InnovativePT: Steps to Make Your Knees Feel Great

InnovativePT: Steps to Make Your Knees Feel Great

Innovative Newsletter THE SIMPLE STEPS TO MAKE YOUR KNEES FEEL GREAT!

Have you started to notice that your knees seem to be getting bigger? Do you notice popping, clicking or grinding sounds with certain movements? Does pain occur when you bend, squat, or kneel? When you first wake up in the morning, do you notice that your knees feel stiff, achy, or painful? If you identify with any of these, you may be experiencing the effects of arthritis. (continued inside)

Dr. Cheryl Howard PT, DPT, Cert. MDT Owner

(DETAILS INSIDE) FREE 15 MINUTE CONSULT

www.innovativeptsolutions.com

Innovative Newsletter

THE SIMPLE STEPS TO MAKE YOUR KNEES FEEL GREAT!

INSIDE:

6 Ways To Right Your Nagging Knee Pain

Exercise To Help With Pain

Innovative Practice News

balance and coordination. The better lubricated your knee joints, the less friction and wear occur, reducing inflammation and pain. During knee treatments, our therapists work to improve your patella (kneecap) and joint mobility. This improves the mobility of the tissue around the joint, especially the fat pads. This in turn, leads to improved blood flow, joint lubrication and decreased swelling. The result is fast pain relief, improved motion, strength, and abilities to do physical activities. Walking, bending, jumping and squatting can then be done without pain. Put your knees on the right path to health with a visit to your physical therapist. If your knees are feeling tight, stiff, weak, or are just starting to bother you, come see us, before it becomes a REAL problem.

(continued from outside)

The knees have two main fat pads, which reside just above and below the kneecap. These help to cushion the knee and assist with lubricating fluid flow around the joint. With arthritis, inflammation in the joint causes the fat pads to gradually thicken, choking the joint fluid flow. This leads to a vicious cycle of decreased lubrication, more wear, pain, and swelling. Will I need surgery for my knees? The good news is that recent studies show 60-70% of knee osteoarthritis patients can avoid surgery by getting PT first. In fact, surgery should always be considered as a last resort after conservative measures have been tried. Furthermore, physical therapy is actually 40 times less expensive than a total joint replacement! Improve your joint lubrication A physical therapist can actually help the lubrication in your joints through improved joint motion, strength,

“It Doesn’t Matter Where You Came From. All That Matters Is Where You Are Going.” - Brian Tracy Quote of The Month:

CALL TODAY!

Call us today and talk to your physical therapist about your knees!

(315) 786-0655

www.innovativeptsolutions.com

6 WAYS TO RIGHT YOUR NAGGING KNEE PAIN

Knee pain doesn’t have to slow you down. There are many ways to naturally relieve knee pain, and get your joints moving the way they should. Here are some tips to help your knees feel great: 1. Stretch your inner thighs – The adductor muscles on the inner thighs can tighten over time. This increases the pressure on the inner aspect of the knee. Try this stretch; in standing with your feet apart, keep one foot flat on the floor, then lean away bending the opposite knee. Feel the stretch on the inner thigh but be gentle! Hold for a good 30 seconds and repeat 3-5 times in a row on both sides. 2. Get your kneecap moving – Freely moving patellas (kneecaps), are a sign of good knee health. In a sitting position with your leg out straight, hold onto your kneecap and gently push it down towards your toes and back up towards your head. This should not hurt! Repeat 10 times each direction and then do side to side. Repeat 2-3 times in the day. 3. Strengthen your hip and quadricep muscles – Do exercises to strengthen the outer hip and your gluteus muscles. The stronger your hips are, the better supported your knees are. In addition, doing knee extension exercises while sitting helps to strengthen the quadriceps muscles, which help to support the knee joints. Talk to your physical therapist about which exercises are right for you. 4. Go walking – Sitting for prolonged periods leads to stiffening and weakening of the whole body, especially the lower legs. Try to get out and consistently walk 20-30 minutes a day. Start with a time that you can tolerate and never push through pain.

5. Ice and heat – Heat helps with circulation flow and feels great to soothe arthritic knees. A hot soak in the bath can go a long way to soothing aching knees. However, if your knees tend to swell after being on your feet for too long, use an icepack wrapped in a pillowcase for about 10-15 minutes. This reduces inflammation; be sure to check your skin regularly to make sure it does not get very red. 6. Get a regular physical therapy checkup – Think of your physical therapist as the mechanic for your body. Give your knees and body a regular checkup. We evaluate the movement of your joints and prevent problems before they really begin to develop. Regular visits to your physical therapist can make a difference in the long-term health of your knee joints and keep you from spending a fortune on more expensive and invasive procedures.

www.innovativeptsolutions.com

Patient Spotlights

Healthy Recipe

Broccoli-Cheddar Quiche

“I do my exercises 2-3 times a day and that helps.” “I feel stronger with my back since I started physical therapy. I do my exercises 2-3 times a day and that helps.” - Jane G. “My range of motion has improved significantly!” “Thank you Johnna & Ashley! I feel back to my usual self with being able to use my right arm normally again. My range of motion has improved significantly!” - Duncan K.

• 1 ½ tsp olive oil • 1 cup chopped sweet onion • 4 large eggs • ½ cup evaporated milk • 3 oz sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

• 1 (9 in) frozen whole-wheat piecrust shell • 1 (8 oz) package broccoli florets

• ¾ tsp kosher salt • ¼ tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Let piecrust thaw at room temperature 10 minutes. Place in preheated oven, and bake until lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool slightly,about10minutes.Reduceoven temperature to375degreesF.Cookbroccoli according topackagedirections,until tender-crisp,about3minutes.Coarselychop larger pieces. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high; add onion and cook until lightgolden,8 to10minutes.Whisk togethereggsandevaporatedmilk inamedium bowl.Stir inbroccoli,onion,cheese,saltandblackpepper.Pourmixture intoprepared pie crust. Bake at 375 degrees F until just set and edges are golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

www.innovativeptsolutions.com

Source:http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/275920/make-ahead-broccoli-cheddar-quiche/

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!

Innovative PT Coupons

Exercisescopyrightof

Helps Relieve Leg Pain

FREE 15 MINUTE CONSULT

www.simpleset.net

SPLIT SQUAT - ELEVATED REAR LEG Position yourself in a stride stance, back foot elevated on a bench or chair. Lower back knee towards the ground then return to starting upright position. Repeat 10 times per leg.

(315) 786-0655 CALL TO SCHEDULE TODAY!

316 Sherman St. Watertown, NY 13601

Offer valid for the first 20 people to schedule. Expires 2/29

Practice News

NEW YEAR, NEW YOU! YOU CAN DO IT. WE CAN HELP!

With Hands-On Therapy, We Will Get You Up, Out, And Moving Like You Should!

As the holiday season winds down, and the calendar rolls over into the next year, gyms and health clubs fill up. People set goals to lose weight, get in shape, or just work off the few extra pounds they put on during all the celebrating. While getting more exercise and physical activity is great for health, energy levels, sleep, and mood, ramping things up too quickly can lead to pain, injury and disappointment if the body isn’t ready for it. Physical therapists can play an important role in preventing injuries as people start working towards their goals for the new year. As movement experts, PTs can assess strength, range of motion, balance, coordination and functional movement patterns - think squatting, running, jumping or lifting. Many common injuries from new fitness routines are caused by underlying weakness, range of motion deficits, or compensatory movement patterns that a PT will find during an assessment. They’ll then prescribe exercises or movements to address these issues and prevent them from becoming injuries that put new exercisers on the sidelines. The other common way people get injured while working towards their resolution is with overtraining, or doing too much too soon. Physical

therapists are also experts in exercise prescription and program design. They can help create a routine specific to an individual’s needs and goals that will progress appropriately and keep them out of trouble. For fitness related new year’s resolutions, an ounce of prevention can really be worth a pound of cure. A visit to a physical therapist before starting a new routine can keep people healthy, injury-free, and on the right path to meet their goals for the new year!

JOY IS FREE. YOUR PT COSTS COULD BE TOO. If you’vemet your yearlydeductible,physical therapy servicescouldbecompletelycoveredby your insurance!Visit