Blue Sky PT. Back Pain & Difficulty Walking

Blue Sky PT. Back Pain & Difficulty Walking

The Newsletter About Caring for Your Health Health+Fitness

Walking Away From Back Pain

A L S O I N S I D E : How To Fix Your Stride • Exercise Essentials Patient Success Story • Service Spotlight • Healthy Recipe

Walking Away From Back Pain

Does going for a walk sound like a big pain in the back? For those who struggle with chronic back pain, even the basic task of going for a walk can be overwhelming and painful. Back pain can strike at any time. Whether in the upper back, surrounding the neck and shoulders, or in the lower back with or without sciatica, back pain is something that no one likes to deal with for too long. Relying on pain medications to help you overcome back pain will leave you disappointed. While pain medications are frequently helpful at alleviating the discomfort of your back pain for a short period of time, they are not capable of resolving the underlying issue that is causing your pain to develop in the first place. The only thing that can actually fix your back pain is addressing the issue that is causing your pain head on. Physical therapy is a great resource for addressing your back pain and can be a helpful tool in getting you back on your feet. Whether back pain occurs following a sudden injury or has developed over time and is chronic, physical therapy could be the

answer to helping you enjoy life free of back pain. And the secret to success is learning to approach recovery one step at a time. Walking your Way Pain Free Walking is a great form of exercise, but more than that, it is a necessity of life. When you can’t walk, even basic tasks become complicated. Getting out of bed in the morning, getting to and from work, moving your way around the office, and even spending time with family on the weekends all rely heavily on your ability to walk. When your back pain begins to interfere with your ability to move around freely, then you know it is time to do something about it. Walking may be more than a goal when it comes to back pain, it could be part of the solution. Working with a physical therapist to develop improved strategies and techniques with your walking could help you to get back on your feet sooner than you thought possible. What’s more, for those who are able to walk, getting on your feet more often with targeted exercises could help you find relief from back pain.

Call Blue Sky Physical Therapy at 303.388.1537 or visit blueskypt.com to schedule your appointment today!

How To Fix Your Stride

When you are experiencing regular back pain—especially if you are experiencing back pain while walking—you should consider ways that you can reduce back pain by taking small steps to support your back. There are several things that you can do at home to improve your stride, which can make a significant difference when it comes to managing back pain day-to-day. Here are several ways that you can start taking care of your back with each step you take: 1. Make sure you are wearing the right types of shoes. While the golden rule for walking is to wear sneakers, not all sneakers are created equally. You need to wear a sneaker that is going to provide you with the arch support that meets your individual needs. This may mean upgrading from your minimal support sneaker to something more athletically designed. 2. Of course, you can’t wear sneakers all the time. When you are at the office, professional footwear matters. You can try an insert with

an arche support in your work shoes. If you are still having issues, you may find it helpful to have custom orthotics made for your work shoes so you can have arch support around the clock. 3. Work on improving your posture. Slouching when you walk may be impacting the way your back feels. Take a few minutes in the morning and again in the afternoon to stretch your back and make a point of keeping your shoulders square and your back straight as you walk. Simply standing tall may alleviate some of your back pain. Another way that walking can help alleviate back pain is by encouraging weight loss. Being overweight puts added pressure on your back, and this can contribute to increased back pain. Working with a physical therapist to improve your walking technique can help you to overcome back pain one step at a time.

Call Blue Sky Physical Therapy at 303.388.1537 or visit blueskypt.com to schedule your appointment!

Blue Sky PT Workshop!

Exercise Essentials

Jonathan Hebert, LCMT will be hosting a Massage Principles for Self Care Workshop on two separate dates. Saturday, February 22nd - & - Saturday, March 28th Please call Blue Sky Physical Therapy at 303.388.1537 for more information and to sign up.

Exercises copyrightof

www.simpleset.net

QUAD STRETCH PRONE Lieonstomach.Tightenyour lowerabdominalsand try tokeepyourback fromarching.Holdanklewithhand.Gentlypullankle toward thebuttock. You should feel a stretch in the front of your thigh. Repeat 6-10 times.

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Patient Success Stories!

"Ihaveworkedwiththreedifferent physical therapists at blue sky, all of which listened very closely to my symptoms and concerns, and took a genuine interest inmy health and recovery." - Natalie R. "Katherine is great PT. All friendly staff. Nice facility." - Kris K.

Don’t Let Pain Hold You Back From New Years Resolutions. At Blue Sky Physical Therapy, we have your health and fitness in mind. Let us help you achieve your personal goals and claim a pain-free life in 2020! Call us to start your journey with us today!

Service Spotlight

Are you dealing with increased stress, anxiety, and unease? With the new year, maybe it is time to make self-care a priority! At Blue Sky PT we offer a wide range of wellness services that can help you enhance your self-care: Pilates. Pilates exercise is designed for use in all populations. It is a low impact exercise, based on natural movements and all exercises can be modified to fit current fitness level or type of injury. Pilates promotes healthy breathing, circulation, and healthy bones and joints. Yoga. Yoga is an ancient practice that is still practiced today for good reason. Yoga offers a variety of health benefits, including strengthening the body, increasing flexibility, improving posture, decreasing stress and tension, aiding metabolism, improving respiration, and increasing energy levels. Personal Training. Blue Sky PT delivers safe, effective, and interesting workouts geared towards improving your health and wellness. The personal training sessions are on a one-on-one basis and are varied and progressive to the individuals needs. Massage Therapy. Massage therapy targets dysfunctional or painful soft tissue. It can improve the functioning of the circulatory, lymphatic, muscular, skeletal, and nervous systems. Massage benefits everyone from athletes to pregnant women to people with injuries and chronic pain. It’s also a great way to relieve stress and improve flexibility and range of motion.

Healthy Recipe Miracle Red Juice

Introducing Our New Referral Program! If you refer one person: $5.00 GIFT CERTIFICATE to be used towards one of our cash pay services. If you refer two people: $10.00 GIFT CERTIFICATE to be used towards one of our cash pay services. If you refer three people: 50% OFF one of our cash pay services. *Cash pay services include: a massage, a private Pilates session, a personal training session, or a private yoga session.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 celery stalks • 2 limes or lemons • 2 inches of Ginger

• 2 large beets • 4 long carrots • 2 apples

DIRECTIONS Prepare beets, carrots, apples, celery, limes (or lemons) and ginger by chopping into smaller pieces before placing intoa juicer.As theskinofabeet ispackedwithantioxidants and nutrients, it is recommended to leave the skin on the beet. Do not peel the ginger, which you will add to taste as ginger can be spicy. After all ingredients are added to the juicer, blend until juiced and smooth. Miracle Red Juice can be absorbed more easily on an empty stomach. Drink one glass every other day or as needed.