PT Pro -April 2021

PT Pro -April 2021

4/21

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STRESS IS INEVITABLE

point.” I learned this mantra when I was moving from Sacramento to San Francisco years ago. I’ve told this story before, but it bears repeating. I was in a truck pulling a trailer full of my stuff. I pulled into the apartment complex only to be met with a very steep incline, as you would expect in San Francisco. But it was also a tight corner. I pulled the truck in just fine, but completely forgot about the trailer. In a matter of seconds, I was stuck at 90 degrees. I ended up burning out the clutch in the pickup trying to get out. But as the clutch smoked and a little boy cried up the way (on his way to the beach, he was now trapped in the complex thanks to me), a man walked by and said, “This will be solved at some point. Don’t worry.” And then he walked away. I never saw him again. But the words stuck with me — he was right. In the moment, I was stressed out. But a few hours later, I was unpacked. It was over, and I moved on with my life. No matter where your stress comes from, it’s important to give it perspective. Maybe you’re overwhelmed with work and need to breathe. Or maybe you’re stressed because you’re in pain. Or your stress is exacerbating pain. In the PT world, I strive to educate people on pain science. The physical manifestation of stress as pain is very real, but there is always something you can do about it. That goes for any kind of stress. Give yourself what you need to get to the cause of your stress so you can manage it, whether it’s taking a few breaths, taking a break (or dropping the source of stress), or asking for help.

blood pressure — which are both negatively impacted by stress.

While breathing exercises are great to relieve short-term stress, stress can be chronic. There’s a huge mental component to it, so it’s just important to give attention to your mental health in times of stress. There’s another saying I reference from time to time: “You’ve made it through 100% of your bad days.” When my kids are having a “bad day,” I’ll remind them of this. It can be motivating and put things into perspective. For me, that’s really what a lot of stress boils down to: perspective. Or when we lose our perspective. When I’m stressed out and I have too much on my plate, I take a step back and ask myself, “Do I need to be doing this?” Or, “Is this necessary right now?” Or even, “What am I getting out of this and why is it important to me?” That is to say, is the stress worth it? If I can’t find a good reason to be doing something, maybe it’s time to drop it. Or maybe I do have a good reason to be doing something and reminding myself of that is motivating. I often think to myself in times of stress, “keep your eye on the prize.” Here’s an example: running my kids around to all of their events, like soccer practice or games, gets stressful. But I put it into perspective. It’s worth it because these activities bring joy to my kids and watching them participate brings joy to me. I also try to remind myself in this example that if they are late or miss one practice on occasion, all will still be well. Here’s another thing I do: I picture the future. I may be stressed right now, but it will get better. There’s always light at the end of the tunnel. I tell myself, “It will be over at some

We all get stressed and stress in life is completely normal. Between work, school, and everyday life, stress can come from anywhere. We can’t hide from it, but we can take action to get it under control before it controls us. April is Stress Awareness Month — and Stress Awareness Day falls on the day after Tax Day, which surely isn’t a coincidence. This month, I want to talk a bit about how I manage my own stress and a few ideas which may help you. One of the best strategies for stress management is remarkably simple — it’s breathing. Breathing exercises have been around for a long time and for good reason. When practiced with care, they work. You have the classic “breathe in and out slowly while counting to 10.” It works. There are plenty of breathing exercises to choose from. You can try breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. There’s a saying that I love, “Breathe in your power, breathe out your doubt.” There’s truth to that. I talk to patients about diaphragm breathing. You may have even caught our diaphragm breathing article in a past issue of the newsletter. The diaphragm is a muscle right below the lungs. Diaphragm breathing (also called belly breathing) focuses on taking full, deep breaths while letting your diaphragm expand. That increases oxygen in the blood, which then helps regulate heartbeat and

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ONE STEP AT A TIME How to Get Into Jogging in 4 Steps

leg stretched behind you. Keep your upper body straight and your hands on your hips as you press downward and move your hips forward. Once fully in position, hold for 30–60 seconds. Switch legs and repeat 10 times per leg. 3. Learn proper form. If you are inexperienced, you don’t want to simply throw on a pair of shoes and go for a run. This can do serious harm to your body and you won’t feel great afterward (and you should feel wonderful after a jog!). You can find jogging form videos on YouTube, or you can just ask us for help! 4. Make it a habit. Find a time every day when you can go for a jog, even if it’s short (let yourself build to longer jogs). It should be the same time every day. Then, stick to it. Get an accountability buddy to make sure you’re sticking to your schedule. Consistency is key!

Jogging can be a refreshing way to get physical activity every day. Some people jog for the enjoyment of it, others jog with intent — such as running a 5K. But if you are new to jogging, there are a few things to keep in mind for the best possible experience this spring: 1. Get the right shoes. While you don’t need to break the bank buying running shoes, it’s important to use the right shoes. You need shoes that support you as you go through the jogging motions. The right shoes will save your joints and muscles from undue strain. Don’t be afraid to try on several pairs of running shoes to find the right pair. 2. Learn the right stretches. Stretching before and after a jog is crucial. Just as you should warm up for any physical activity, stretching before a jog helps you avoid muscle aches and injury. Here are two great stretches:

a. Quad stretch — Stand up straight and lift your left leg behind you. Keep your knees close together. Hold your foot with your left hand. Slowly pull your foot toward your butt. You should feel your quad muscles stretching. Hold this position for 30 seconds. Release and switch legs. Repeat at least 10 times per leg. b. Leg lunge — Put yourself into a lunge with one foot forward with the knee at a 90-degree angle, and the other

EXERCISE OF THE MONTH Wrist Flexion and Extension

Why: All that typing and mousing! Or any repetitive hand and finger stress like gardening or piano playing. Keeping the wrist flexor and extensor muscles limber and mobile will help avoid unnecessary muscle imbalances that can lead to forearm, elbow, and wrist pain. How: With arm extended out (elbow straight) bring left hand over the back of your right hand — avoid grabbing fingers — grab above the knuckles. Pull hand down until you feel a moderate stretch on the top of your forearm. Hold for 20–30 seconds. Then do the opposite — flip your hand over, grab your palm and pull down again until you feel a stretch on the palm side of your forearm. Hold 20–30 seconds. Repeat on the other arm. Do these 2–3 times per day.

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PT PRO’S PATIENT SPOTLIGHT Back Surgery Is off the Table — How PT Helped With Chris’ Rehab

Inspired by ThisSavoryVegan.com

Last year, I was removing snow from an RV when I lost my balance and fell. I hit the ground hard and knew instantly something was wrong with my back. I couldn’t get up or do anything else. Thankfully, I had my phone and called for help. Without that phone, I would have been out there for hours before anyone found me. Medics arrived and strapped me into a back brace. It was clear to them what was wrong. I was rushed to the trauma center, examined,

VEGAN POTATO SALAD

and the neurosurgeon made his recommendation: We’ll rule out surgery for now. Instead, I was put on three months of rehab in order to build up strength and partially heal my injury. Of course, after it had healed, they wanted to do the surgery. I was terrified. They also told me that if I didn’t have back pain before the injury, after the surgery, I would likely have back pain for the rest of my life due to the surgery itself. Not great. The good news was, I was cleared for physical therapy. Day one, PT Alice Wong showed me the ropes. We started simple: rolling off the mat and a lot of manual therapy. The goal was to get me back to the point where I could move and bend. Then I graduated to light yoga and Alice put me on the Pilates reformer. It was all about building up strength step by step. It wasn’t long before I was doing most of the exercises on the Pilates reformer, and within a month, I was told I no longer needed the brace! The next thing I knew, I was cleared for cycling, which was very exciting! I even picked up a Peloton for home exercise. The step-by-step approach worked, and I could see my transformation. Alice took a holistic approach, as they do at PT Pro, and reminded me that the goal was to get me out of rehab and back out there with sustained improvement. Last fall, I met with my neurosurgeon. After another round of X-rays, they told me my back had healed really well. The PT worked and everything looked great! So great, they took surgery off the table. I even got a second opinion, and that doctor concluded the same thing, but said it was likely I would need surgery 20 years down the line because of how traumatic the injury had been. Since then, I’ve kept up with the Peloton and at-home exercises, including various stretches and yoga. I still have minor tension in my back depending on what I’m doing, but I can say I’m a fully functioning human, and I appreciate everything Alice and the team has done to get me to this point. Even during the height of the pandemic, they went to great lengths to make PT accessible and make sure I was able to get the PT I needed in order to remove surgery from the equation.

Prep for barbecue season by perfecting this delicious vegan-friendly side dish!

Ingredients

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3/4 cup celery, chopped 3 green onions, chopped

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1 1/2 lbs potatoes, any type 1 cup plant-based mayonnaise

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1 kosher dill pickle, chopped

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2 tbsp white vinegar 1 tbsp yellow mustard

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Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large pot, add the potatoes and cover with water. On high heat, bring potatoes to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Cook until tender. 2. Drain the water and let potatoes sit for 15 minutes. 3. In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, celery, green onions, pickle, salt, and pepper. Place in the refrigerator until ready for use. 4. Once the potatoes cool, slice them into 1-inch pieces. 5. Add the potatoes to the dressing and mix gently to avoid mashing the potatoes. 6. Add more salt and pepper to taste. 7. Cool the dish for 1 hour before serving.

“Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.” –The Dali Lama

Chris Anderson

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Stress Is Inevitable

Get Into Jogging With These Simple Steps

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Exercise of the Month Chris Avoided Back Surgery with PT — Here’s How

Vegan Potato Salad

Back Pain: It’s Important to Consult With Your PT

DON’T LET BACK PAIN GET THE BEST OF YOU

Why Consulting With Your PT Makes a World of Difference When people experience pain in their lower back and legs, their first instinct is to reach for the nearest over-the-counter pain med. If the pain persists, they may talk to their doctor or general practitioner, who may prescribe another pain reliever or an injection. In more serious cases, surgery may enter the conversation.

In fact, remaining sedentary can end up exacerbating the problem. You wait for the pain to go away, and when it doesn’t, or comes back when you return to your daily activities, what are you supposed to do then? For some people, the answer is exercise. If you’re dealing with the symptoms of sciatica, stretching and core-strength routines may help alleviate pain and discomfort in the lower back and legs. Yoga has been shown to help people with sciatic pain as well. Do keep in mind that not all yoga poses or exercises are ideally suited for people with sciatica or other forms of back pain. It’s best to understand the source of your pain before committing to an exercise routine. For instance, if you suffer from disc herniation, certain motions and poses have the potential to place undue stress on your back and increase the pain. That’s why it’s crucial to consult with your physical therapist first. Your PT can guide you and suggest appropriate steps to maximize relief and avoid further discomfort. We can show you what exercises and yoga poses to do at home to help you get the desired results. Stop living with pain! Give us a call and let’s put back pain behind you.

However, if you suffer from back pain, relief may be closer than you think, without the need for you to rely on medication or surgery. It’s all

about working with your physical therapist to find the ideal solution. As PTs, we also coordinate with your doctors to make sure we’re meeting your needs. Many people who suffer from back pain tend to put physical activity on the backburner. They “take it easy” until the pain subsides or take a pain reliever to temporarily manage symptoms. The problem is, when it comes to your back, taking it easy will not always produce the desired results.

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