TrademarkPT_Effective Hip Knee and Leg Pain Relief

HEALTH & WELLNESS The Newsletter About Your Health and Caring for Your Body

LIVING YOUR LIFE WITHOUT BACK PAIN STEP

RIGHT UP!

MAKE YOUR KNEE & HIP PAIN A THING OF THE PAST

WWW.TRADEMARKPC.COM

HEALTH & WELLNESS The Newsletter About Your Health and Caring for Your Body

INSIDE: • STEP RIGHT UP! • RATATOUILLE DIP

• EXERCISE OF THE MONTH

STEP RIGHT UP! MA K E Y O U R KN E E & H I P PA I N A T H I N G O F T H E PA S T

Mark Twain once said that growing old is an issue of “mind over matter,” but if you struggle with knee or hip pain, then you know that this isn’t true at all. Knee and hip pain can really take the spring out of your step, causing you to move slower and leaving you with pain that becomes more difficult to cope with, step after step. There is an endless list of reasons as to why knee or hip pain may develop, from a slip or fall-related accident to a sports injury or even a car accident. Don’t Wait Until It Is Too Late! When an injury develops, seeking the support of a physical therapist is the best course of action. Working with a physical therapist soon after an injury develops can help reduce your recovery time and improve your ability to cope with the pain and discomfort by introducing you to targeted exercises and stretching techniques that can enhance your ability to recover from the injury. When you are dealing with a knee or hip injury, every step requires more effort than typical. This can really drain your energy level as you attempt to go about doing even basic tasks, such as taking care of your home or walking around the office. What Can Physical Therapy Do to Help? Physical therapy is not a one-stop cure-all for pain management. This is a long-term solution to pain and suffering through the use of

targeted exercises and stretching techniques that are designed to strengthen the targeted areas and help the body recover and heal. By identifying the exact points on the body that are not moving as they ought to be, it is possible to make a plan to increase flexibility, motion, strength and even improve coordination. Who Needs Physical Therapy? Are you moving like you should be? Your hips and knees are essential to everyday movement; whether you are sitting, standing, walking or running, you need your hips and knees in great shape. Sometimes, when your hips and knees are in pain, it can cause you to change the way that you are moving, causing you to change the flow and pace of your gait, which is the way that you walk. Other times, prolonged pain can cause you to stop doing movements that are indicative of healthy joints. If you’ve experienced any hip or knee pain and are considering whether physical therapy is a good choice for your health needs, consider the following: • From a standing position, are you able to lean over and touch your toes? If so, then this indicates that you have proper hip and low back flexibility. If not, then you may need to improve your flexibility and joint range of motion, and physical therapy could be helpful. • In a sitting position, can you comfortably cross your legs, leaving your ankle to rest comfortably on the opposite knee? If this is

(CONTINUED INSIDE)

SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION TODAY TO GET RID OF YOUR PAIN!

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painful, or one knee constantly must be lower than the other, then this may be indicative of knee concerns that could be addressed with physical therapy. • From a standing position, with your feet planted flat on the floor, can you push your body into a squatting position? You should be able to squat all the way down so that your buttocks are almost touching your heels. If you aren’t able to do this, then physical therapy may be helpful in improving your range of motion. • Standing near a wall or countertop, arrange your feet so that you are standing with the heel of one foot touching the toes of the other, as if on a balance beam, and see how long you can stand still. Can you balance for 10 seconds? If not, then physical therapy may be able to improve balance and coordination. The goal of any physical therapy program is to restore range of motion and improve flexibility and strength while reducing the general experience of pain. Unfortunately, hip and knee injuries often tend to linger. Every movement relies so heavily on the hips and knees that it makes it difficult to allow these joints to actually rest following an injury. Physical therapy provides targeted exercises that support the joints with precise movements that help reinforce strength and range of motion.

Your comfort level matters! As things begin to open back up, we want to provide you with options. In addition to in-person treatment, we will also continue to offer virtual appointments via telehealth! Give us a call today to see how we can help you.

For more information, contact your physical therapist to learn more about options that will suit your health needs. Call us today at 219.319.0110 or visit www.trademarkpc.com.

HEALTHY RECIPE R ATAT OU I L L E D I P

The staff at Trademark Performance is focused on keeping our equipment and facilities clean for you. To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, we want to also encourage our patients to help prevent the spread of coronavirus by: YOUR HEALTH IN MIND!

INGREDIENTS • 1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes • 1 small eggplant, cubed • 1 small zucchini, cubed • 1 small yellow squash, cubed • 1 small red bell pepper, chopped • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

• ½ tsp garlic powder • ½ tsp ground pepper • ½ cup grated Parmesan • 8 oz pita chips

STAYING HOME IF YOU ARE SICK

CLEANING HANDS OFTEN

AVOID TOUCHING YOUR FACE WITH UNWASHED HANDS

DIRECTIONS Stir together tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, and bell pepper in a 4-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on High for 1 hour. Stir in thyme, garlic powder, and ground pepper. Turn to Low and cook for 30 minutes more. Using a potato masher, crush the vegetable mixture to a chunky consistency. Stir in Parmesan. Stir occasionally while serving with pita chips.

If you are feeling sick, we ask that you stay home and contact us to reschedule your appointment. Thank you!

YOU CAN BE FREE OF YOUR PAIN! CALL TODAY OR VISIT US AT WWW.TRADEMARKPC.COM

OUR SERV I CES

IS RUNNING BAD FOR YOUR KNEES (FACT OR FICTION)? THE AGE-OLD QUESTION ADDRESSED

• McKenzie Method • Myofascial Release • Personal Training • Therapeutic Exercise • Vestibular Therapy • Wellness Program • Ergonomics

• ACL Injury Prevention Program • Advanced Functional Science • Athletic Training • Electrical Stimulation • Graston Technique • Kinesio Taping • Laser Therapy • Manual Therapy

effect on the knees, with fewer rates of arthritis compared to the general population. Another interesting study followed a cohort of runners over age 50 with already existing knee osteoarthritis, with check-in visits and X-rays at 48 and 96 months. The researchers concluded that a “self-selected running pace” was actually correlated with no worsening of knee pain or worsening of joint damage seen by X-rays. In conclusion, the pace wasn’t associated with pain, and form and function are more likely the cause for such limitations. In short, running can be very healthy for you and your knees as long as you are increasing your total mileage and volume in a progressive fashion to avoid overuse type injuries. As stated above, a “self-selected pace” could mean

You may have heard the phrase “running can be bad for your knees” at some point in your life journey, whether it was from a friend, magazine, media outlet, or even a seasoned healthcare provider. Running essentially puts loads of stress through your ankle, knee, and hip joints. It would naturally make sense to think that the sport could lead to higher incidences of degenerative and arthritic conditions. Several clients between the ages of 15 -50 have been in our office over the years recovering from all sorts of orthopedic conditions including knee, hip, and ankles surgeries. Unfortunately, most of them begin the physical therapy journey with the already pre-conceived notion that they will forever have to forego some of the recreational activities that they used to enjoy, such as running, hiking, skiing, or even sports.

HAS YOUR PA I N COME BACK?

that you are running walk/jog type intervals or limiting hill or trail runs for the time being as you work on improving leg strength and endurance. As well, if for any reason running does cause pain, don’t just wait for it to go away, we recommend you to come and see a specialist (a Physical

Although a post-surgical hip or knee maybe never get back to 100% of the “good” leg, this does not mean that you have to completely eliminate high-intensity activity from your life or that you cannot return to what you LOVE.

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Keep up with your physical therapy exercises to relieve pain and prevent further injuries. If your pain doesn’t subside, consult with your therapist about what other things might be causing pain. Call Trademark Performance for a complimentary injury consultation. We will guide you so you can get back to the activities you love.

Therapist) who can figure out the root cause of the problem and get you back to your fitness activities. The standard rule of thumb in the sports rehab and running world is to follow the “10% rule” when beginning a new program or ramping up training, or not increasing your mileage by more than 10% per week as you increase your volume. Our team here at Trademark Performance has decades of experience working with all types of runners and evaluating the body systems as an entire chain, instead of just looking to the knee as a source of pain. If you are currently dealing with nagging aches, pains, or tightness or are just looking to have your movement quality assessed, consider scheduling a visit with a PT or rehab professional. Addressing body asymmetries and mobility restrictions now will pay dividends toward pain-free running for the rest of the spring and summer.

A few years ago, one of our clients who had been on the road to recovery from surgical repair of his knee and meniscus, returned to attending CrossFit classes without pain! Important to share, he was over the age of 50, and had a chronic history of knee arthritis, pain, and weakness. How did he do it? He was diligent in completing his daily mobility and strengthening, and following our detailed plan that outlined a gradual progression of return-to-sport activities while increasing the resilience of his knee joint. This type of success story is not just an outlier, but is actually backed by the literature in the research world as well! A recent study in 2017 (by Lo et. al) of almost 3000 runners concluded that there is no increased risk associated with OA (osteoarthritis) when compared to non-runners in the community. In fact, some research articles have even proven that running has a protective

CLINIC NEWS REMOTE PERSONAL TRAINING I S NOW L I V E !