Innovative: Relief & Better Motion for Aching Necks

Innovative: Relief & Better Motion for Aching Necks

Innovative Newsletter RELIEF & BETTER MOTION FOR ACHING NECKS

Do you find your neck aching at the end of the day or stiff in the morning? Do you have headaches more than once a week? You are not alone. According to the Institute of Medicine of The National Academies, over 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain. Over 15% of those, suffer from chronic neck pain and 27% with back pain. (continued inside)

Cheryl Howard PT, DPT, Cert. MDT Owner

www.innovativeptsolutions.com

Innovative Newsletter

RELIEF & BETTER MOTION FOR ACHING NECKS

INSIDE:

6 Key Areas To Focus On Reducing Neck Pain

Exercise To Help With Pain

Innovative Practice News

“Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” - Winston Churchill Quote of The Month:

and muscle tension can affect blood flow to the scalp, causing headaches. Why does neck pain happen? There is a golden rule, that the structure of your body governs its function. Your body, especially your neck, relies on good flexibility, posture, strength and coordination. In our daily lives, we place tremendous strain and demand on our neck. Poor posture when sitting or stress causes weakness in our postural muscles. In addition, this causes long-term damage to the muscles, joints, ligaments and tendons of the neck. This chronic strain and stress on the neck causes inflammation, which over time will increase aches and pains. Institute of Medicine Report from the Committee on Advancing Pain Research, Care, and Education: Relieving Pain in America, A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Care, Education and Research. The Na- tional Academies Press, 2011.

(continued from outside) In a survey conducted with over 300 chronic pain sufferers, 59% reported an impact on the quality of their life and 77% of those surveyed reported feeling depressed. Even small amounts of pain, can lead to a downward spiral in quality of life, energy, and well-being. However, it doesn’t have to be this way and dependency on medication is not the answer. Discovering and treating the root cause of your pain is the answer. Physical therapy is the natural solution for treating the mechanical cause of your pain. The neck is an incredible part of your body with 7 vertebrae (bones), over 16 joints and many muscles in the front and back of your neck. The greatest concentration of muscles and tissues is in the upper neck, at the base of your skull. This is where many of the larger muscles that support the head attach, to support your head and neck. Needless to say, this is a very tightly packed area

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6 KEY AREAS TO FOCUS ON REDUCING NECK PAIN Neck pain is most often relieved by simply restoring the proper movement and mechanics of the neck. Think of your neck much like the machinery in a car. Keeping it well maintained and in good alignment, will allow it to perform well. Here are the key areas you need to focus on to reduce your neck pain: • Have good posture when sitting and standing. • Restore your flexibility to the neck muscles and joints. • Strengthen your mid-back muscles and shoulders to support your neck. • Improve coordination of your neck muscles. • Eat well, reducing consumption of processed foods and food that increases inflammation in your body. • Seek professional help for aches and pains lasting more than 3 days. A physical therapist is the muscle and skeletal specialist who analyzes your posture and movement, then helps you restore posture, flexibility and strength. Why physical therapy relieves neck pain Many people have discovered the benefits of seeing a physical therapist first when they have aches and pains. Our physical therapists are experts in analyzing your posture and movement, spotting your true trouble source.

From there, our medical training allows us to create a proper treatment plan that will quickly relieve your pain, improve your posture, mobility, strength and coordination. We even teach you how to maintain your improvements with specific, gentle exercises. Think of us as the mechanics for your body. Come in for a regular tune up and your neck and back will be as good as new. To learn more about how our SPINE Program can help you eliminate your neck pain, call us today.

Patient Spotlights

Healthy Recipe

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies

“Very calm and relaxing environment with friendly staff.” “I came in with lower back pain. My therapist was great at teaching me exercises to improve my pain. Very calm and relaxing environment with friendly staff. I have improved 90% in such a short time. Thank you for making me feel better!” - Ashley M. “I believe I am now at 95% normal...” “This experience with PT has been nothing but positive. When I started PTthe first fewweeks were very painful but the therapist were encouraging and supportive. The results were slow but excellent! I believe I am now at 95% normal... Thanks to Ashley, Johnna and especially Nathan for getting me back to normal!” - Mary R.

• 3 tbsp maple syrup • 1 1/2 cups gluten-free rolled oats • 1/2 cup oat flour ground • 1/2 cup almond meal • 1/2 tsp baking powder • 1/2 tsp baking soda • 1/8 tsp salt • 2 tsp Vietnamese 5% Oil • Cinnamon • 1/4 tsp Frontier allspice • 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips • 1/2 cup dried cranberries/cherries

• 1 ripe banana mashed • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree • 2 large eggs • 1/2 cup peanut butter • 3 tbsp coconut oil melted • 2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside. In a mixing bowl stir together mashed banana, pumpkin, eggs, peanut butter, coconut oil, vanilla and maple syrup until well combined. Add in oats, oat flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, chocolate chips and dried fruit; stir to combine. Refrigerate for 5 minutes to harden. Drop cookies by spoonfuls on prepared baking sheet. They won’t expand much, so feel free to press them down, slightly, and make them as uniform as possible to ensure even baking. Bake for about 12 minutes until lightly browned.

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Exercise To Help With Pain: Try this simple exercise to help you feel better... Share this with a friend or family member to help keep them healthy too!

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CHIN TUCK While sitting with good posture gently tuck chin in (nod yes). Repeat 6 times.

FREE 15 MINUTE CONSULT

Exercisescopyrightof

Strengthens Neck

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Practice News

Workforce 2020 helps people make connections, helps area businesses fill their workforce needs, and helps students to prepare for and launch into their future careers. On November 14th, high school seniors from the schools throughout our region came together with representatives from over 100 businesses to talk about the variety of career opportunities available in the North Country. INNOVATIVE Physical Therapy Solutions is pleased to participate once again this year, providing perspective into First-Class Care made convenient and affordable! High school seniors engaged in group or individual interviews in an informational or mock format per their choice. They presented well and engaged in meaningful discovery of career opportunities and paths to access the profession of physical therapy. A special congratulations to those lucky seniors who earned an INNOVATIVE Physical Therapy Solutions T-SHIRT! Look for them in your community today and share your INNOVATIVE experience!

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