You Can Run Injury Free

HEALTH & FITNESS The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

“I Experienced Chronic Knee Pain & Decided To Do Something About It! ” You Can Run Injury Free

We all know that running is great exercise for our bodies, but often people stop due to knee or lower leg pain. This can happen for a variety of reasons, but usually ones that we are not aware of. Over 50 million Americans deal with some sort of knee trouble, as the knees are the second most common injured joint, the first being the joints in the spine. Therefore, it is essential to know what you can do to prevent knee troubles from even starting. (continued inside) LOOK INSIDE FOR A FREE JOINT PAIN SCREENING!

• You Can Run Injury Free • The Runner’s Guide: 5 Ways To Improve Knee Pain

• See What Our Patients Have To Say • The Ideal Protein Weightloss Method

HEALTH & FITNESS The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

“Don’t You Think You Would Be More Productive With A Healthier Spine? ” You Can Run Injury Free

Most all knee and leg pain can be attributed to the following issues: • Poor muscular strength • Imbalance of muscular strength with certain muscles stronger and others weaker • Poor muscular coordination • Poor biomechanics of walking / running • Lack of flexibility Common injuries with running or exercising: • Patellofemoral pain • Meniscus tears and pain • Ligament injuries (ACL, PCL, MCL, LCL) • Osteoarthritis • Shin splints • Hamstring pulls • Achilles tendonitis Don’t Push Through The Pain While feeling a stretching sensation or muscle burn is a normal part of exercising, feeling pain is not. Sharp or dull pain should be paid attention to and not pushed through. Make sure you are doing adequate warming up prior to exercising as muscles and tissues require internal lubrication to work properly. Warming up brings natural fluids to the area to help with lubrication, improving elasticity and function. In addition, make sure to properly stretch after exercising to ensure that flexibility is maintained and gained.

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“Knee osteoarthritis? Surgery doesn’t have to be your only option for meniscus tears. Getting physical therapy first helps 60-70% of knee osteoarthritis patients avoid surgery. ”

- Katz JN, Brophy RH, Chaisson CE, et al. Surgery versus physical therapy for a meniscal tear and osteoarthritis. N Engl J Med. 2013

1. Increase your leg strength Do wall sits, knee extensions, toe raises, hip side-lifts and more. Speak with one of our professionals for how to perform these exercises correctly. 2. Improve your kneecap tracking Your patella needs to glide to actually form a C pattern when you bend your knee. Do leg lifts with your whole leg rotated outwards to strengthen the inner thigh and knee muscles. Make sure to stretch your kneecap up and down, side to side, to ensure gliding. Most patellofemoral pain comes from poor patella tracking and a physical therapist is the expert to diagnose and treat this problem. 3. Maintain & improve flexibility With running and exercising it is very common for the powerful muscles in the leg to become tighter. For example, the hamstring and outer tissues of the leg (iliotibial or “IT” band) can become very tight, altering the mechanics of the knee causing pain. Stretch after every time you run and do adequate warm ups prior. Try integrating yoga and stretching into your routines. 4. Improve your balance & coordination Do balance exercises to build up your proprioception (sense of

balance position). Exercises such as standing on one leg with and without eyes closed are important. Don’t forget to make sure you setup for safety when performing balance exercises by having a steady surface nearby to hold onto when needed. 5. Improve your agility Many casual runners, simply run, but do not perform other types of important exercises such as strengthening, balance and agility training. Mix up your workouts to include these other types of exercises. Seeing a Specialist If you have recuring knee pain or discomfort for more than 3 days, it is time to see a specialist. The ideal specialist to see is a physical therapist as they are medical experts in joint movement and function (kinesiology).Only then, can the true source of the pain be found, treated and help you understand what you can do to prevent it from returning. In addition, if you are an avid athlete, a physical therapist is key in helping you discover new ways to improve your movement and function, helping you improve your game. Get on the path to healthy knees and call us today for a free joint movement analysis. Discover how liberating it can be to run or exercise pain free.

5 WAYS TO IMPROVE KNEE PAIN

Do you want a natural solution to improving your health? Gain your freedom from pain medication and avoid costly surgery with physical therapy!

We can help you: Naturally relieve stiffness and swelling. Prevent aches and stiffness. Be more active with your friends and family.

Have more energy. Feel better at work.

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Mention or Bring in This Coupon Today For a FREE Joint Pain Screening

Offer valid for the first 25 people to schedule. Expires 03-31-17. CALL TODAY: (316) 283-7187

Patient Results I can continue Races! "Before therapy, I was not able to bend my knee as much as I needed. I had pain

I've started running and working out at the YMCA! "Before therapy, I just had knee surgery. I was on crutches and a knee brace. I couldn't bend my knee past 20 ° . Since therapy, I have full range ofmotion in my knee and I've started running and working out at the YMCA." - M.R.

Excellent Results! "Before therapy, I needed strength and mobility in my left knee after total knee replacement. Since therapy, I am walking without pain. I was able to go from a walker to cane in a couple weeks. I chose to return to Advanced Physical Therapy because of excellent results before with other issues." - N.E.

when working the movements. Since therapy, I feel like I know where to go from here with working out. Staff made sure to give me good strengthening exercises so that I can continue with races." - A.M.

REMINDER: March Madness is right around the corner. Be sure to come in tofill out a bracket for a chance to win a gift card. Anyone is eligible to win. (Current andpast patients, friends and family of patients.)Theperson with the most correct picks wins. Good Luck!

FOOT PAIN- Plantar Fasciitis?

Elesa, one of our patients writes: "I had no idea Physical Therapy could help this problem. A friend told me some home remedies that helped a little, but I still had some pain especially in the early mornings. I am so glad I called and came infor treatments." Remember No script is needed. Just give us a call, we can get you in right away. (316)283-7187

www.aptnewton.com (316)283-7187 2311 S. Kansas Ave. 2 1 S. Kansas Ave.

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(316)283-7187

Health Tips

Exercise Essentials Try these pain relief exercises:

“Can I Improve My Fitness & Knee Strength At The Same Time?” Beginner Biking For Weight Loss

Helps Knee Pain

KNEE EXTENSION STRETCH While sitting, tighten your top thigh muscle to press the back of your knee downward towards the ground.

Aerobic exercise, such as riding a bike, increases your heart and breathing rates and burns calories, which will help you to lose weight. Each 3,500 calories you burn means 1 pound of weight loss. Your body uses calories to perform its daily tasks, but if you want to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume. Biking, even for short periods of time, will use calories and increase your weight loss chances. In her book, “Ride Your Way Lean,” Selene Yeager states that you burn calories on a bike even if you do not feel like you are working very hard. A 155-pound person will burn approximately 596 calories riding at 12 to 13.9 mph pace for an hour. The faster you go, the more calories you will burn. Aim to ride 30 to 60 minutes for five to seven days a week. Starting to ride a bike with gears over varying terrain can seem like a daunting task. Get to know your gears and shifting often. Unless you live in an area that is extremely flat, you will need to shift up or down frequently during your ride. Downshifting takes you to an easier gear, allowing you to pedal uphill more easily or give your legs a break. Shifting up into a higher gear will give you more power, which you will need to move faster. Focus on your pedaling tecnique as well; you should push down on the pedal as well as pull up, making your motion fluid and energy-efficient. Once you feel comfortable, you can buy clipless pedals that keep your foot attached to the pedal, increasing your pedal efficiency. Yeager also advises starting slowly and not being hard on yourself. Your endurance and strength will improve with time.

Helps Lower Back

HIP HIKES While standing up on a step, lower one leg

downward towards the floor by tilting your pelvis to the side. Then return the pelvis/leg back to a leveled position.

WIN A VISA GIFT CARD Whoever has the most “check in’s” at Advanced Physical Therapy in Hesston or Newton on Facebook wins a Visa giftcard. Check in today!

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