South Valley PT_6 Simple Steps to Make Knees Feel Great

South Valley PT_6 Simple Steps to Make Knees Feel Great

Health & Fitness

6 Simple Steps To Make Your Knees Feel Great

Health & Fitness The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

A Telltale SymptomOf Arthritis Have you noticed in recent years that your knees seem to be getting bigger? Is this correlated with more popping, grinding or even pain when you bend, squat or kneel? This can be a sign of advancing stages of arthritis. The knees have two main fat pads, which reside just above and below the kneecap. These help to cushion the knee and assist with lubricating fluid flow around the joint. With arthritis, inflammation in the joint causes the fat pads to gradually thicken, choking the joint fluid flow. This leads to a vicious cycle of decreased lubrication, more wear, pain, and swelling. Will I need surgery for my knees? The good news is that recent studies show 60-70% of knee osteoarthritis patients can avoid surgery by getting PT first. (1) In fact, surgery should always be considered as a last resort after conservative measures have been tried. Furthermore, physical therapy is actually 40 times less expensive than a total joint replacement! (2 ) Improve your joint lubrication A physical therapist can actually help the lubrication in your joints through improved joint motion, strength, balance and coordination. The better lubricated your knee joints, the less friction and wear occur, reducing inflammation and pain. During knee treatments, our therapists work to improve your patella (kneecap) and joint mobility. This improves the mobility of the tissue around the joint, especially the fat pads. This in turn, leads to improved blood flow, joint lubrication and decreased swelling. The result is fast pain relief, improved motion, strength, and abilities to do physical activities. Walking, bending, jumping and squatting can then be done without pain. Put your knees on the right path to health with a visit to your physical therapist. If your knees are feeling tight, stiff, weak, or are just starting to bother you, come see us, before it becomes a REAL problem. Call us today and talk to your physical therapist about your knees. (1). Katz JN, Brophy RH, Chaisson CE, et al. Surgery versus physical therapy for a meniscal tear and osteoarthritis. N Engl J Med. 2013 (2). http://www.healthline.com/ health/total-knee-replacement-surgery/understanding-costs#1 CALL TODAY! 408-365-8400 www.svpt.net

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6 Simple Steps

To Make Your Knees Feel Great

Knee pain doesn’t have to slow you down. There are many ways to naturally relieve knee pain, and get your joints moving the way they should. Here are some tips to help your knees feel great: 1. Stretch your inner thighs – The adductor muscles on the inner thighs can tighten over time. This increases the pressure on the inner aspect of the knee. Try this stretch; while standing with your feet apart, keep one foot flat on the floor, then lean away bending the opposite knee. Feel the stretch on the inner thigh, but be gentle! Hold for a good 30 seconds and repeat 3-5 times in a row on both sides. 2. Get your kneecap moving – Freely moving patellas (kneecaps), are a sign of good knee health. In a sitting position with your leg out straight, hold onto your kneecap and gently push it down towards your toes and back up towards your head. This should not hurt! Repeat 10 times each direction and then do side to side. Repeat 2-3 times a day. 3. Strengthen your hip and quadricep muscles – Do exercises to strengthen the outer hip and your gluteus muscles. The stronger your hips are, the better supported your knees are. In addition, doing knee extension exercises while sitting helps to strengthen the quadriceps muscles, which help to support the knee joints. Talk to your physical therapist about which exercises are right for you.

4. Go walking – Sitting for prolonged periods leads to stiffening and weakening of the whole body, especially the lower legs. Try to get out and consistently walk 20-30 minutes a day. Start with a time that you can tolerate and never push through pain. 5. Ice and heat – Heat helps with circulation flow, and feels great to soothe arthritic knees. A hot soak in the bath can go a long way to soothing aching knees. However, if your knees tend to swell after being on your feet for too long, use an icepack wrapped in a pillowcase for about 10-15 minutes. This reduces inflammation; be sure to check your skin regularly to make sure it does not get very red. 6. Get a regular physical therapy checkup – Think of your physical therapist as the mechanic for your body. Give your knees and body a regular checkup. We evaluate the movement of your joints and prevent problems before they really begin to develop. Regular visits to your physical therapist can make a difference in the long-term health of your knee joints, and keep you from spending a fortune on more expensive and invasive procedures.

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I would not change one moment of this journey! “I first want to thank the San Jose Sports Authority and Special Olympics Northern California for this wholehearted honor of tonight and this moment. I stand here in this moment truly feeling I am in a dream since my birth was, in itself, a competition to simply survive. I must say the story that has been written for my feet to travel is no tall tale but one of survival, strength, and smiles. It is no lie that indeed it takes a village to raise a heroic rebel like myself. At a table in which I am honored to sit at tonight, I have nine Hall of Famers who have taught me the following: never to give up while looking upward and onward, always appreciate and look at my feet and HALT when needed, and to keep my head up on a bike while competing with authority. I also have a friendship of many years with memories so magnificent as well as a hero who reminds me to be myself. I have been very fortunate to attend many sports events here at the SAP Center as well as AT&T Park, but my favorite sporting memory would have to be the chance that I got to tour Candlestick Park. I also have been able to advocate for people with differabilities (because we all are different and have abilities) for what seems to be my whole life. I would not change one moment of this journey I have been on and continue to be on. Special Olympics has not only been a privilege and honor to participate in for the last 30 plus years, but also a routine of purpose that inspires me to see the lights of humanity in a world full of shadows. Whether I win a medal, a ribbon, or simply a compliment, I feel Special Olympics is truly the closest avenue to ideal utopia for there are always smiles and friendships forming both on the sidelines and inside the lines of competition. In both life and my Special Olympics experiences, I have simply given my best effort to make each day worth a memory. Whether it is writing a poem or riding a bike from San Francisco to Los Angeles every first week in June with 2,500 other bicycling heroes, I strive to make not only a difference but a POSITIVE DIFFERENCE in this

world. Edgar Allan Poe once said that ‘With my poetry has not been a purpose, but a passion.’ Well for a moment, please explore my passion of THIS MOMENT... THIS MOMENT In the world and the lives we lead daily, the best are praised on while the weak feel worse. But I am here in this moment of glee, as a differable soul with strength’s burst. I have claimed first, second, and third places. As well as a few not so stellar days. But hey, the gloom’s

darks brighten joy’s graces, since upward and onward brings hope, not craze. My story may have been written beforehand, but this moment is quite a loved climax. Of many both now and then that are grand, so know I am me, and I dislike stats. Overcoming expectations makes me appreciate the road that I have walked, which makes me love this moment of beauty. So here I stand with all my smiles unlocked. So let me tell you all here, I feel I have won some, while having encountered loss, but I’m most proud of this moment. The truest words I shall always live by shall be, ‘Let me win; if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.’ As Ellen says: “Be kind to one another.” Thank you once again sincerely.” - Kristofer Peterson

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Congratulations Kris! Last month one of our former patients Kristofer Peterson was named Special Olympics Athlete of the Year. Kris has been a patient at SVPT multiple times over the past several years and we are so proud of his accomplishments and honored to have played a small part in his achieving this amazing honor. Kris is a remarkable person as I’m sure you will see when you read his speech that he gave at the award ceremony! Congratulations Kris! Annual Toy Drive With Santa! South Valley was happy to deliver a trunk full of new Christmas Gifts for children in San Jose by partnering with the Sacred Heart Annual Toy Drive. It was a Merry Christmas here at SVPT when we received a special visit from the big guy himself…Santa!

What you can do to relieve pain and feel energized! 2 Easy Stretches

1. QUAD STRENGTHENING

2. SINGLE KNEE TO CHEST STRETCH

Loosens Knees

Stretches Knees While lying on your back, hold your knee and gently pull it up towards your chest. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat 6 times.

While sitting with good posture, straighten your knee as much as you can. Hold for 30 seconds. Relax your knee back to the start position in a controlled manner. Repeat 5 times.

Exercisescopyrightof

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Does Your Friend or Family Member Need Physical Therapy? Tell Them to Check Us Out!

Do You Have Friends Or Family Unable To Do The Following? • Climb stairs without pain • Bend and move freely

If you know someone suffering with aches and pains give the gift of health. Refer them to South Valley Physical Therapy today. Pass along this newsletter or have them call us directly for a Pain Relief Consultation.

CALL TODAY! 408-365-8400 Fax: 408-365-8417

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