EmpowerPT_How to Relieve Neck Pain by Strengthening your Sh…

EmpowerPT_How to Relieve Neck Pain by Strengthening your Sh…

JULY-SEPTEMBER 2020 N E W S L E T T E R Y O U R H E A L T H I S O U R P R I O R I T Y

E M P O W E R P H Y S I C A L T H E R A P Y

Make The Most Of Your Life by Strengthening Your Shoulders Aches and Pains Can Hold You Back. We Will Help You Get Moving Again, Pain-Free

ALSO INSIDE: • Make The Most Of Your Life by Strengthening Your Shoulders • 4 Ways to Eat Healthy • Special Offer $88 Massage • Exercise Essential

Jacob Pollard, PT, DPT Salmon fishing the Kasilof

EMPOWERALASKA.COM

N E W S L E T T E R Y O U R H E A L T H I S O U R P R I O R I T Y

E M P O W E R P H Y S I C A L T H E R A P Y

JULY-SEPTEMBER 2020

EMPOWERALASKA.COM

Left to Right: Jacob Pollard, DPT, David Dahl, Wes Mennear, DPT, David Farmer, DPT, Justin Handy, DPT, Jack Handy

Make The Most Of Your Life by Strengthening Your Shoulders Aches and Pains Can Hold You Back. We Will Help You Get Moving Again, Pain-Free

Does your neck ache towards the end of the day? Do you often end up with nagging headaches? While you might think it’s only due to stress, it may also be a result of your daily posture. When we use our arms throughout the day, the shoulder muscles get tired. This leads us to use our neck muscles as a substitute. A sure sign of this is when you notice your shoulders rising up closer to your ears. You may also find your spine rounding forward. The sooner our shoulder muscles fatigue, and the more rounded forward we end up, the sooner we notice headaches and neck pain.

Think this might be you? Here are 4 BASIC TESTS to try at the end of the day!

3. Raise your arms up and out to the side like a “jumping jack” without moving your spine. If you have pain, you probably end up slouched without realizing it. 4. Try to clasp your hands behind your back. Now raise your arms up behind you. If you are unable to raise them very far, you have limited shoulder, spine, or chest mobility. NOW REPEAT THE TESTS: While sitting up straight and allow the spine to move. Compare the difference in your shoulder motions or pain. If you suffer from neck pain, headaches, or shoulder pain, don’t let it linger on and cause more damage. Call us today to speak with your physical therapist, or come on in for a free consultation.

STARTING POSITION: Sitting at your workstation, your home computer, or the dinner table in your normal posture: 1. Try to raise both arms up in front and continue overhead without moving your spine. If you can’t get full shoulder motion or have pain, you probably end up slouched without realizing it. 2. Try to roll your shoulders down and back without moving your spine. If you feel this is difficult to do, your muscles are probably keeping your shoulders elevated.

STEFANI CLEMENTS, LicensedMassage Therapist, Medical Massage Practitioner and Personal Trainer

Hey everyone! I’m Stefani. My passion to care for others can be traced back to my pre- professional days. Whether wrapping family members up with ace bandages as a toddler, performing postural analysis on unsuspecting mall goers in high school, or studying the musculoskeletal system in my

4Ways to Eat Healthy 1. Eat Salmon - The vitamin B12 in salmon keeps blood and nerve cells humming and helps you make DNA. But for your health, the true beauty of salmon is its wealth of omega-3 fatty acids. Most omega-3s are “essential” fatty acids. Your body can’t make them, but they play critical roles in your body. They can lower the chance that you’ll have: Cardiovascular disease (including heart attack and stroke), Some types of cancer, Dementia, Alzheimer’s and other cognitive diseases 2. Pile On The Veggies - The majority of people don’t eat the daily recommended 3 or more servings of vegetables, according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Roasting vegetables caramelizes their natural sugars so they taste fantastic. It’s an easy way to cook veggies for dinner—pop a pan of them in the oven and make the rest of dinner while they roast. 3. Up Your Fiber Intake - Getting enough fiber may help prevent cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and a number of cancers. And eating more fiber may help you slim down. But the average person eats about 14 grams a day—the recommended daily intake is 21 to 38 grams. One of the easiest ways to up your fiber intake is to eat more whole grains. Quinoa, whole-wheat couscous, bulgur and polenta are all quick-cooking options to add to your weeknight repertoire. 4. Rein in Your Sugar Addiction - We eat too much sugar. We consume 355 calories—or 22 teaspoons—of added sugars a day. Luckily, you can still make treats that satisfy your sweet tooth and cut back on your sugar intake at the same time by choosing treats that are naturally sweet like fruit.

free time as a teen, I’ve been in love with caring for others since childhood. I’m 1-part Therapist, 1-part wanderer, and 2-parts entrepreneur with a dash of goof ball! When humans experience trauma, it’s not uncommon for their lives and bodies to take a hit. My passion allows me to connect with others on a very individualized level. With skilled assessment and treatment, we can work together to identify and correct your musculoskeletal pain or dysfunction by soft tissue mobilization and manipulation, joint mobilization, stretching and all the other tools in my belt! In short, we can address the issues you may have with your tissues. :) I don’t believe that a single approach is right for every individual. I have been trained in a range of modalities to include; Myofascial Release Technique, Deep Tissue Therapy, Pneumatic Myofascial Cupping Therapy, Trigger Point Therapy, Lymphatic Facilitation Athletic/Sports Massage, Shiatsu, Gua Sha, and Postural and Orthopedic Assessment! Each session is tailored to YOUR individual needs. I believe my most effective tool in achieving successful patient outcomes in pain reduction is communication and patient education. These are both integral parts of the therapeutic process. Fun facts; Born and raised in Alaska, I caught my first king Salmon withmy bare hands at age 11! I’ve turnedmy hobby into a side hustle and craft wood signs in my free time. I am a wife, Mama to three and I am truly looking forward to meeting you.

SPECIAL OFFER $ 88 MASSAGE

WHAT OUR PATIENTS SAY SUCCESS STORY

“The Physical Therapists werewonderful! Very professional andpersonable. Theymademe feelwelcomeandcomfortable every time I was there. Even during COVID-19 time frame, they were able to work around my needs. I highly recommend them, I felt much better and stronger after each session. If I ever need PT again, I would be happy to come back!” - Kim F. “I felt much better and stronger after each session.”

This coupon can be used one time, but if you refer a friend, you and a friend will both receive the special rate for a massage!

2 Helpful Shoulder Exercises to Keep YouMoving Longer 1. Position yourself in front of a wall. Begin by lightly push forearms into the wall while sliding arms up. Make sure to keep your back flat. Raise your arms as high as you can without pain while keeping your shoulders down. Do the same when bringing them back down. This trains your body to raise the arms without substituting the neck muscles and strengthen the shoulders.

2. Simple shoulder and neck rolls are good starting points for getting your joints moving and muscles relaxed which can both help to reduce pain.

We’re Here to Help Your Neck and Shoulders! Of course, self-testing at home is an imperfect way to determine if your headaches and neck pain are coming from poor posture or other shoulder issues. They just show you where your body as limitedmovement, which may be causing your problems. Handling any problem sooner rather than later leads to better results and preventing long-term damage, such as arthritis. We welcome you to schedule a visit with us for a more complete evaluation. We’re offering a no-cost shoulder and neck screening to help get you on the road to better health and less pain.

Give Empower Physical Therapy a call today to talk with your therapist.

Looking for more home exercise options? Find us on our social media channels for quick tip videos!

EXERCISE ESSENTIALS TRY THIS EXERCISE TO RELIEVE PAIN

SCAPULAR RETRACTION Squeeze shoulder blades together and down- hold for 3 seconds. Repeat 10 times.

MEDIAN NERVE GLIDE Start with your arm hanging down at your side with your elbows straight and palm facing forward. Next, bend your wrist forward and back. Your other hand should be checking to make sure that your shoulder stays down and drawn back the entire time.