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PT News

This Month in PT News. Featuring articles from PTandMe partnering clinics!

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1. My Back Pain Always Returns! What Can I Do?
Written by the Therapy Team at the Jackson Clinics – Northern Virginia

After the common cold, the most common reason Americans miss work is back pain. Unfortunately, once you have experienced back strain or injury, it can easily become a recurring problem. Read more

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2. Uncommon Injury and Treatment Process
Written by Steve Retan AT, ATC, the Center for Physical Rehabilitation – Grand Rapids, MI

Having worked as an athletic trainer for the last 23 years, I have treated and rehabilitated countless injuries.  However there are times that athletes sustain injuries that I have not seen before.  One such injury occurred to a high school hockey player after colliding with an opponent during a game. Read more

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3. Tips for Improving Your Ankle Mobility
Written by the Therapy Team at Momentum Physical Therapy – San Antonio, Texas

It’s important for a physically active body to achieve a stable balance between each active joint for maximum performance. In order for all of this to happen, ankle mobility is essential and is the root for several exercises or workouts! Read more

Healthy Recipes 101

Healthy Recipes 101 features fit and lean recipes from online health resources!
SPINACH QUICHE
This recipe uses the prepared pie crusts found in the freezer section of your supermarket. You can find some alternative brands with more fiber and less saturated fat at health food and specialty stores. Since prepared pie crusts are usually high in fat, we’re keeping the filling nice and light. Read More

Written by WebMD.com

Healthy Recipes 101

Healthy Recipes 101 features fit and lean recipes from online health resources!

LIGHTER SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS
Where we saved fat for this healthy recipe: stretched out the decadence of the beef by adding a Portobello mushroom and using an egg white; we added fiber by using whole-wheat spaghetti. Read More

Written by Food Network Kitchens

Healthy Recipes 101

Healthy Recipes 101 features fit and lean recipes from online health resources!

SLOPPY JOE’S
The reduced-sodium tomato soup in this sloppy joe recipe cuts out 281 milligrams of sodium per serving. Using extra-lean ground beef and thoroughly draining off the fat after cooking reduces the fat content of the recipe. Read More

Written by the Mayo Clinic Staff at Mayo Clinic

what does a physical therapist do

What does a Physical Therapist Do?

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More than half of all Americans are suffering from pain. However, many don’t even know that physical therapists are well equipped to not only treat pain but also its source. The goal of physical therapy is to correct your imbalances in posture, restore your motion and muscle strength, and recondition injured tissues to allow you to be pain-free in your daily activities. Physical therapists are biomechanical specialists. They find the source of your pain and fix it.

If you have heard of the profession of physical therapy. Maybe you have had a conversation with a friend about how physical therapy helped get rid of their back pain, or you might know someone who needed physical therapy after an injury. You might even have been treated by a physical therapist yourself. But have you ever wondered about physical therapists-who they are and what they do? Many people are familiar with physical therapists’ work helping patients with orthopedic problems, such as low back pain or knee surgeries, to reduce pain and regain function. Others may be aware of the treatment that physical therapists provide to assist patients recovering from a stroke, e.g. assisting them with recovering use of their limbs and walking again.

Maintaining an upright posture and moving your arms and legs to perform all sorts of tasks and activities is an essential component of your health. Most of us can learn to live with the various medical conditions that we may develop, but only if we are able to continue at our jobs, take care of our families, and enjoy important occasions with family and friends. All of these activities require the ability to move without difficulty or pain.

Because physical therapists are experts in movement and function, they do not confine their talents to treating people who are ill. A large part of a physical therapist’s program is directed at preventing injury, loss of movement, and even surgery. Physical therapists work as consultants in industrial settings to improve the design of the workplace and reduce the risk of workers overusing certain muscles or developing low back pain. They also provide services to athletes at all levels to screen for potential problems and institute preventive exercise programs. With the boom in the golf and fitness industries, a number of physical therapists are engaged in consulting with recreational golfers and fitness clubs to develop workouts that are safe and effective, especially for people who already know that they have a problem with their joints or their backs.

The cornerstones of physical therapist treatment are therapeutic exercise and functional training. In addition to “hands-on” care, physical therapists also educate patients to take care of themselves and to perform certain exercises on their own. Depending on the particular needs of a patient, physical therapists may also “mobilize” a joint (that is, perform certain types of movements at the end of your range of motion) or massage a muscle to promote proper movement and function. Physical therapists also use methods such as ultrasound (which uses high-frequency waves to produce heat), hot packs, and ice. Although other kinds of practitioners will offer some of these treatments as “physical therapy,” it’s important for you to know that physical therapy can only be provided by qualified physical therapists or by physical therapist assistants, who must complete a 2-year education program and who work only under the direction and supervision of physical therapists.

Most forms of physical therapy treatment are covered by your insurance, but the coverage will vary with each plan. Most states do not legally require patients to see their physicians before seeing a physical therapist. Most of the time all you have to do is ask your doctor if physical therapy is right for you.

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CLICK ABOVE to hear the differences between physical therapy and other types of treatment.

For more information on a specific diagnosis or pain visit the PTandMe Injury Center.

 

Fitness Tips: Starting the Year Off Right

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It’s the new year and for many, with it comes the resolution to get into shape. If you haven’t been to the gym or had an exercise routine in a while, we want to make sure you get off of the right foot. The last thing you need is an injury that will prevent you from reaching your goals. The American Council on Exercise surveyed fitness professionals to identify the most common fitness errors. Here are some good tips to avoid these mistakes and get the most out of your exercise routine.

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