arugula and cook until wilted. 6. Serve with salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast.

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620 Old West Central St. Franklin, MA 02038 www.proptinc.com 508-528-6100

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Inside This Issue

Love Is What You Do

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Patient of the Month

Can Mountain Air Actually Improve Your Health?

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Balsamic Roasted Vegetable Pasta

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Are You Part of the In Crowd?

Are You Part of the In Crowd? TOO MUCH FUN AT FACEBOOK.COM/PROPTINC

That’s the question on everyone’s lips this month, as we continue to offer stellar content on the Professional Physical Therapy Facebook Page. If you haven’t checked it out yet, you really need to. “But what can be so great about another business Facebook page?” you ask. Well, that would be a fair question — if our page was like other business pages. But it isn’t. If you’re expecting a page with a once-a-month update, reminding people to check out their new activities and classes, you’re really in for a surprise. That’s not to say our page doesn’t include reminders of our activities and classes — we do that too — but we also take full advantage of Facebook and have created a vibrant community for team members and patients to learn, interact, grow, and have fun together! When we see an awesome video showing how to ski safely, we put it on the page for all to see. What does it matter that we didn’t create that video or that it doesn’t directly relate to Professional Physical Therapy? It’s a fun, informative way to share information that our community might really need, which is what matters to us. Besides, a lot of the content on our page isn’t about us. If it were, we wouldn’t be building a community space, we’d be building an advertising space. And that just isn’t what we set out to do. The fact is that people

connect with people, not businesses. And that’s what we’re trying to bring together on Facebook: people, many of whom you know. Some are patients, some are staff members, some are folks in town (and even far away) who recognize the name and stick around for the vibe. We’re about all of it, and we try to curate a good space to talk, ask questions, and learn about health. In a recent post, we shared information about laser therapy — and we know for a fact a few people learned something that day. (The most surprising laser therapy application? Migraine headaches!) Another post got into lower back pain, which causes more disability than any other condition but is itself rarely caused by injury.

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