Pro-MotionRehab_5 Keys to a Healthy Spine

Pro-MotionRehab_5 Keys to a Healthy Spine

NEWSLETTER The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

Getting To Know The ProMotion Rehab &Sports Medicine Staff! CAROLINE BUSH, PT ASSISTANT

Caroline received her Associates Degree in the Physical Therapist Assistant program as well as her Bachelors of Science degree from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. With a longstanding passion in dance and her firsthand experience in physical therapy, her goal is to treat patients of all ages in order to regain confidence and a structural integrity to help achieve their lifelong goals. Outside of the clinic, Caroline enjoys finding new ways to maintain her relationship with dance, going on walks with her dog, Koda, painting, and exploring locations in her new home of South Carolina.

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NEWSLETTER The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

5 KEYS TO A HEALTHY SPINE Gain More Productivity

INSIDE:

• Finding The Source of Pain Caused By The Spine • Avoid Aches & Pains From Gardening This Spring

• Healthy Recipe • Fun & Games

4. Improve your nutrition. Your body is a machine and it needs the right fuel to run. Since you use your body all day long, it needs to rebuild itself constantly. The ligaments, tendons, muscles and discs in your spine need the right nutrition to stay healthy. Make sure to eat dark green leafy vegetables, lean protein and stay hydrated. Avoid smoking and fried foods, which actually harm your tissues and make pain more prevalent. 5. Get your spine moving. Your body was made to move, especially your spine. It is common for areas of your spine to tighten up, placing too much strain on other areas. These areas, then become irritated and painful. Restore the flexibility in your spine with gentle, specialized hands on therapy as well as specific exercises. Participate in Yoga and Pilates to improve your stability, strength and spinal balance. Make your back as healthy as it can be this year by investing in it. Physical therapy is the right solution to improving your spinal health and saying goodbye to that aching neck or back. Prevent future pain by seeing one of our specialists today. Call our location nearest you (Lake City: 843-374-0185; Florence: 843- 407-0377) to speak with one of our experts.

1. Watch your sitting. Sitting is the position that puts the most pressure on the low back. It is important to break up your sitting time throughout the day and take frequent breaks. Work in standing or walking tasks at various times throughout the day, limiting your sitting to about 30 minutes at a time. 2. Protect your spine with better posture. How you sit, stand, stretch and lift all play a role in the pressures on your spine. We all know to bend with our knees, not our back when lifting, but do you really do it? Really bend down deep with your knees to pick up objects off low shelves, such as in the refrigerator or shoes off the floor. When standing, walking and sitting, imagine a string pulling you up through the top of your head. This brings your neck, shoulders and back into better alignment. 3. Tighten your core muscles. Your core muscles are made up of your abdominal muscles, spinal muscles and pelvic / hip muscles. It is very common for these muscles to become weak with prolonged sitting, before/after pregnancy, after surgeries or injuries. Strengthening your abdominal and hip muscles can go a long way to providing the necessary muscle support to your spine. Speak with one of our experts on what exercises are right for you.

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FINDING THE SOURCE OF PAIN CAUSED BY THE SPINE

Most spine pain comes from the following 4 trouble areas: 1. Poor posture and alignment 2. Lack of knowledge on how to bend, lift, sit, sleep 3. Lack of muscle strength 4. Poor flexibility and muscle coordination The good news, is that your body is adaptable and you can always improve what you have. With the right treatment and training, your back or neck can usually make a full recovery. Physical therapists are the mechanics of the body, and coming to a physical therapist first can often avoid expensive testing or medical procedures. Contact us today to schedule a consultation or to find out more information about how physical therapy can help relieve pain caused by the spine.

Most of us will experience back or neck pain at some point in our lives. It is the price we pay for walking on two legs. If you suffer from the occasional ache or have chronic low back or neck pain, the goal is to relieve the pain, without the need for surgery. In fact, recent studies point to the fact that patients who underwent a common fusion procedure for the spine, were more likely to have a second surgery within 2 years*. The best way to avoid the need for spine surgery, is to improve the health of your spine, and physical therapy plays a key role in making that happen. Why does your neck or back hurt? One thing to understand about neck and back pain is that it is mechanical. Just like a car can have problems with moving parts, so can your spine. The daily barrage of strain on our backs with sitting, lifting improperly and poor nutrition can wreak havoc on our spines.

*Anand Veeravagu, Tyler Cole, Bowen Jiang, John K. Ratliff The Spine Journal, Vol. 14, Issue 7, p1125–1131 Published online: October 14 2013

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Exercise Essentials Try this stretch if you are experiencing back pain.

TURKEY MEATBALLS

INGREDIENTS • 1 lb ground turkey • 1 large egg beaten • 1/4 cup shaved parmesan

Helps with Low Back Pain

www.simpleset.net

SINGLE KNEE TO CHEST STRETCH While lying on your back, hold your knee and gently pull it up towards your chest. Hold for 30 seconds. Alternate legs and repeat 5 times.

• 1 tsp garlic powder • 1 tsp onion powder • 1 tsp basil • 1 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper • 1 (24 oz) jar red pasta sauce • 1/2 lb whole grain spaghetti

DIRECTIONS Preheat broiler on high for 5 minutes. Combine all meatball ingredients in large bowl. Use your hands to mix the ingredients. Use a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop 18 meatballs onto a rimmed cookie sheet. Broil on top rack for 5 minutes. In a large skillet, bring pasta sauce to a low simmer. Add in cooked meatballs and simmer together for 5-10 minutes or until meatballs are completely cooked through. Serve with your choice of pasta, fresh basil, more parmesan and enjoy!

CALL TODAY! LAKE CITY ( 843 ) 374 - 0185 FLORENCE ( 843 ) 407 - 0377

Patient Success Spotlight

Health &Wellness Tips

Avoid Aches &

“ I cannot thank the TEAM at ProMotion enough for all of their hard work and dedication to me individually.” “I am writing this to express my sincere appreciation to the TEAM at ProMotion Rehab and Sports Medicine. From my first phone call to my discharge, the TEAM was courteous, professional, and extremely knowledgeable. I needed physical therapy after my surgery to repair a torn meniscus. When I first called the office and spoke to Andrew, I knew that I made the right choice in choosing ProMotion. He was kind, understanding, and very helpful in setting up a schedule that worked for me. During my first visit, Nicole conducted my evaluation. She was compassionate, friendly, and attentive. During my 20+ appointments, her approach remained consistent. She is a very thorough and professional. She listened to all of my concerns and was able to assist and answer with professionalism and mindfulness. Her attention to detail was also duly noted, she took time to ensure I was not just “going through the motions” but ensured my exercises achieved their desired results. Nicole and the TEAM were there each step of the way to ensure my safety and at the same time, pushed me to be certain that I was challenged. I cannot thank the TEAM at ProMotion enough for all of their hard work and dedication to me individually. As a former coach, you all make a great TEAM!!!”

Pains From Gardening This SPRING

Print sudoku http://1sudoku.com 3 7 THESE TIPS CAN HELP PREVENT INJURIES: • Warm up before you garden. A 10 minute brisk walk and stretches for the spine and limbs are good ways to warm up. • Change positions frequently to avoid stiffness or cramping. • Make use of a garden cart or wheelbarrow to move heavy planting materials or tools. Be sure to keep your back straight while using a wheelbarrow. • If kneeling on both knees causes discomfort in your back, try kneeling on one and keep the other foot on the ground. Use knee pads or a gardening pad when kneeling. • Ifkneelingor leaningdown to thegroundcausessignificantpain inyour back or knees, consider using elevated planters to do your gardening. • Avoid bending your wrist upwards when pulling things or using gardening tools. Instead,keepyourwriststraightanduseyourshoulder muscles to pull and lift. • End your gardening session with some gentle backward bending of your low back, a short walk and light stretching, similar to stretches done before starting. 1 8 2 9 7 2 6 8 4 5 1 7 2 8 5 4 9 8 7 7 1 6 4 5 3 http://1sudoku.com n° 329837 - Level Hard 1 7 Commongardeningactivities,suchasdigging,planting,weeding,mulching, and raking can cause stress and strain on muscles and joints. This is especially true for senior citizens and people who are normally sedentary. Different body areas such as the shoulders, neck, back, and knees can be vulnerable to injury during gardening.

- Brian K.

Fun & Games

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http://1sudoku.com

n° 315825 - Level Hard

The object is to fill all empty squares so that the numbers 1 to 9 appear exactly once in each row, column and 3x3 box.

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8 5 9 www.physiosc.com

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Author: Andrea Avruskin PT, DPT

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