ReQuest: Improve Spine Health By Improving Posture

ReQuest: Improve Spine Health By Improving Posture

Live Life Pain-free

Health & Wellness Newsletter

NEWSLETTER

GETTING TO KNOW THE TEAM: KIRI KRISHINGNER, PT, DPT, PCES

“Joy” Kiri finds so much joy in helping others. That is what brought her to Physical Therapy. She was born in Rochester, Mi nneso t a and grew up making snow forts, wearing ten layers of clothing just to go outside, and dabbl ing in

abdominal fascia during pregnancy; when not treated properly, it prevents sp i na l s tab i l i t y and core strength postpar tum. She also uses corrective exercises, including things from her training in Pilates, to restore pelvic floor function after birth.

competitive downhill ski racing (when she felt like she could handle the wind chill). For college, she moved south to Chattanooga, Tennessee. Graduate school brought her to sunny, Southern California; she learned that her own happiness flourishes in warmer climates. Her greatest joy comes from guiding others on their journey into healing. Naturally, the only thing that competes with that delight is seeing a big smile on her 8-month old son’s face and spending quality time with her husband! Physical Therapy. After her own pregnancy, Kiri found purpose in helping other women move through their prenatal and postpartum healing processes. In 2020, she finished her Pregnancy and PostpartumCorrective Exercise Specialist certification to further her education in this niche of physical therapy. Physical Therapy can be utilized very effectively during pregnancy to prevent pain in the back, hips, and ribs, as well as many other things that pregnant women may experience. During postpartum recovery, Kiri facilitates diastasis recti recovery– a normal separation that occurs in the

Relearning how to breathe properly, improving shoulder mechanics to pick up heavy babies, and preventing back and neck pain due to breastfeeding are just a few of the things she enjoys teaching new mothers. Her mission is to create strength and resilience in a new mother’s body, so that they may enjoy their new journey without preventable aches or movement impairments. Kiri’s Dream: “My ultimate career dream would be to have preventative postpartum physical therapy as commonplace at the 6-week OB/GYN follow up. I want to be a part of creating a community of healthy, supported, and strong women, who can raise their babies without pain or discomfort. Mothers are in charge of providing the foundation for the next generation, and I want to be a part of keeping that foundation strong.“ Fun Fact: Kiri began playing flute at age four and earned the title of the top flautist in Minnesota by the age of 17. Much to her parents’ despair, Kiri has not played her flute in 5 years… BUT she loves singing and making songs for her little guy.

OUR SERVICES

• Injury Treatment • Vestibular Fall Treatment

• Sciatica Treatment • And More!

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Live Life Pain-free

Health & Wellness Newsletter

NEWSLETTER

DISCOVER BETTER SPINE HEALTH BY IMPROVING YOUR POSTURE

INSIDE: • How Can Physical Therapy Help With My Spine Health? • Patient Success Spotlight • Healthy Recipe • DIY Face Covering

Whether you have pain or have been suffering for a long time, seeing a physical therapist at ReQuest Physical Therapy can help you return to a more active and pain-free life. Give us a call today:

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. When this happens, those areas can become irritated and painful. A common reason why this happens is due to poor posture. Posture plays a large role in our everyday lives. How you sit, stand, stretch, and lift all play a role in the pressures on your spine. Fortunately, ReQuest Physical Therapy can help ease some of this physical stress. Specialized hands-on techniques and exercises can help restore the flexibility in your spine and improve your posture. Our dedicated physical therapists can also provide you with helpful lifestyle changes for improving your posture and spine health. Contact our office today to learn more! What can I do to improve my posture? 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. Sitting is the position that puts themost pressure on the lower back. It is important to break up your sitting time throughout the day and take frequent breaks. Work

• GAINESVILLE: (352) 373-2116 • TIOGA CENTER: (352) 692-2131

in standing or walking tasks at various times throughout the day, limiting your sitting to about 30 minutes at a time. It is also important to make sure your core muscles are strong, as this is an integral part of practicing proper posture. 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, and after surgeries or injuries. Strengthening your abdominal and hip muscles can go a long way to providing the necessary muscle support to your spine. Consult with one of our dedicated teammembers today to discuss how our individualized treatment plans can provide you with the best core exercises for your needs.

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HOWCAN PHYSICAL THERAPY HELPWITHMY SPINE HEALTH?

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.

By improving posture and core strength, you can relieve some of these troublesome causes. There are a couple key ways that improving posture with your physical therapist can help promote spine health: 1. It encourages strength and flexibility. If you have struggled with poor posture for a while, there is a good chance that it will be difficult to maintain proper posture in the beginning. It may take some time in physical therapy to gain the strength and flexibility necessary to keep your ideal posture. Fortunately, the work you do with your physical therapist to achieve your physical goals will lead to greater overall fitness. The stronger and more flexible you get, the less likely you are to suffer from back pain on a regular basis. 2. It improves function for all activities. When we think of posture, many of us picture an image of static positions - such as sitting at a desk or standing up straight. However, proper posture can be (and should be) incorporated into everything we do. Through physical therapy treatments, your physical therapist will guide you on how to maintain proper posture during all of your favorite activities, such as walking, running, and playing sports. The improved posture you adopt in each activity will lessen the wear and tear you put on your spine, which minimizes the risk of developing back pain from these activities.

3. It avoids harmful anatomical changes. The ways in which you use your spine can actually cause changes to your anatomy. The stress caused by sitting hunched can eventually lead to damage of your muscles, joints, spinal discs, and the nerves and blood vessels that travel through your spine. Fortunately, in many cases the damage can be reversed, if you engage in targeted physical therapy treatments and learn how to maintain proper posture. Improve your posture with ReQuest Physical Therapy today! Physical therapy is the right solution to improving your posture and spinal health. Get back to your optimum health by consulting with a licensed physical therapist. Contact our office today to get started on the path toward better posture and decreased pain! We’ll help you achieve the strong spine health you need.

Call us today to schedule an appointment!

PEACH ICE CREAM TASTE HOW DELICIOUS WEIGHT LOSS CAN BE Makes 2 Cups

INGREDIENTS • 1/2 c cashews (use 1 cup if not using yogurt) • 5 c ripe peaches, washed, halved and pits removed

• 1/2 c fat free plain Greek yogurt • 1 ripe banana • 1 tbsp. lemon juice • 2-3 drops vanilla (optional)

DIRECTIONS Soak cashews in water for at least 30 min. Strain cashews from water. Blend all ingredients in high powered blender until pureed. Note: For nice rich peach flavor, use 4 to 1 ratio of peaches to other ingredients. At this point you can add the blended peach mixture to home ice creammaker to continue mixing and freeze. Or pour peach mixture into ice cube trays or popsicle mold. Place in the freezer until frozen. This is one of the many complementary recipes shared in our healthy lifestyle program, Physicians’ Choice for Weight Loss.

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Patient Success Spotlight

Do You Have Friends or Family Unable to Do The Following? • Move without pain • Bend and move freely REFER A FRIEND! WHO DO YOU KNOW THAT NEEDS OUR HELP?

• Balance confidently and securely • Sit for long periods comfortably • Walk for long distances • Live an active and healthy lifestyle

Have them call our office today! 1. Call and talk to a therapist 2. Discover why your pain has come back 3. Get your custom recovery program

I am slowly but surely becoming stronger! “By coming for regular massages, my muscles are looser; therefore, when I do my exercises, they are more efficient. I am slowly but surely becoming stronger after 2 back surgeries, cancer, and multiple procedures!”

WE MAKE IT EASY TO LEAVE A REVIEW! INSTRUCTIONS:

FREE 15 MINUTE PAIN SCREEN CALL TO SCHEDULE TODAY! GAINESVILLE: (352) 373-2116 TIOGA CENTER: (352) 692-2131

1. Open your smart phone to the camera app 2. Center the QR code above in the frame (this will take you directly to our Patient Results page) 3. Tell us how we’ve done! Click on the “Review Us” button on the top of the page.

Limited to the first 25 callers. Expires 07-30-20

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SEWN CLOTH FACE COVERING FACE COVERING

• Two 10”x6” rectangles of cotton fabric • Two 6” pieces of elastic (or rubber bands, string, cloth strips, or hair ties)

• Needle and thread (or bobby pin) • Scissors • Sewing machine

Run a 6-inch length of 1/8-inch wide elastic through the wider hem on each side of the cloth face covering.

Cut out two 10-by-6-inch rectangles of cotton fabric. Use tightly woven cotton, such as quilting fabric or cotton sheets. T-shirt fabric will work in a pinch. Stack the two rectangles; you will sew the cloth face covering as if it was a single piece of fabric.

These will be the ear loops. Use a large needle or a bobby pin to thread it through. Tie the ends tight. Don’t have elastic? Use hair ties or elastic head bands. If you only have string, you can make the ties longer and tie the cloth face covering behind your head.

Gently pull on the elastic so that the knots are tucked inside the hem. Gather the sides of the cloth face covering on the elastic and adjust so the cloth face covering fits your face. Then securely stitch the elastic in place to keep it from slipping.

Fold over the long sides ¼ inch and hem. Then fold the double layer of fabric over ½ inch along the short sides and stitch down.

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Exercise Essentials Try these exercises to keep you moving...

About Us When you need physical therapy, you have the right to choose where you go. If you are tired of being a number and ready for a physical therapy team that’s proud to offer special services not found in any other practice in the Gainesville area, ReQuest Physical Therapy is your choice. We offer a variety of additional premier services to make your time at ReQuest as pleasant as possible, including discounts for cash/self-pay patients, flexible payment schedules, and same-day appointments. We also accept patients without a physician’s referral, so you can begin treatment quickly and without the hassle of extra paperwork.

WALL POSTURE Stand with your heels up against a wall. Attempt to get your heels, buttock, shoulders and head to touch the wall at the same time. Hold for 30 seconds.

Exercises copyright of

Improves Posture

www.simpleset.net

PRONE ALTERNATE LEG While lying face down and keeping your lower abdominals tight, slowly raise up a leg. Slowly lower and then raise the opposite side. Do not allow your spine to move the entire time. Repeat 5 times.

Strengthens Core

Always consult your physical therapist or physician before starting exercises you are unsure of doing.

MASSAGE THERAPY RETURNS!

Telehealth at ReQuest PT

ReQuest Physical Therapy is committed to your health and wellness and is pleased to announce the addition of telehealth services for our patients! We have worked diligently to establish technology that allows us to continue treating your condition while also doing our part to #flattenthecurve! This digital platform means no interruption to plans of care, even when scheduled clinic visits are not an option.

ReQuest Physical Therapy will reopen massage therapy services. Need relief from muscle spasms, improvement in flexibility, or improved circulation? Massage therapy may be the best solution for you. To schedule your massage therapy session call a clinic nearest you and let them know you are ready to gain pain relief!

Video Conference: Virtual face time with patients which allows therapists to collect all the necessary information to prescribe or modify exercises based on range of motion and functional testing.