Spine & Rehab Specialists - August 2022

Spine & Rehab Specialists - August 2022

AUGUST 2022

6358 EDGEMERE BLVD. EL PASO, TEXAS 79925 915-562-8525

11855 PHYSICIANS DR. EL PASO, TEXAS 79936 915-855-6466

GETTING READY FOR FALL SPORTS? 4 WAYS WE HELP ATHLETES — INCLUDING CONCUSSION PREP!

It has been a few months since I wrote to you in this newsletter, but I hope you learned a few things from Adrian, Earl, and the other team members who stepped in while I was busy helping patients at our clinics. This summer was a busy one, and it was also a milestone: I celebrated my 35th anniversary as a PT! I can’t believe I’ve been in physical therapy for three and a half decades already. I’ve seen a lot of changes in the field over that time (keep reading to learn about the cutting-edge technologies we use now to help patients and athletes), but some things have stayed the same, too. Manual therapy is as effective at relieving pain as it was in the ‘80s. As I go into year 36, I’m just as excited to be a PT as I was back then. Nothing makes me happier than helping people recover naturally without medication, injections, or surgeries. As a bonus, I get to do it surrounded by a great team of PTs that is dedicated to working with patients one on one to help them get better. Of course, my anniversary isn’t the only thing I’m excited about right now. I’m also looking forward to another season of UTEP football! We made it to a bowl game last year and hopefully this season will be even better. If you’re an athlete getting ready for fall sports or have one in your family, remember that PT can help improve performance, prevent injuries, and speed up recovery. Here are four services we offer that athletes won’t want to miss. 1. Improve your sports performance with our Wellness Program. This program was designed to help athletes and non-athletes get stronger and develop themselves with guided exercises. For athletes, we tailor our guidance specifically to your sport and the areas you’d like to improve, like your vertical jump or speed. 2. Prepare for concussions before they happen with complementary concussion baseline testing. One of the most difficult parts of concussion recovery is pinpointing when you’re back to “normal” — but we can help make that easy! Our concussion baseline test is a quick, easy, free assessment you can do NOW that will

establish your baseline cognitive skills. If you get a concussion this sports season, doctors can use the baseline we set to

identify when you’re fully recovered. You’ll get back into the game faster and safer. Make an appointment with us now before it’s too late. 3. Diagnose injuries quickly and affordably with musculoskeletal ultrasound. If you’re hurt on the field, you don’t have to spend $3,000-plus and weeks of your time on doctors visits, X-rays, and MRIs to figure out what’s wrong. Instead, come to see us for a quick and affordable musculoskeletal ultrasound and PT evaluation. You can get the same information for less than 10% of that cost at a same-day or next-day appointment. 4. Reduce muscle tightness and get back to practice with dry needling. When you start practicing your sport again, you may find that your muscles are stiff and tight or that you just can’t push yourself the way you used to. If that’s the case, dry needling can help. Our PTs are trained to use needles to release tight spots in athletes’ muscles and treat overuse injuries. My team and I are the official PTs of the UTEP football team, and we’ve used all of these techniques to help UTEP players. One player even credits his ability to qualify for the Olympics to our dry needling! We can help you or the athletes in your life get amazing results too, although we’re not guaranteeing you’ll make it to the Olympics! Just call a Spine & Rehab Specialists clinic near you to schedule an appointment. In the meantime, I hope to see you at a UTEP game! Bonnie and I are looking forward to working with Andrew, the school’s new director of sports medicine, to make this a fantastic season.

Go, Miners!

–Harry Koster

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LIVE LONGER AND STRONGER CHANGING THE SCOPE OF EXERCISE

Gardening While gardening doesn’t seem as vigorous as other exercises, it is a hearty physical activity. Digging around in the dirt is actually great for your immune system, and it strengthens your arms, legs/knees, and balance. Mycobacterium vaccae, which is a bacteria commonly found in gardening soil, can alleviate symptoms of allergies, asthma, and even psoriasis. Cycling Whether it be in a class or outdoors, cycling can be very beneficial for stiff or sore joints. You’re able to get your blood flowing and build muscles in the front and back of your legs as well as your hips. Your arms are also strengthened due to the resistance of balancing your arms and shoulders to steer. Yoga Holding a series of poses can stretch and strengthen your muscles, tendons, and ligaments. It also helps lower heart rate and blood pressure and can even relieve symptoms of anxiety and depression. For older adults, a well-rounded workout that consists of endurance, strength, balance and flexibility can help in many ways. Some can even be fun!

Your body undergoes a variety of changes over the years, many of which are

degenerative and can be debilitating to your health. But exercise can help slow these age- related issues, like heart disease or high blood pressure, and even prevent them in the long run. Here are four ways you can get moving

without overexerting yourself.

Walking or Jogging Taking a stroll around the neighborhood or a few laps around the park can help build stamina, strengthen lower body muscles, and help fight against bone diseases like osteoporosis. If you want to sweat it out some more, jogging might be a great alternative. But remember to be kind to your joints: Walk at a pace you’re comfortable with, wear supportive shoes, take breaks as needed, and walk on soft surfaces, like tracks or grass.

We Want to See You Healthy! THE 3 MAIN GOALS OF PHYSICAL THERAPY

Prevention It’s not enough for us to heal you. We also want to help strengthen

When patients arrive at their very first physical therapy appointment, they usually don’t know what to expect. In many cases, they have experienced an accident or injury and need physical therapy to regain the use of their body so they can enjoy their usual daily activities. They might think that the physical therapist's only goal is to heal their body, but that’s actually only one part of it. Many of us have three goals in mind when we are working with our patients.

your body to prevent future injuries to the same area. Prevention often ties to education: You need to understand what caused the issue in the first place to know how to prevent it. We will also teach you stretches and exercises that you can do at home to continue strengthening the injured areas. If you’ve never been to a physical therapy appointment, it can be intimidating walking through our doors. Now that you know we’re here to heal and educate you while helping to prevent future injuries, that first appointment should be much more manageable.

Education For the most part, education increases understanding. We want our patients to understand why their body is responding the way it is. If you’re in pain, we want to educate you on why you feel that way and what you can do to decrease symptoms. We want to be transparent so you feel comfortable and know you’re in a safe place with physical therapists who want you to feel better. This often leads to positive outcomes when we’re finished with treatment.

Healing Healing is a big part of physical therapy since, in most cases, you’re here to fix a physical issue that’s been plaguing you. We will work through stretches and exercises to relieve your pain and improve your functional abilities. Through physical therapy, we can accelerate the stages of healing while restoring muscle flexibility. After a few appointments, you will really start to notice a difference.

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IT’S NICE TO MATCHA Benefits of Powdered Green Tea — And Risks

Reap the benefits. Matcha can increase your intake of antioxidants, which may help prevent cell

Matcha is an incredibly tasty, high-quality powdered green tea that has swept the food scene across the globe. It flavors popular hot teas, lattes, bubble teas, milkshakes, and even sweet breads and desserts. But is it worth the hype? Let’s find out. What’s matcha, anyway? Matcha is a finely ground green tea powder that has a strong and earthy tea flavor. For most teas, you steep the leaves in hot water. However, with matcha, you put the powder directly into water to create a hot, foamy drink. It’s processed from relatively young tea leaves and pairs well with sweet flavors. That’s why you’ll find matcha in sweetened drinks and desserts on most menus. Here’s a quick nutritional breakdown. On its own, matcha has no sugar or added ingredients. Two grams of matcha contain about 5 calories, 1 gram protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, 1 gram dietary fiber, 0.36 milligrams of iron, 1.2 milligrams vitamin C, and 200 international units of vitamin A. The most surprising numbers here are fiber and vitamin A, which are both 4% of your daily value. Importantly, matcha has a high level of antioxidants — specifically, catechins. It’s estimated that matcha may have up to 137 times more catechins than other forms of green tea.

damage and even lower your risk of several chronic diseases. Green tea extract is a well-researched ingredient commonly used for weight loss, and matcha may have a similar effect. Green tea’s properties are especially helpful at promoting good liver health. Additionally, matcha has a concentrated amount of caffeine — with an added bonus, if you’re caffeine wary. Matcha contains a compound called L-theanine, which alters the effects of caffeine to promote alertness and prevents an energy crash after caffeine’s effects wear off. Avoid the risks. Unfortunately, despite matcha’s exceptional health properties, it’s often used in not-so-healthy drinks and foods. If you consume matcha, avoid adding a lot of sweeteners. Excessive sweetener will cancel out the benefits. So, buy a bag for yourself and stir a small amount into a cup of hot water — you might be surprised how tasty a simple cup of hot matcha with very few additives can be!

Zucchini Corn Fritters Inspired by MakingThymeForHealth.com

TAKE A BREAK!

If you have a bowl and 30 minutes, you can make these fritters for dinner! Add them to your list of go-to meals that celebrate summer vegetables.

DIRECTIONS

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups shredded zucchini • 1/2 cup corn kernels • 6 green onions, chopped • 3 garlic cloves, minced • 1 1/4 cups chickpea flour

1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except oil and toppings. Stir until well combined and let rest for 5 minutes until a batter forms. 2. In a large skillet, warm the oil over medium heat. Scoop 1/4 cup of zucchini mixture into the skillet. Cook for 3–5 minutes, then flip. Cook for another 3–5 minutes until fritter is golden brown. Repeat with the remaining batter. 3. Serve topped with nacho cheese, black beans, salsa, and avocado.

• 2 tsp ground cumin • 1 tsp dried oregano • 1 tsp dried thyme • 1 tsp each salt and pepper • 1 tbsp olive oil • Vegan nacho cheese, black beans, salsa, and avocado for toppings

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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

915-562-8525 | www.SpineRehab.net 6358 Edgemere Blvd. El Paso, Texas 79925

1. This Service Will Speed Your Concussion Recovery 2. 4 Simple Yet Effective Ways to Work Out Understanding the Objectives of Physical Therapy 3. Matcha Health Benefits — And Risks Zucchini Corn Fritters 4. 4 Reasons Why You Might Not Be Losing Weight INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Find Your Focus AND ACHIEVE THE BODY YOU WANT

You’re doing too much cardio. Though cardio is an important part of a workout routine, it can’t be the sole focus. It keeps your heart healthy and boosts your metabolism, but if you’re doing too much, it can have side effects that reverse your progress. Long cardio sessions can eat away at lean muscle mass; your muscles are important for your metabolism to burn more calories. Try to keep cardio on the lighter side. That way you can also focus on other major muscle groups. You’re not taking recovery days. When you feel that afterburn and soreness following a workout, it is the prime time to take a recovery day. Recovery and rest are important steps in a workout routine, because

As anyone who struggles with their weight knows, dropping a few pounds can be incredibly difficult. Even if you’re working out regularly and your diet is great, you may still find it hard to get to an ideal weight. Our bodies and metabolisms are complex, working out isn’t always enough, and you need to address all of the issues that may be affecting your body. Here are a few reasons you might not be shedding pounds even if you’re working out. You’re not eating the right foods. People tend to focus all their energy on burning calories without considering what they’re eating as fuel for their bodies. A great tip is to look for all natural, whole foods. These will have all the nutrients you need, whereas processed foods have little to none.

most of your fat burning will be done in that period. Make sure after working hard that you listen to your body and give it the break it may need before your next workout. There may be many reasons you aren't making as much progress on your weight loss goals as you'd like. But you can do many things to help yourself lose weight in a safe, sustainable way.

You’re eating too much. Your body needs to burn as many or more calories than you consume. Don’t focus on counting calories; instead, focus on eating when you’re hungry, but eat slowly enough to where you don’t get full too quickly. This way you can find a healthy balance between what your body needs versus what you want.

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