Kinetic PT - October 2020

OCTOBER 2020

847-515-8970 • www.KineticPTS.com

FROM DRACULA TO THE UNKNOWN OUR FEAR MAY CHANGE BUT WE CAN STILL BEAT IT

October is a time when we all start thinking about our favorite scary movies, or even things that make us afraid. Everyone has something they’re afraid of, and that fear can shift or change as we grow older. When I was a little kid, I was deathly afraid of Dracula. If I saw a Dracula costume, I was running the other way. As I got older, I realized that those types of monsters don’t exist, and I got over that fear, but others replaced it. I think this is pretty common for everyone. Throughout the stages of our lives, we have new fears we have to overcome. One of the most common fears people have is the fear of failure or fear of the unknown. A lot of my firsts in life were fraught with fear. I remember when I first went off to college, I wasn’t quite sure I wanted to leave home. Even though I had done all the prep to get accepted and sign up for classes — I was still unsure of what I was getting myself into. Yet, even though I was scared of all the unknown ahead, I still pushed forward and got over that fear. I blocked it out and took that first step to get things moving forward. That same experience happened when my wife and I had our first

child. When you bring your kid home for the first time, no book tells you what you should do. I should backtrack — there are books, but they don’t pertain to every step of what it’s like to be a brand-new parent. I remember feeling overwhelmed that I was now responsible for this other person, and I couldn’t just back out because I was afraid. I had to do my best to keep going and understand that I would make mistakes. Starting my business was probably the most financially scary thing I’ve done. The most terrifying aspect was the risk of putting so much time, effort, and money into something and then it failing. I worried about not having a house to live in and the means to support my family if I failed. It’s the kind of fear that keeps you up at night, and I’m sure many of my readers and patients have felt the same at some point in their lives, too. Every day in my career, I meet people who come into my clinic who are afraid of what their treatments will be like. If they’ve never been to therapy before, they are afraid of the unknown. Whether they’re recovering from an injury or surgery, they face quite a lot of fear, and I see so many people overcome it.

Sometimes, we’re so focused on what we’re afraid of that it’s hard to see the good of overcoming it. We might be so focused on that fear that it gets in the way of our dreams. It’s important to be aware of the fear, yes, but it’s just as important to keep pushing forward to accomplish your goals. If I let my fear of Dracula hold me back all those years ago, I would never have gone trick-or-treating and gotten all my candy. So, when it comes to fear, we must face it, acknowledge it, and then conquer it.

–Mike Ulmer

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As the weather cools and the days get shorter, we can’t rely as much on the sun for our daily dose of vitamin D. The primary function of vitamin D is regulating the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. These nutrients are necessary for strengthening our bones and teeth, which becomes increasingly important as we age and our bones naturally become more brittle. While these benefits of vitamin D are well documented, did you know that getting your daily dose of vitamin D can also contribute to healthier muscles? A few years ago, researchers published a study that seemed to show that vitamin D could potentially help people gain muscle mass. While the research team said their results weren’t conclusive, their findings were certainly interesting. Vitamin D enters the body in an inactive form. It doesn’t become active until it comes in contact with the right enzymes in either the liver or the kidneys. To learn more about what factors affect this vitamin’s rate of absorption and activation in the body, researchers observed the levels of inactive vitamin D in 116 women ages 20–74. What they found was that women with higher muscle mass had lower levels of inactive vitamin D, while women with lower muscle mass had higher levels of inactive vitamin D.

The conclusion researchers drew was that active vitamin D might help optimize muscle strength. While that conclusion is not ironclad, vitamin D’s other well- known benefits still make it worth getting your daily dose. It can aid weight loss, enhance mood, support cardiovascular health, boost the immune system, and strengthen bones, among many other benefits. So, its potential muscle-boosting properties are just another reason to get more vitamin D. To get more of this important vitamin in your diet, try adding salmon, mushrooms, and even canned tuna to your menu. Also, as winter approaches, it might be time to start taking a vitamin D supplement. Whether you’re 20 or 74 years old, it’s never too late to find ways to strengthen your muscles.

“Mike was able to evaluate my hip pain and provide direction on the correct exercises to reduce my pain and improve my walking. I’m very pleased with my progress. The staff

“My major problem when entering the Kinetic Physical Therapy facility was with a sciatica pain on my right side. After 10 treatments, my pain on my side, thigh, and leg are for the most part gone. With home exercises, I hope to keep a maintenance program on my own. This is the first therapy that has helped.”

at Kinetic is great. Thanks a million.”

– Sue Lee

–William Springston

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Recently, our clinic has started to see patients who haven’t been super active over the past several months. It’s not their fault. With the pandemic gripping the world, everyone is at home with fewer outlets to maintain their physical health. For many people, including individuals who are 65 years or older, this inactivity could start to negatively impact their health. Luckily, there are ways to improve your balance and decrease the risk of falling. EXERCISE AT HOME A few simple exercises can significantly improve your balance while you’re at home. One of the easiest is to stand on one leg, but follow a few important steps before you get started on this exercise. First, you should test yourself. While standing next to a sturdy chair — one that will not

easily tip over — hold onto it and stand on one foot for as long as you can. Continue this exercise until you can stand on one foot without the chair’s support for one minute. Other exercises include walking heel to toe to improve leg strength, shifting your weight from one leg to the other while shoulder width apart, doing back and side leg raises, and trying wall pushups. A great resource to follow is the YouTube channel “More Life Health Seniors,” where Mike leads you through a series of safe balance exercises. BALANCE EXERCISES AT OUR CLINIC Sometimes balance problems can be a little more complex and require the guidance and support of a licensed physical therapist.

Your balance can improve significantly with specific exercises you do with a physical therapist’s guidance. Our therapists at Kinetic PT Specialists understand the causes and risks of balance problems and will know what to look for when creating a treatment plan specifically for you. To learn more about how our balance disorder experts can help you, call us at 847-515-8970.

Sudoku

Classic Pumpkin Soup

Inspired by MinimalistBaker.com

Pumpkins aren’t just for pie — they make delicious soup, too! This fall, try your hand at this healthy soup recipe and warm up with a bowl.

INGREDIENTS • 1 tbsp olive oil • 2 shallots, diced • 3 cloves garlic, minced • 2 1/4 cups pumpkin purée (homemade or canned) • 2 cups vegetable broth

• 1 cup canned light coconut milk • 2 tbsp honey • 1/4 tsp sea salt • 1/4 tsp pepper • 1/4 tsp cinnamon • 1/4 tsp nutmeg

DIRECTIONS 1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté olive oil, shallots, and garlic for 2–3 minutes. 2. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. 3. Transfer the soup to a blender and purée. Pour the blended soup back into the pan. 4. Cook over medium-low heat for 5–10 minutes. Taste and add additional seasoning as desired, then serve!

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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

847-515-8970 www.KineticPTS.com

11920 Oak Creek Parkway Huntley, IL 60142

INSIDE Overcoming Fear PAGE 1

A Previously Unknown Benefit of Vitamin D PAGE 2

My PT Story PAGE 2

Treating Your Balance Problems PAGE 3

Classic Pumpkin Soup PAGE 3

5 Steps to a Safer Hotel Room PAGE 4

Staying home is the best way to protect yourself and your family from illness, but sometimes life gets in the way. Maybe you need to travel for work, to help a relative, or just to keep your kids from bouncing off the walls. If you have a hotel stay on the books, worrying about safety is understandable. But by taking these precautions, you can protect your loved ones and increase your odds of coming home healthy. 1. Bring a sanitation kit and use it! Most hotels are going above and beyond to sanitize their rooms these days, but it never hurts to take extra care. Before you check in, pick up cleaning supplies like disinfectant spray, wipes, plastic bags, and gloves. Then, use them to wipe down your room. Focus on big surfaces as well as features like faucet handles, doorknobs, light switches, and microwave buttons. 2. Skip the decorative linens. Many hotels don’t wash decorative bedding like comforters and fancy pillowcases. To be extra safe, strip these off the bed and wash your hands afterward. If you’re chilly, opt for the hotel’s spare blanket (it’s probably hiding in a closet) or bring one from home.

3. Quarantine your remote control. As USA Today puts it, “It’s common knowledge that one of the germiest items in a hotel room is the remote control.” To avoid the ick, pick up the remote while wearing gloves and drop it into a Ziploc. Then, remove your gloves and seal the bag. Now you can use the remote without touching it directly! 4. Invest in a rubber door wedge. Viruses aren’t the only risk in hotel rooms — break-ins are another concern. To keep your room secure, bring a rubber door wedge. They cost less than $10 on Amazon and make kicking in a door much more difficult. 5. For maximum security, bring a door alarm. Simple travel alarms hang from the handle of a door and have two prongs that slide between the door and its frame. When the door opens and the prongs separate, that triggers the alarm. These simple devices send thieves running, and Lewis N. Clark makes a model for just $14.99. Hopefully, these tips give you some peace of mind on your next trip. Happy trails!

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