Professional Physical Therapy - March 2021

PRO PT PRESS

March 2021

Reach for What Works! How to Find Solutions, Look for Silver Linings, and ‘Get On’ With Life

technology, which is being used in planes, buildings, and other places to cut down the risk of disease. The great thing about that is that it won’t just work on one particular disease or another — it works on a lot of different pathogens. Have you ever flown somewhere and then gotten sick for the first few days of your trip? I’m hopeful that won’t happen as much because planes now have much more robust air-cleaning capabilities than they would have if all of this hadn’t happened. That, and plane tickets are going to be cheap for a while yet. And if people decide they don’t like to be crammed into tight spaces — or even are unable to get over that mental hurdle, which makes perfect sense — maybe we can do away with the cramped middle seat in airplanes altogether! So my theory on optimism, and, for that matter, on luck, is that they follow the rules of positive attraction. The more positivity we bring into our lives, the more good things will come our way. If nothing else, we’ll start noticing the good things more. Who wouldn’t want that? A good place to start are the changes that have happened in the past year because some of those things are here to stay. We might not be wearing masks for the rest of our lives, but we might have to deal with more working from home or fewer office jobs. How will we look at those things? The answer to that question, I believe, will determine a lot about how happy we are. Optimism is simple, but it’s a “muscle” that has to be used. It’s never too late to start flexing it, though, and there are almost no situations where you’ll wish you hadn’t. Start with the silver linings shortcut that I’ve been discussing in this piece: Look for the good things around you. And keep in mind that if you’re hurting, another shortcut to optimism, at least in my opinion, is deep-tissue laser therapy. From acute injuries to chronic body pain, it really can change your outlook for the better.

When one of us at Professional Physical Therapy gets injured, you can bet that we’ll probably reach for the same kind of deep-tissue laser therapy that we provide to our patients. Why? Because we know it works, and when you’re down and out, you don’t want to waste time on things that might not be effective. Sure, some injuries do call for more complicated or unusual solutions. But more often than not, the problems we’re facing aren’t unique, and the answers aren’t hard to find. We want to get back in the game, and laser therapy is a fast pass that promotes healing and, as a byproduct, relieves pain, too. It’s a silver bullet treatment, or at least as close to such a thing as we’re likely to find, and it comes with a wide variety of applications. I’m thinking about that for two reasons. First, for a few weeks twice a year, we offer 50% off our laser packages of 5, 10, or 20 sessions — and now is one of those times! But the true reason is that March is National Optimism Month, and laser therapy and optimism go hand in hand. It’s amazing how a few sessions under the laser can change someone’s outlook on their recovery. It opens their eyes to the possibilities ahead and to a future that’s a little easier than they worried it would be. They get a good feeling, and good feelings spread. Hope is a powerful thing. Optimism, like laser therapy, can be a silver bullet in and of itself. I consider myself a pretty optimistic person, but everyone has been put to the test in the past year, and I won’t tell you optimism is more important than ever right now — I understand how hard it can be to hold on to. But I will say that optimism is always useful, and it’s a tremendously useful tool for pulling ourselves out of negative thought patterns, especially the ones that spring up when bad things happen to us. For example, when I’m feeling down about the general state of the world right now, I force myself to also remember the good things that are going to come out of all of this. On the one hand, my husband and I haven’t been able to travel the way we did before. That’s tough. But then I think about the new systems in airplanes and how useful some of it will be going forward. The pandemic caused some amazing leaps in air filtration and circulation

–Dr. Stacey Raybuck Schatz

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PATIENT of the MONTH

Feline Friends or Canine Comrades

Emma Pruitt THE EVERY CHILD FUND

HOW PETS IMPROVE OUR HEALTH AND HAPPINESS

As people grow older, they’re more likely to find themselves at home with less company. If your family members live far away or you have physical limitations that make it difficult to leave

the house, you may be at an increased risk of experiencing loneliness. This is why adopting an animal can be

so helpful. Pets offer comfort

and love, and many encourage physical activity. Integrating a pet into your life as you grow older can be just what you need to lift your spirit and keep you healthy. THE BENEFITS OF PET OWNERSHIP A lack of purpose can take a significant toll, but the sense of duty pet owners have around caring for their animals helps them avoid this. The daily tasks of feeding, playing with, and walking your animal can help provide structure and bring meaning to your life. They also give you something to look forward to each day. What’s better than waking up or coming home to a wagging tail or loud meow? This is how pets help improve their owners’ mental and physical health. Studies also show that those who care for pets have less stress and lower blood pressure and cholesterol than their petless counterparts. You’re also more likely to maintain a daily exercise routine. Humans have an innate need to be social, and without someone to talk to regularly, our mental well-being can start to deteriorate. Pets may not be the best conversation partners, but they may increase your social activity. Walking a dog to a local park every day, for example, can provide an opportunity for you to interact with other people. If you live alone, this simple activity can increase your social circle and improve your mental health. FIND THE RIGHT PET Before taking advantage of the many benefits pets offer, it’s crucial to consider which pet is right for you. Doing research can help answer important questions about which animals might be a good fit for you and your lifestyle and which aren’t. Finding a perfect match may take some time, but once that connection is made, there is nothing that will bring more joy into both of your lives. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a list of questions that will help guide you to the perfect pet. Take a look at CDC.gov/healthypets.

“I have selected the Every Child Fund at Boston Children’s Hospital because of my excellent experience. My experience was made positive because of the thoughtful and accommodating nurses and doctors who have helped me so much. I want to make sure that other children have access to the necessary resources to help them live life like other kids. The Every Child Fund helps provide the necessary equipment to the patients. For example, the money that people donate goes toward masks for babies, beakers, and finding cures for different illnesses. This is why I chose the Every Child Fund.” -Emma Emma originally injured her arm in September 2019. Since then she has been casted twice, had two surgeries, and tried devices to help her improve the range of motion in her arm. She has also undergone many hours of physical therapy plus many hours of working on her exercises at home. Since she began therapy at ProPT last summer, Emma has demonstrated a positive attitude, determination to improve her abilities, and resilience during her recovery amid the changes to life that the pandemic has brought. These characteristics have been an inspiration and are why Emma is Patient of the Month for March. Keep up the great work, Emma! We at Professional Physical Therapy would be honored to donate to the charity of your choice if you become our next Patient of the Month!

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Relieving Pain Since 1992

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we do, including this book. If you already have a copy, dig it back out sometimes —there’s a lot in there, and it’s worth looking at again from time to time. And of course, if you don’t have a copy of “Secrets of a Pain-Free Life,” please contact Professional Physical Therapy today. We’ll make sure you get one.

HowDoes Laser Therapy ReallyWork? When most people hear the word laser, they think of the Death Star or something similar — not exactly something you want to use on an injury, right? But this couldn’t be further away from the truth because deep-tissue laser therapy is an amazing treatment for injuries, recovery, and chronic pain. though the specific circumstance absolutely warrants a conversation. Or perhaps the surgeon thinks the patient was already told by their primary care doctor, and the doctor assumes the surgeon will say something. Regardless of the reason, there’s only one solution to this, and that’s to take the stance we have at Professional Physical Therapy. It’s our job to tell the patients everything they need to know, answer all questions honestly, and help them make informed decisions about their own health. Because we are physical therapists, many of the secrets in Dr. Raybuck- Schatz’s book help patients navigate the ins and outs of physical therapy, especially in the ways it intersects with the rest of the medical field. For example, did you know that many insurance companies won’t pay for an X-ray under certain circumstances, unless you’ve tried physical therapy first? Or that you might not be able to get the physical therapy itself covered without a doctor’s referral? “Secrets of a Pain-Free Life” is full of advice when it comes to the often-tricky world of medical treatment and has great examples of how to act and what to ask for to ensure you get the right treatment. Dr. Raybuck-Schatz even breaks down the way doctors think about the people they treat, from overly cautious to overly aggressive, and the behaviors that will cause medical practitioners to file you into one category or another. It’s a true insider’s guide to the industry. At the end of the day, it all comes down to this: You deserve to know the things that you aren’t being told. We firmly believe in having educated patients at Professional Physical Therapy, and that ethos drives everything

Spring Vegetable AND CHICKEN PASTA BAKE

Inspired by TheSeasonedMom.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup cooked chicken, diced • 1 14-oz can artichokes, drained and quartered • 1 cup fresh asparagus pieces • 1/2 cup carrots, grated • 1 1/2 cups uncooked penne pasta • 1 3/4 cups chicken broth • 1/2 cup fresh chives, chopped and divided

• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped and divided • 2 tsp minced garlic • 1/4 tsp salt • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Healing happens at a set pace, and it’s not very quick. To remedy this, we use a Class-IV laser (which is harmless when used correctly) to stimulate the cells near the injury. In turn, they start working overtime, which lowers inflammation and reduces pain — and, best of all, gives you a fast pass to healing from a variety of injuries! Because many insurances won’t help you, we’re giving a 50% discount on your treatment of 5, 10, or 20 sessions. Call Professional Physical Therapy at 508-794-3157 today, and mention this article in the newsletter. That’s all it takes for your 50% discount!

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425 F and grease an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. 2. In the prepared dish, stir together cooked chicken, artichokes, asparagus, carrots, uncooked pasta, chicken broth, half the chives, half the parsley, garlic, salt, and 2 tbsp Parmesan. 3. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 35 minutes. 4. Uncover and stir. At this point, check the pasta to make sure it is al dente. If it’s undercooked, cover the dish and return to the oven until pasta is tender. 5. Remove from oven and garnish with remaining Parmesan, chives, and parsley.

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620 Old West Central St. Franklin, MA 02038 www.proptinc.com 508-528-6100

Inside This Issue

1

Solutions and Silver Linings

2

Patient of the Month Caring for Pets Brings Health and Happiness

3

Spring Vegetable and Chicken Pasta Bake

4

Let’s Talk Medical Secrets

, Cigarettes Make You Heal Slower AND OTHER SECRETS OF A PAIN-FREE LIFE

So, why isn’t that information given to every smoker who is treated for a wound or undergoes surgery? If you broke your collarbone and had to fix it with an operation, wouldn’t you want to be told that your pack-a-day habit can make the recovery twice as long? You might still choose to do nothing, but that would be your choice.

, has your doctor ever kept something from you? Would you even know? There are a lot of secrets many doctors would rather you didn’t know. So many, in fact, that our fearless leader, Dr. Raybuck Schatz, wrote a book on the topic: “Secrets of a Pain-Free Life.” You might already have a copy. But have you looked at it lately? It’s full of information that others in medicine might never have told you, and reading it is a great way to find out what you don’t know. Why would a doctor spill the beans on her own profession? As Dr. Raybuck Schatz writes in the dedication, “An educated consumer … is my vision for writing this book.” The truth is, doctors who keep things from their patients aren’t doing them any favors or keeping things simple so the patient doesn’t get overwhelmed. It’s true that how you present information to a patient is important. But that should never be an excuse for sweeping aspects of a medical situation under the table. Here’s an example straight from the headline that is covered in “Secrets of a Pain Free-Life”: If you regularly smoke cigarettes, and then cut yourself, you’re likely to heal at about half the speed of a nonsmoker with the same wound.

Why weren’t you told? At this point, you might be saying out loud, “I was told.” If that’s the case, hold on to your doctor because you’ve probably got a good one! But the fact remains that when you ask smokers about their operations, the majority will tell you that nobody warned them about this before or after surgery. There are many reasons this might happen. Sometimes, doctors don’t want to overcomplicate a situation. They think that patients only can process so much information, so they tell them what they believe to be most important and nothing more. Other doctors have had past experiences trying to convince smokers to quit — which is admittedly hard to do — and don’t want to waste their breath, even

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