Professional Physical Therapy - January 2022

Professional Physical Therapy - January 2022

PRO PT PRESS

January 2022

Every year, my family at home and my family at the office make New Year’s goals and themes both personally and in the clinic. As I begin to examine where to focus my goals, the top value lies in personal health and growth. Recently, at the end of 2021, a few things have made the importance of prioritizing health more significant. Many of you may know my youngest daughter, Allison, who works in the clinic. Recently, she underwent a tonsillectomy, as she suffered from many infections in her tonsils. Two days after her surgery, she developed a lot of post-op bleeding and was rushed back into the OR for additional surgery, but she still wasn’t out of the woods. Three days later, she was experiencing bleeding again and went to the emergency room. I’m happy to say that she is recovering nicely after this terrifying health scare, and the week of Thanksgiving was her first day back to work. It was a trying time in both our home and the office. Reflecting on this, there are certain things that we all do to take care of ourselves and prevent problems. Two days before Thanksgiving, my husband got a colonoscopy. When we go to the doctor for our checkups, come into the office for screenings and preventative care, or receive our vaccines, we are working to keep our health in optimal condition. Speaking of vaccines, the day after Allison had her initial surgery, I was scheduled to get both my COVID-19 booster shot PRIORITIZING HEALTH AND WELLNESS IN 2022 You’re Never Too Busy

and pneumonia vaccine. The combination of the two hit me hard, and while Allison was experiencing some unexpected complications, I was miserably sick. Later that week, my husband got his flu shot and coincidentally came down with a terrible head cold. To top it off, the dog also got sick. Thankfully, we are all recovered, but that week surely was a trying time in our home.

Preventative action in terms of our health is beneficial. Things happen that lead us down roads we may not anticipate, and despite our best efforts, we may wind up with complications. So, as we kick off the new year, how can we make health our No. 1 priority? Some things are in our control, such as vaccinations or wellness visits, but other things, such as infections, back pain, knee pain, or shoulder pain, are out of our control and may require assistance from a professional. In January and February, we have our shoulder and rotator cuff workshop, then we will have our knee pain and arthritis workshop, followed by a back pain and sciatica workshop down the road. Attending workshops is a good place to just get some information, ask some questions, and find a healthy path for you to go down. Taking one small step toward a resolution in any concern you may have is all it takes to begin putting your health first. For anyone interested in coming in and consulting with one of our doctors and therapists, we are giving away 10 free consultations! Give us a call NOW to take a step in the right direction for the new year. What are you waiting for?

–Dr. Stacey Raybuck Schatz

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PATIENT of the MONTH January 2022 – Barry Katz THE JIMMY FUND

Don’t Spend Another Year Lonely! 5 WAYS TO MAKE NEW FRIENDS IN RETIREMENT Friendship just might be the fourth secret to longevity, right behind eating well, exercising, and getting plenty of sleep. According to the Mayo Clinic, making friends can reduce stress, improve your self-confidence, and give you purpose in life! People with good friends are also more likely to exercise and less likely to drink to excess. But making friends is tough, especially in your golden years. To finally kick loneliness to the curb in 2022, try these five tips. 1. Get a dog. Adopting a dog (assuming you truly want one) will incentivize you to leave the house for walks, vet visits, and more. You’ll likely attract new friends in the neighborhood when they stop to pet your pup, and you can also meet people at the dog park or obedience classes. If nothing else, you’ll have your dogs in common! 2. Join a hobby group. The easiest way to find friends with similar interests is to pursue those interests. If you like to quilt, join a quilting group, and if you kayak, look for an outdoors club near you. Facebook is a great resource for finding online hobby groups, too! Just type your interest into the search bar and select “Groups” on the left-hand side of the screen. 3. Volunteer. Volunteering has similar benefits to joining a hobby group with the added benefit of giving back to the community! There’s likely a cause for whatever you’re interested in, whether that’s food, animals, or sports. Visit VolunteerMatch.org to find opportunities in your area sorted by organization type. 4. Move to a 55-plus community. Also called retirement communities or active adult communities, these neighborhoods are known for their low-maintenance housing, amenities, and group activity options — and they’re all over the U.S. If you want to find friends in your age group to swim and play tennis with, a local real estate agent can help you find them. 5. Become a mentor. Mentorship is a valuable way to form friendships across generations. You can sign up for an existing program in the field you retired from or reach out to a local college or high school career center and offer your services. They’ll likely have graduates who’d love to meet you!

“The Jimmy Fund is a great charity to help out children who are suffering from a terrible disease. I am so lucky to have five healthy grandchildren. With this donation, hopefully it will help with coming up with a cure for the children who have this awful disease.” -Barry The Jimmy Fund exclusively supports the fight against cancer at Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, raising money for both adult and pediatric cancer care and research to better the chances of survival for cancer patients worldwide. Barry has been a staple at ProPT over the years and is always a pleasure to work with. You will always know when he is at the clinic, as the sports talk will be flowing. He always makes his visits fun for all. He is winding down from his current case, but we hope that he stops by the clinic to talk sports, as the Patriots will hopefully play into February! 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!

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Are You Ready toManage Pain and ImproveMobility? If you are constantly straining your back by lifting heavy things or working out too hard, injury may be the culprit, but don’t let other possible factors off the hook. Disk degeneration, hereditary conditions such as ankylosing spondylitis, or infections may be the root of the problem. In fact, many back You must always sit up straight. You’ve heard it before: Your posture is important, so don’t slouch. While hunching over certainly isn’t great for your back, sitting up straight and stiff may not be the answer either. Like all of your muscles and joints, movement is necessary for proper function. Sitting up too straight can cause irritation. If, for example, you’re sitting at your desk for an extended period of time, to provide relief every now and then, lean back in your chair. Make sure to have a slight curve in your lower back while keeping your feet on the floor. Also be sure to take frequent breaks to stand up and move around when possible. Bed rest is the best. When you have a back injury or back pain, keep in mind that movement is oftentimes essential to promote healing. When blood flow is increased in your back, more nutrients are brought to the tissues to reduce swelling, soreness, and stiffness. Aerobic exercises, such as riding a bicycle, jogging, or indoor cycling, are great for promoting blood flow and can naturally release endorphins (the body’s feel-good chemicals) to aid with pain management. Injury is the culprit.

issues develop over time due to repeated trauma, normal wear-and-tear (yes, that’s possible with our bodies), and horrible posture. A firm mattress is the answer. Has anyone ever told you that a firm mattress is the way to go for optimal back health? That may not be the best advice since extra-firm mattresses can place more pressure on your hips, shoulders, and other heavy points in your body. A very soft mattress can lack the support necessary for those points, too. In fact, it has been proven that a medium-firm mattress is best for supporting important body parts while not placing too much pressure on them. Back pain is inevitable as you age. While aging can cause new aches and pains, it is not always the root of back pain. If you are physically fit, you may not be doomed to a future of chronic back pain. With preventive care and exercise, pain does not have to be something that just comes along with aging. For low-impact exercise options, look into Pilates, yoga, jogging, swimming, and dancing. Back issues can be very difficult and complex to diagnose because there usually isn’t a single incident that caused the issue. By putting these myths to rest, you now have a better idea of what is NOT the underlying cause of your pain. Keep in mind that in most cases, movement is your friend!

Chicken With Lemon Herb Sauce

Newsletter Offer Only — 5 Free Consultations

Inspired by FoodNetwork.com

Healthy eating doesn’t have to be bland with this citrusy chicken!

Physical therapy is beneficial in reducing the symptoms of many chronic conditions and diseases while helping to manage pain. It can help in recovering from an injury, improving mobility, and managing age-related medical issues. To get started on your path to recovery, come on in and chat with us about your options. In the midst of the pandemic, many of you are on the frontlines, risking your lives to save others and keep businesses afloat. Police, firefighters, EMTs, doctors, nurses, grocery and pharmacy employees, restaurant owners, janitors, truck drivers, and all professionals providing services to help navigate the struggles of COVID-19, we thank you! To show our appreciation, we are offering five free consultations! Call us today at 508-528-6100 to secure your free consultation!

INGREDIENTS

• 1/3 cup and 2 tbsp olive oil, divided • 4 boneless chicken breasts • 1 clove of garlic, minced • 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/2 cup parsley, chopped • 1/3 cup mint, chopped • 1 1/2 tsp pepper • 1 lemon, for juice and zest

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 450 F. 2. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat 2 tbsp olive oil. 3. Season chicken with salt and pepper if desired and sear it in the skillet for 3 minutes on each side. Bake chicken until its internal temperature is 165 F. 4. In a blender, add 1/3 cup olive oil, garlic, salt, parsley, mint, pepper, and lemon zest and juice and blend ingredients until coarsely mixed. 5. Top chicken with sauce and serve!

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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

1

Making Health Your No. 1 Priority

Patient of the Month

2

5 Ways to Make New Friends in Retirement

3

Chicken With Lemon Herb Sauce

4

Back Pain Myths

Evidence in the Movement 5 BACK PAIN MYTHS

Back pain is one of the worst and most complex issues to have. It happens to the best of us — you’re getting out of bed and notice a new ache that wasn’t there when your head hit the pillow the night before, or maybe you simply bent over to put your clothes on, and your back went out. According to the American Chiropractic Association, about 80% of people will experience back pain at some point in their lives. Considering the likelihood that you have — or will have this in the future — it’s important to understand that there are some myths surrounding back pain.

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